Tubby Smith Reminisces on time at Kentucky and Luck in March

Tubby Smith is happy to take a week off from retirement. The long-time college basketball coach isn’t the biggest fan of retired life. He misses being around the game and helping players develop to their full potential. This week he gets to spend time with some of his former players and peers as Kentucky’s legend representative at the SEC Tournament.

Ahead of the first night of action at Bridgestone Arena, he joined The Paul Finebaum Show to talk about his career that is highlighted by the 1998 National Championship in his first year as the Wildcats’ head coach. Sitting in the big chair at Kentucky comes with a lot of pressure. That never got to him. The early success is another story.

“Not so much pressure, just that you’re consumed with trying to do what’s next, and how are you going to duplicate that?”

Smith said, “You know, my only problem was we won too many too soon. I remember one of the former great players here, Denver Nuggets great (Dan Issel) said, ‘Tubby, you probably won too soon.’ And he no he was probably right. He said, ‘You’re probably never gonna be as hot as you are right now.'”

Dan Issel was right. Tubby Smith never got back to the Final Four. He did win eight SEC regular season or conference tournament championships in ten seasons. The problem was getting over the hump in the Elite Eight, losing three regional finals during his Kentucky tenure.

“I thought we were going to win another one or two, but something always came up: getting beat by Michigan State the year they won it in 2000 with the Flintstones. Then we lost Gary Williams when Maryland won it. We lost to Marquette when Dwyane Wade was there and they went to the Final Four… So you got to be lucky to get there and win.”

Even though they did not cut down more Final Four nets, Tubby Smith is grateful for his time at Kentucky.

“We did it the right way and didn’t have any issues,” he said. “So I’m very fortunate to have been in this business for 49 years and loved every minute of it.”

Tubby Smith likes this year’s Kentucky Basketball team

The former Kentucky head coach has enjoyed watching John Calipari’s team from afar. He’s always been impressed with the current Wildcat coach’s ability to get young players to come together and play as one. This year the star of the show is a familiar one, Reed Sheppard. Tubby could not have won big without his father’s March heroics and it gives him so much joy to see his son succeed in a Kentucky uniform.

“I was at Jeff Sheppard’s wedding and this guy, he’s salt of the Earth and one of the best men I know. I’m so proud and so happy for Reed and for him and for his family.”

Listen to Tubby Smith on The Paul Finebaum Show Podcast.