Tubby buzz on the AZ board

Feeling a little jealous that I was unable to join ATTF at Holman Field yesterday, I thought I'd go to the next job to create panic and consternation for us, so I headed over to Arizona's rivals board, and while the head coaching job is a sizzling topic for Wildcat fans, there is nothing, absolutely nothing being said about Tubby over there.

The big names start with Izzo and Pitino, some pining for Jay Wright, and much lamenting about Calipari's assumed move to Kentucky. Evidently their AD has made the statement that AZ won't be buying out any coach's contract, which if true would eliminate a lot of coaches (Tubby too?), and there has been recent mention of Lon Kruger, which most Wildcat fans are nonplussed about. As stated, I went back 5 pages and without searching every post, I saw no headers with Tubby on their list. As we know with the Virginia search, this means nothing, although it was interesting that his name wasn't being bandied about at all-since his name's floated around the Arizona job for some time, perhaps something has occurred that convinces the Wildcat faithful it's not going to happen. I don't know.

On another note, it's amazing how spoiled some of these fan bases across the nation are. I saw a couple posters who said they wouldn't be that excited about Izzo being hired, which was also stated on the Kentucky board. It blows one's mind to read statements like that and makes you wonder how thin that line is for coaches at those "elite" programs.

I've been reading Arizona's board every now and then since Lute Olson retired, and I've never seen Tubby's name come up.

I mean, why would Arizona want Tubby? Arizona lost all of their commitments after Olson was fired, so now they're entering a rebuilding phase. Tubby turns 58 in June. Would Arizona want an older coach when it's program might need two or three years to rebuild? Would Tubby, at age 58, want to go to a program that might need several years to rebuild?

I think Mark Few, Jamie Dixon, Wright, and Sean Miller would be at the top of their list.

Plinnius said:

I've been reading Arizona's board every now and then since Lute Olson retired, and I've never seen Tubby's name come up.

I mean, why would Arizona want Tubby? Arizona lost all of their commitments after Olson was fired, so now they're entering a rebuilding phase. Tubby turns 58 in June. Would Arizona want an older coach when it's program might need two or three years to rebuild? Would Tubby, at age 58, want to go to a program that might need several years to rebuild?

I think Mark Few, Jamie Dixon, Wright, and Sean Miller would be at the top of their list.

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I think Plinnius is right on here. As we found out with the hiring of Tubby, his name never even mentioned and Bennett at UVA, the names mosted rumored are not who ends up getting hired. I wouldn't read too much into not having Tubby's name mentioned on the Arizona. It seems they are going in another direction and I would think Dixon would be high on that list which if happens look for Sean Miller and the Pittsburgh job.

coolhandgopher said:

Feeling a little jealous that I was unable to join ATTF at Holman Field yesterday, I thought I'd go to the next job to create panic and consternation for us, so I headed over to Arizona's rivals board, and while the head coaching job is a sizzling topic for Wildcat fans, there is nothing, absolutely nothing being said about Tubby over there.

The big names start with Izzo and Pitino, some pining for Jay Wright, and much lamenting about Calipari's assumed move to Kentucky. Evidently their AD has made the statement that AZ won't be buying out any coach's contract, which if true would eliminate a lot of coaches (Tubby too?), and there has been recent mention of Lon Kruger, which most Wildcat fans are nonplussed about. As stated, I went back 5 pages and without searching every post, I saw no headers with Tubby on their list. As we know with the Virginia search, this means nothing, although it was interesting that his name wasn't being bandied about at all-since his name's floated around the Arizona job for some time, perhaps something has occurred that convinces the Wildcat faithful it's not going to happen. I don't know.

On another note, it's amazing how spoiled some of these fan bases across the nation are. I saw a couple posters who said they wouldn't be that excited about Izzo being hired, which was also stated on the Kentucky board. It blows one's mind to read statements like that and makes you wonder how thin that line is for coaches at those "elite" programs.

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I went over there rather casually about a month ago and you're right, there was absolutely nothing about Tubby, which I found curious. Maybe Arizona is looking at him, maybe not. But if they are, the fan base is apparently completely unaware of it.

I have heard the same names that others are reporting, including Few, Dixon and even possibly Pitino. In fact, the only mentions of Tubby's name in connection with Arizona have been fleeting references that are, even in the admission of the writers, conjecture.

But, as we have all found out, conjecture is what fuels the internet after all!!!!

I know that Arizona wants a big name coach, however, their interim coach did pretty well this year. For a team that just lost its coach at the beginning of the season and leading the team to the Sweet 16, Russ Pennell did a fantastic job this year.

Is there any talk of bringing him back instead of hiring outside of the school?

Son of a Badger said:

I know that Arizona wants a big name coach, however, their interim coach did pretty well this year. For a team that just lost its coach at the beginning of the season and leading the team to the Sweet 16, Russ Pennell did a fantastic job this year.

Is there any talk of bringing him back instead of hiring outside of the school?

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I was wondering that too. By all accounts, Pennell was put into an almost untenable situation for the season and still managed to get Arizona to the Sweet 16. There was word that he was expecting not to be retained once the NCAA Tournament was over, but I don't know anything further on that.

But I wouldn't be surprised if Arizona went after somebody pretty big, which is why Few and Dixon along with Pitino seem to be the names everybody is floating out there.

Arizona has to be careful. They were not a big name program before Lute and could easily drop back into a middle tier program with the wrong hire.

I recently read a NYT article about Mike Dunlap, the assistant coach who Lute brought on, was first discussed as replacing Lute, but balked at the interim tag. Anyway, from the sounds of the article, Dunlap and everyone else, including Pennell, would be gone at the end of the season. Sounds like Dunlap did much of the coaching, and that Pennell would be in over his head. Here's the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/s...arizona.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=mike dunlap&st=cse

If you are going to see Mark Few move to a new job htis I think will be the one he takes. Otherwise he will finish out his carrer at Gonzaga. Just my hunch.

I thought Olson retired, not fired!

mnboiler said:

If you are going to see Mark Few move to a new job htis I think will be the one he takes. Otherwise he will finish out his career at Gonzaga. Just my hunch.

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Do not buy this Mark Few stuff. I'll believe it when he's coaching his first game in Tucson. If there is any job he'll leave for the consensus has always been Oregon. Few's just not a challenge/ego guy. He's more concerned with his fishing and hunting than coaching a powerhouse...well maybe not powerhouse. Arizona has a long ways to go to prove they can be something more than where Lute had his most success.

Calipari was a prime target and a Memphis paper today quoted his as saying as much and using the words "they offered me a blank check but I turned them down"

Would not be shocked if 'Zona fans ended up very, very disappointed.

Olson did retire. Tubby's name is going to come up with every vacancy out there...when the coaching god himself, Kevin McHale calls it quits, Tubby may even be a "candidate"

GoldenBoy13 said:

Olson did retire. Tubby's name is going to come up with every vacancy out there...when the coaching god himself, Kevin McHale calls it quits, Tubby may even be a "candidate"

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Yikes!!! What a mess that would be!!!!!!!!