Last week I had a strange feeling when Josh Pastner left Memphis for Georgia Tech. I wrote to Seth and the other contributors on STP to ask if we should be worried about Memphis going after Tubby Smith. My worries were calmed with nobody thinking it could be a possibility.
Then I woke up on Saturday and did a search for Tubby Smith on twitter and came across an article that caught my attention…
"I also had one source close to the Memphis program say that Texas Tech’s Tubby Smith may be in play." https://t.co/SeWNpk2aCn
— DanSwany (@DanSwany) April 9, 2016
The responses I got back were just as stout in the stance that Tubby Smith would be our coach to stay at Texas Tech…
Tubby ain't goin' nowhere! 🏀#GunsUp https://t.co/JknS8mVXwb
— TexasTechHoopsFans (@TTUHoopsFans) April 9, 2016
No way Tubby would leave. Not at this point in his career. https://t.co/gMII47rgg4
— Forrest Grimes (@FGrimesN7) April 9, 2016
@DanSwany no way, right? Surely Tubby doesn't want to start over at this point in his career.
— John (@johnmbell7) April 9, 2016
@TTUHoopsFans @DanSwany would be shocked. Tubby is just not getting rolling here.
— Mason Elam (@GunsUp5) April 9, 2016
So, I was thinking that I should throw out all those fears of a coach leaving that had the Red Raiders basketball program on the rise nationally. There was no way that a guy like Tubby Smith would burn Tech nation and bolt for more money somewhere else. My thoughts were to get the man paid and get the contract extension done before anymore BS reports came through about another program trying to poach our beloved coach.
I was wrong and we had a roller coaster of a week while we waited to see if Memphis would close a deal with Tubby Smith, or he would take a deal from Kirby Hocutt to get paid…
If Tubby Smith is really in play for Memphis as reports suggest, Tech fans need to lobby @kirbyhocutt to get him to stay #WreckEm #GunsUp
— Kyle Jacobson (@MisterLubbock) April 11, 2016
Guess what, Tubby Smith is currently in his office at the United Spirit Arena. So there's that.
— Chris Level (@ChrisLevel) April 11, 2016
Just an FYI to the random #Memphis fans that think Tubby Smith is interviewing, he's in his office at Texas Tech.
— WreckEmTech (@Guns_Up_TTU) April 11, 2016
Texas Tech’s Tubby Smith is now at the top of a short list of attainable candidates Memphis is considering, a source told @CBSSports.
— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) April 13, 2016
Confirmed: Tubby Smith is indeed expected to interview w/ Memphis for the open head coaching position. Source mentioned Penny in 2nd chair.
— GoTigers247.com (@GoTigers247) April 13, 2016
Tubby Smith has emerged as the No. 1 candidate at Memphis. Smith in town. School hoping to have the deal done today, two sources told BR.
— Jason King (@JasonKingBR) April 13, 2016
Texas Tech coach Tubby Smith is headed to Memphis, multiple sources told ESPN. First reported by @GaryParrishCBS
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) April 14, 2016
A Texas Tech official told ESPN that Tubby Smith called AD Kirby Hocutt this morning that he was accepting the… https://t.co/Acd0Bq6BQj
— Andy Katz (@ESPNAndyKatz) April 14, 2016
BAM, just like that we are not building a monster anymore at Texas Tech. Being a basketball fan for the Red Raiders sucks right now, but we are always disappointed so this is honestly not a huge shock to me. My gut was right last week. I knew it would happen, and tried to be in denial.
I am probably supposed to say that I am alright with this and Tubby Smith moved on to a “better” basketball program, and wish him well as he packs up and leaves Lubbock. But, honestly I am pissed right now. I feel like Tubby Smith came in and used Tech as a stepping stone to get to a “better” program. He did great things here, but the plan was always to catch on somewhere after Minnesota gave him the boot. For him to build something temporarily until something better came along. I feel dirty.
One thing to keep in mind is that basketball is second fiddle at Texas Tech to football. I hope the next basketball coach we get is a great hire, and wants to put the Red Raiders on the map. I hope the players that just got us into the Big Dance don’t start transferring. There are a lot of things that could go wrong, but I won’t worry about it until it all unfolds. I hope for the best. I knew it all along and will continue to keep my Guns Up until the day I die. Wreck ’em Tech!