Tubby Smith facts for kids
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| Biographical details | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | June 30, 1951 Scotland, Maryland, U.S. |
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| Playing career | ||||||||||||||
| 1969–1973 | High Point | |||||||||||||
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | ||||||||||||||
| 1973–1977 | Great Mills HS | |||||||||||||
| 1977–1979 | Hoke County HS | |||||||||||||
| 1979–1986 | VCU (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 1986–1989 | South Carolina (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | Kentucky (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 1991–1995 | Tulsa | |||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Georgia | |||||||||||||
| 1997–2007 | Kentucky | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2013 | Minnesota | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2016 | Texas Tech | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Memphis | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2022 | High Point | |||||||||||||
| Head coaching record | ||||||||||||||
| Overall | 642–369 (college) | |||||||||||||
| Accomplishments and honors | ||||||||||||||
| Championships | ||||||||||||||
| NCAA Division I tournament (1998) NCAA Division I Regional – Final Four (1998) 5 SEC regular season (1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005) 5 SEC tournament (1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004) 2 MVC regular season (1994, 1995) |
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| Awards | ||||||||||||||
| AP College Coach of the Year (2003) Naismith College Coach of the Year (2003) NABC Coach of the Year (2003) Henry Iba Award (2003) Jim Phelan Award (2005) 2× MVC Coach of the Year (1994, 1995) 3× SEC Coach of the Year (1998, 2003, 2005) Big 12 Coach of the Year (2016) John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award (2016) Sporting News National Coach of the Year (2016) |
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Medal record
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Orlando Henry "Tubby" Smith, born on June 30, 1951, is a famous American college basketball coach. He coached many teams, including his old school, High Point University. He also led teams like the University of Kentucky, the University of Tulsa, and the University of Georgia. Tubby Smith helped the Kentucky Wildcats win the big NCAA championship in 1998.
Over 31 years as a head coach, Smith had 26 winning seasons. He is one of only a few coaches to lead five different teams to the NCAA tournament. His three sons, G.G., Saul, and Brian, also played or coached basketball.
Contents
Early Life and Playing Days
Tubby Smith was born in Scotland, Maryland. He was the sixth of 17 children in his family. His nickname "Tubby" came from when he was a baby. He loved staying in the washtub where his parents bathed the children. He tried to get rid of the name, but it stuck!
Smith went to High Point University and played basketball there from 1969 to 1973. He was a good player and was named an all-conference performer in his senior year. He earned a degree in health and physical education.
After college, Smith started his coaching career at Great Mills High School in Maryland. He coached there for four years. Then, he coached at Hoke County High School in North Carolina for two seasons.
Becoming an Assistant Coach
VCU Rams
In 1979, Smith became an assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He worked under his former college coach, J. D. Barnett. During his time at VCU, the team had a great record of 144 wins and 64 losses. They also won three conference championships.
Smith learned a special defense style called "ball-line defense" at VCU. This defense became a key part of his coaching style later on.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Smith moved to the University of South Carolina in 1986. He joined George Felton's coaching staff. The team had a good record of 53 wins and 35 losses while Smith was there.
Kentucky Wildcats
In 1989, Smith joined the University of Kentucky as an assistant coach. The team was going through a tough time, but coach Rick Pitino was working to rebuild it. Smith helped the Wildcats improve a lot. In his second year as an assistant, the team had a 22–6 record. Many other future head coaches also worked with Smith at Kentucky during this time.
Head Coaching Career Highlights
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
From 1991 to 1995, Tubby Smith was the head coach for the University of Tulsa. He led the team to a 79–43 record. He helped them win two conference titles and reach the "Sweet 16" in the NCAA tournament twice. In 1994, his Tulsa team beat UCLA in the tournament.
Georgia Bulldogs
In 1995, Smith became the head coach at the University of Georgia. He was the first African-American head coach for their basketball team. In two seasons, his teams won 45 games and lost 19. They had two seasons with 20 or more wins, which was a first for the school. His team reached the "Sweet 16" in the 1996 NCAA tournament.
Kentucky Wildcats (Head Coach)
Smith returned to the University of Kentucky as head coach in 1997. He took over from Rick Pitino, who left for the NBA. Smith's first team at Kentucky won the NCAA National Championship in 1998! This was special because his team won without any future NBA lottery picks.
His teams were known for their strong defense, sometimes called "Tubbyball." During his ten years at Kentucky, Smith led the team to:
- One National Championship (1998)
- Five conference regular season championships
- Five conference tournament titles
- Six "Sweet Sixteen" appearances
- Four "Elite Eight" appearances
Smith was named National Coach of the Year in 2003. He also won SEC Coach of the Year three times. He won 100 games faster than almost any other Kentucky coach. In 2013, he was added to the UK Athletic Hall of Fame.
Minnesota Golden Gophers
In 2007, Smith became the head coach at the University of Minnesota. He helped the team improve a lot. In his first year, they went from 8 wins to 20 wins. He led Minnesota to the NCAA tournament in 2009 and 2010. In 2012, his team tied the school record for most wins in a season with 23. He left Minnesota in 2013.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Smith became the head coach for Texas Tech University in 2013. The team had not been to the NCAA tournament in seven years. His first two seasons were challenging, but he worked to improve the team.
In the 2015–16 season, Smith led a big turnaround. The Red Raiders won three straight games against ranked opponents for the first time ever. They finished with a 19–13 record and made it to the NCAA tournament. Smith was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year for this amazing improvement.
Memphis Tigers
In 2016, Smith took the head coaching job at the University of Memphis. He coached there for two seasons. His teams had records of 19–13 and 21–13. He left Memphis in 2018.
High Point Panthers
In 2018, Tubby Smith returned to his alma mater, High Point University, as head coach. He is a big supporter of the university and even helped fund a new basketball arena. In February 2022, he stepped down as head coach. His son, G. G. Smith, took over the coaching role.
National Team Coaching
Tubby Smith also helped coach the United States men's national basketball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He was an assistant coach, and the team won the gold medal!
Community Involvement
Tubby Smith cares a lot about helping others. When he coached at Kentucky, he started the Tubby Smith Foundation. This foundation helped underprivileged children and raised over $1.5 million. He and his wife, Donna, are still involved with the foundation. Several community centers in Lexington, Kentucky, are even called "Tubby's Klubhouse" because of his work.
Smith has also served on important committees for college basketball. He helped study issues in the sport and spoke to Congress about gambling in college sports. He and his wife donated $1 million to High Point University for a new basketball arena. The basketball court at High Point University is named in their honor.
Overall Coaching Record
Tubby Smith's overall college coaching record is 642 wins and 369 losses.
See also
In Spanish: Tubby Smith para niños
