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LSU Hires Basketball Coach And It Is Not Tubby Smith

The LSU Tigers have reportedly decided on a new head coach for their basketball team and it isn't current Minnesota Golden Gophers coach Tubby Smith. Rather the team has apparently decided to hire Johnny Jones away from North Texas.

A press conference announcing the decision to hire Jones will be held Monday, according to Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports. Smith was apparently talking to LSU, but is expected to instead return to the Gophers with a contract extension in hand for next season.

Earlier in the day, Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi made it clear he wanted Smith to remain a Gopher in a text to Marcus Fuller of the Pioneer Press.

"There have been rumors every year; not certain which ones are true," Maturi said in a text message to the Pioneer Press on Friday. "I have stated often I hope and expect Tubby to finish his career here."

It can't be long until an extension is announced.

For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also learn more about college basketball around the nation at SB Nation's College Basketball hub.

Photographs by Micah Taylor, clairity, and Fibonacci Blue used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.