Tubby Smith resigns, going to Minnesota
By Brett Dawson
The Courier-Journal
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Tubby Smith has resigned as basketball coach at the University of Kentucky and will accept the same position at the University of Minnesota, according to sources close to Smith and to the university.
Smith, whose record is 263-83 in 10 seasons at UK, will take over a program that played most of this season with an interim coach, Jim Molinari, at the helm. The Gophers’ head coach, Dan Monson, resigned last November at the start of the season.
Smith reportedly told the UK players today that his contract in Minnesota is $2.5 million a year.
Smith had been under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks after back-to-back second-round losses in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats lost seven of their last 11 games and lost a combined 25 games the past two seasons – the most ever in a two-year window at UK that was not affected by NCAA probation.
UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart could not be reached for comment.