Smith Succeeds Pitino and Also Makes History

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Tubby Smith has already made history as the new coach at Kentucky and was ready for the question about it the moment it was asked.

“It’s more important that I be judged on my character and the content of my character than the color of my skin,” Smith said Monday after he was introduced as Rick Pitino’s replacement. Kentucky’s first black men’s basketball coach spent the past two seasons at Georgia and is a former Pitino assistant.

Kentucky’s history has been tarnished by its reluctance to recruit black players, especially during most of Adolph Rupp’s 42-year reign as coach of one of college basketball’s most storied programs.

Rupp’s all-white team that lost to Texas Western, a squad that started five blacks, in the 1966 NCAA championship game came to symbolize segregation in college basketball.

Rupp’s son, Herky, said his father would have welcomed Smith as coach.

“He would have gone up and shaken his hand and congratulated him,” he said. “He would have wished him well and he would have volunteered to be able to help him in any way he could.”

Smith, 45, received a five-year contract, but financial terms were not disclosed. However, he reportedly would increase his salary from the $605,280 he would have received at Georgia next season to more than $1 million.

The Kentucky Athletics Assn.’s board of directors unanimously approved the former Pitino assistant, needing only seven minutes to act on the recommendation of Athletic Director C.M. Newton.

“He was the only candidate that we interviewed,” said school president Charles T. Wethington Jr. before the athletics association approved the appointment. “He is truly the choice of this administration for the filling of this position of basketball coach.”

Smith planned to meet with returning players in the next few days. “My philosophy is based on love, family and discipline,” he said. “I’ll challenge them to raise the bar another level and work even harder than they have in the past.”

Smith inherits a program that won the national championship in 1996 and was runner-up last season.

“I hope we can reach those expectations,” Smith said. “Coach Pitino set the bar pretty high.”

Smith was an assistant coach under Pitino at Kentucky from 1989-91, serving as associate head coach the second season. It was during those seasons that Smith bought into Pitino’s use of the three-point shot and up tempo pressing defense.

“Those are the things I took from that program,” Smith said. “I think I’ve made good use of them.”

He left Kentucky in 1991 to become coach at Tulsa, where he compiled a 79-43 record in four seasons, including NCAA tournament appearances the last two years. He was named Missouri Valley Conference coach of the year in his last two seasons.

In his two seasons at Georgia, Smith had a 45-19 record. The Bulldogs had a school-tying 24 victories in 1996-97 and marked the first consecutive 20-win seasons in the program’s 92-year history.