Open Letter to Joel Maturi ---

M2S I hope you have actually sent Maturi your note. I have as well. I simply stressed that Tubby has earned a raise and extension in line with what he's accomplished, especially since Brewster got one. Further, that I don't understand comments crying poor and claiming we 'can't' possibly give him a raise while we're one of the most profitable programs in America. And finally stressing action on the practice facility and asking if small donations could be directed towards it specfically.

That letter someone posted from the Iowa State AD had a good point. Don't b!itch if you're not willing to make at least a modest effort to put your money where your mouth is. I live too far away to buy season tickets, but I would be happy to make a small contribution if I knew where it was going.

I received a reply within a few hours. The gist of it was that Maturi claims he never said he couldn't give Tubby a raise (that's certainly how I read his comments in the PP last week, but that's good I guess.) Also, that they will move as quickly as possible on the Practice Facility, but the football stadium took 5 years and these things take time. Essentially nothing new, but I didn't really expect anything.

While I appreciate the quick repsonse, it's almost distubing at the same time. He appearantly didn't know that Tubby's NCAA bonus payment that was due last May hadn't been paid until July. Yet he responds to fan emails within hours. Something doesn't make sense there. I guess if Tubby had sent him an email on May 2nd saying "Hi this is coach Smith. I think I'm due a bonus of $100K about now" he'd have gotten it faster?
 

I think Tubby should send Maturi an email asking for an update on the practice facility and a raise. Maturi has always been quick to reply to emails.

I guess Tubby needs to put a reminder in his Outlook Calendar to email Joel about his bonus. Its a shame that Maturi cannot put that same reminder in his Calendar.
 


If Tubby leaves, Maturi HAS to be fired.

Hard to argue with this post.

Revenue sports:

Football STILL struggling
Hockey at an all time low or close to it.
Women's basketball has returned to irrelevance.

Tubby is ALL Maturi has right now.
 

They were, but it was on a trial basis. Holtz convinced the Regents to make the move permanent b/c he said he could recruit better with the Dome. Then he left the U and we all got the chance to attend games in a traditionless wasteland.

Thank you. Appreciate the refresher.
 


Is anyone ready to Jump on the Fire Joel Maturi bandwagon?

I have been ripped and criticized for a long time by certain members of this board for my Anti Joel Maturi stance. Repeat, Joel is OVER his HEAD and should resign. I do know and understand what is going on at the the U Athletic Department. It lacks Leadership from the TOP down.

Do not be surprised if Tubby does not use his inability to get players in school and a practice facility to leave.
 

I have been ripped and criticized for a long time by certain members of this board for my Anti Joel Maturi stance. Repeat, Joel is OVER his HEAD and should resign. I do know and understand what is going on at the the U Athletic Department. It lacks Leadership from the TOP down.

Do not be surprised if Tubby does not use his inability to get players in school and a practice facility to leave.

Agreed wholeheartedly. Maturi has to go.
 

I have been ripped and criticized for a long time by certain members of this board for my Anti Joel Maturi stance. Repeat, Joel is OVER his HEAD and should resign. I do know and understand what is going on at the the U Athletic Department. It lacks Leadership from the TOP down.

Do not be surprised if Tubby does not use his inability to get players in school and a practice facility to leave.

I know you have a bad rep here, but I tend to agree with that statement and I would not blame Tubby one bit if he left.

This is a quality school, with a quality coach, we should not be having these problems.

Brewster's players never got the treatment that Tubby's do (Tinsley I don't think missed a single game)

While I am upset Trevor did this, and it was a complete lack of judgemant on his part, he does not deserve a suspension over it. When Renaldo Sydney is assaulting his teammates on national TV and is out for a week? Come on now.
 

Ya know I don't want to argue against Tubby, but the fact of the matter is does he have the clout to really leave because of one or two things?

This is a guy who has brought us back to mid-level Big 10, good considering where the program was after Monson.

He then has taken risks on boom or bust players (which he had to or he would have been criticized) and so far one is now in Iowa State and the other is in jail at the moment.

He had some kind of falling out with one of his best players and failed to recruit his brother (You can argue that was because of no practice facility)

he has underachieved the past two seasons, failed to develop Ralph Sampson the third into a real Big and has had the program continually surrounded by drama.

Now, he wins big games don't get me wrong. And I like the program and where it appears they are going (if we could keep everyone on the same page that is) but all in all, Tubby deserves an extension and possible raise, but Is he really going to jump ship when he appears to be just as much to blame for the state of the current program as Maturi or anyone else?

I think he has a job here he would like to finish before he leaves and the Gophers WILL get that practice facility. it is only a matter of time.
 



he won a national championship, he can do whatever he wants.

its kind of like james cameron making titanic. he can make whatever crappy movie he wants and hollywood will let him.
 

