Tubby Smith Leaving Texas Tech To Become Coach For Memphis Tigers

Texas Tech Red Raiders’ men’s basketball head coach Tubby Smith has reportedly reached an agreement to become the new coach for the University of Memphis Tigers.

Tubby Smith Leaving Texas Tech To Become Coach For Memphis Tigers

Smith agreed to a five-year, $15.45 million deal, according to reports. The Tigers announced Smith’s hiring on Thursday. He will be introduced at a 1 p.m. ET news conference at FedExForum.

“Tubby Smith is one of the finest collegiate basketball coaches and is a man of tremendous character,” Memphis athletic director Tom Bowen said in a statement. “Nationally, he is highly respected as a leader of young men and as a teacher of the game. I am honored that Coach Smith has agreed to become the next head men’s basketball coach at the University of Memphis.”

Smith coached at Texas Tech for the last three seasons. When he first started, he was leading a program that had finished no better than ninth place in the Big 12 in the five previous seasons and turned it into a team that made this past year’s NCAA Tournament.

Smith, 64, will reportedly be paid $2.8 million in 2016-17, $2.9 million in 2017-18 and $3.25 million for the final three years of the contract. He had three years remaining on his contract at Texas Tech, and he is obligated to pay a $900,000 buyout to the school.

Former Tigers coach Josh Pastner left to become head coach at Georgia Tech just last week.

Smith received the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching award Friday in Los Angeles. He is one of two coaches, along with Lon Kruger, to lead five schools to the NCAA tournament.

He coached at Kentucky from 1997 to 2007, leading the Wildcats to the national title in 1998 and 10 straight NCAA appearances. He coached Minnesota to the NCAA tournament in 2013 before abruptly being fired.

Smith has a career record of 557-276.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, two potential replacements for Texas Tech are North Florida’s Matt Driscoll and Fresno’s Rodney Terry. Both have ties to the state of Texas. Driscoll used to be an assistant at Baylor while Terry is a former assistant for the Texas Longhorns.

However, the frontrunner may be newly minted UNLV coach Chris Beard, who took over as head coach for the Runnin’ Rebels just a few weeks ago.

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 17: Head coach Tubby Smith of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts in the second half while taking on the Butler Bulldogs in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at PNC Arena on March 17, 2016 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)