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When Gary Williams retired to open up the Maryland basketball coaching job, Tubby Smith was immediately mentioned as a possible option by the Minnesota media.
While Smith is still an option following Arizona's Sean Miller and Notre Dame's Mike Brey both turning the job down, Pioneer Press writer Charley Waters is already doing the math to see what it would take to make Flip Saunders the next head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
A little birdie says Flip Saunders would have to give up $8.6 million — the final two years of his four-year contract — to leave the Washington Wizards for the Gophers men's basketball coaching job if Tubby Smith were recruited away for the University of Maryland coaching job.
It all still seems like a long shot, but there probably wouldn't be too many big name options available if Smith were to leave at this time of the year, making the Minneosota native Saunders the best (available?) coach on the market.
Fans of college basketball are probably well aware of this news by now, but Maryland Terrapins head coach Gary Williams retired on Thursday after 22 years on the job, opening the door for what could be an interesting coaching search for one more prestigious NCAA basketball programs.
Typically this wouldn't be news to the readers of SB Nation Minnesota, but if University of Minnesota head coach Tubby Smith left the Golden Gophers to replace Williams and Washington Wizards head coach Flip Saunders returned to his alma mater, Minnesotans would surely have a reason to care. And, according to the Charley Waters of the Pioneer Press, that could be a possibility.
Smith was born in Scotland, Md., a couple of hours from the university, leading Waters to believe that it would be a job that Smith might consider leaving Minnesota -- and the $2 million a year he's under contract to receive through the 2014 season -- for a job closer to home.
While that's interesting, it'd be tough to blame Smith for wanting to get closer to home and a bigger paycheck, despite the negative consequences that it could have on the U's basketball program. It'd be even harder to blame Smith for leaving if, in return, the Gophers were able to lure Saunders away from the NBA as Waters suggests.
If Smith, who is headed to Saturday's Kentucky Derby, were to leave Minnesota, the top candidate to replace him would be former Gophers guard Flip Saunders, 56, who resides in Medina and has two years remaining as coach of the Washington Wizards for $8 million. Saunders might be willing to return to his alma mater for the right deal.
Saunders' son Ryan, a former Gophers guard, is an assistant with the Wizards, as is Don Zierden, whose son Isaiah is a junior guard at Benilde-St. Margaret's and a Division I prospect. Don Zierden would be expected to follow Flip to Minnesota.
It all seems pretty unlikely if you ask this writer, but as J.P. from Angels in the Outfield once said, "Hey, it could happen!"
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Tubby Smith Cancer-Free After Treatment At Mayo Clinic For Early Stages Of Prostate Cancer
Tubby Smith is cancer-free, according to a release from the University of Minnesota, after being diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer.
Since a treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., however, the Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball coach says he’s healthy and looking forward to next season.
"During my regular physical last spring it was discovered that my prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were high. A biopsy was done and it was discovered that I had early stages of prostate cancer. I am happy to say that the cancer was contained and removed and I am now cancer free and feeling great."
"I want to thank Dr. Gettman and Dr. Litin at the Mayo clinic for everything they have done for me," added Smith. "I am a proponent of regular prostate examines and hope that men, especially African-American men, continue to have regular checkups. Again, I am feeling great and can’t wait for the upcoming season."
While it’s scary that Smith was diagnosed with cancer in the first place, it’s great news that he was able to catch it in time to gain a clean bill of health so soon.
May 11 6:10p by Scott Schroeder