Ya know I don't want to argue against Tubby, but the fact of the matter is does he have the clout to really leave because of one or two things?

This is a guy who has brought us back to mid-level Big 10, good considering where the program was after Monson.

He then has taken risks on boom or bust players (which he had to or he would have been criticized) and so far one is now in Iowa State and the other is in jail at the moment.

He had some kind of falling out with one of his best players and failed to recruit his brother (You can argue that was because of no practice facility)

he has underachieved the past two seasons, failed to develop Ralph Sampson the third into a real Big and has had the program continually surrounded by drama.

Now, he wins big games don't get me wrong. And I like the program and where it appears they are going (if we could keep everyone on the same page that is) but all in all, Tubby deserves an extension and possible raise, but Is he really going to jump ship when he appears to be just as much to blame for the state of the current program as Maturi or anyone else?

I think he has a job here he would like to finish before he leaves and the Gophers WILL get that practice facility. it is only a matter of time.

I am pretty sure Trevor is at Williams Arena practicing as we speak ...

And also, Tubby is frustrated because I don't think he ( if it were his call) suspends Trevor and Royce as much as they were. You have Trevor and Royce playing last year, even with Al out, you have a very good tourney team that would have the Gophers at those levels everyone wants. If I am Tubby, I am sick of my AD taking the punishment of MY players as coach into his hands, not even trying to build a practice facility, and making it as difficult as possible for me to succeed. Would you work for a boss who you feel pushes you down whenever you start to make progress?

Could Royce have handled things better, absolutley. Trevor handled them perfectly last year. But, I think if Royce is allowed to play sooner (as Tubby supposedly led him to believe) I don't think he has those same outbursts and quits.

I am not saying Maturi made the wrong call and he is Tubby's boss, but just some reasons why Tubby could be pushed to leaving if that is how he feels about all of this.
 

I am pretty sure Trevor is at Williams Arena practicing as we speak ...

And also, Tubby is frustrated because I don't think he ( if it were his call) suspends Trevor and Royce as much as they were. You have Trevor and Royce playing last year, even with Al out, you have a very good tourney team that would have the Gophers at those levels everyone wants. If I am Tubby, I am sick of my AD taking the punishment of MY players as coach into his hands, not even trying to build a practice facility, and making it as difficult as possible for me to succeed. Would you work for a boss who you feel pushes you down whenever you start to make progress?

Could Royce have handled things better, absolutley. Trevor handled them perfectly last year. But, I think if Royce is allowed to play sooner (as Tubby supposedly led him to believe) I don't think he has those same outbursts and quits.

I am not saying Maturi made the wrong call and he is Tubby's boss, but just some reasons why Tubby could be pushed to leaving if that is how he feels about all of this.

Good points, but I still feel like we as fans are giving Tubby a slight pass.

I like Tubby, I want him here, but Maturi has simply become the scape goat for any problems U athletics has had.

Maturi didn't recruit those two players when the problems they both had were well know. White was kicked out of De La Salle and had to go to Hopkins. Again, if he didn't recruit them we would have been angry as well.

Parts of this thread makes it look like Tubby is the one who wants to simply throw it all down and walk away from this program because HIS players are getting in trouble. I simply don't see that happening. He has unfinished business.
 

Good points, but I still feel like we as fans are giving Tubby a slight pass.

I like Tubby, I want him here, but Maturi has simply become the scape goat for any problems U athletics has had.

Maturi didn't recruit those two players when the problems they both had were well know. White was kicked out of De La Salle and had to go to Hopkins. Again, if he didn't recruit them we would have been angry as well.

Parts of this thread makes it look like Tubby is the one who wants to simply throw it all down and walk away from this program because HIS players are getting in trouble. I simply don't see that happening. He has unfinished business.

I agree completely. I didn't mean to imply Tubby is perfect in this, but just how he may see it from his point of view.

Tubby does get more of a pass, because he is the best coach (name wise at least) a MN sports team has had in the last 20 years ... I can't think of a single example that tops him with any sport (Maybe Gopher Hockey). Sure he screws up at times, but its like the Brett Favre streak. Maturi would be crucified nationally for firing the Tubby Smith, just as Childress would be crucified nationally for benching Brett Favre.

I can't even imagine the ESPN reports if Maturi fired Tubby ... wow would that be bad. Now if Tubby walks? You can say hello to the reports of how awful MN is and Maturi is and everything, and then say goodbye to any good recruits.

Either way, if Joel doesn't want to be trashed. He needs to keep Tubby here until he leaves on a positive note.
 







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