If you thought that Tubby Smith going to Texas Tech as basketball coach was a retirement job, you guessed wrong.
Report: Memphis hires Tubby Smith away from Texas Tech
The former Gophers coach has reached agreement with Memphis, accordiong to a report from CBSsports.com.
April 14, 2016 at 12:36PM
CBSsports.com is reporting this morning that Smith has agreed to terms to replace Josh Pastner as coach at the University of Memphis.
Gary Parrish wrote: "Smith, 64, was offered the Memphis job Wednesday, a source said. But sources said Texas Tech quickly counter-offered with a huge raise and extension, which caused Smith to at least think everything through. Ultimately, he realized it's much easier to win consistently at Memphis than Texas Tech, a source said. So the likely future Hall of Famer agreed to fill the opening previously held by Josh Pastner."
This will be Smith's sixth head coaching job. He led Kentucky to the NCAA title in 1998 and coached Minnesota from 2007-2013 before being fired by Norwood Teague. In his final season, the Gophers defeated UCLA in the first-round of the NCAA tournament.
Smith spent three seasons at Texas Tech, which made the NCAA tournament this season after struggling in his first two years at the school.
Josh Pastner left Memphis, which was 19-15 last season and plays in the American Athletic Conference, to become head coach at Georgia Tech.
The full report from Parrish is here.
