Tubby Smith: Kentucky basketball is 'bigger than anyone' who played, coached there
On Friday, former Kentucky head coach Tubby Smith stopped in at Rupp Arena to watch a Wildcats practice. The former AP College Coach of the Year provided poignant advice for the ‘Cats.
“You have to trust like you’re doing now,” Smith said. “Trust each other. Trust the system. The culture here at Kentucky is far bigger than anyone that’s ever played here, coached here. Good luck.”
Smith would know. He took over at Kentucky on May 12, 1997. Smith replaced Rick Pitino, who left the program after accepting an offer to become the Boston Celtics’ head coach.
The Kentucky culture was at an all-time high at the time of Smith’s introduction. The ‘Cats won the 1996 National Championship and returned to the title game in 1997 but fell to Arizona. Kentucky fans were hungry for another title and would accept nothing less.
There was no shortage of pressure on Smith to deliver. The team Smith inherited had seven players from the Arizona loss and five from the 1996 championship team. Smith didn’t allow the opportunity to pass him by.
In his first year at the helm in Lexington, he led Kentucky to a 35-4 overall record en route to securing the program’s seventh national championship trophy. More impressive, Smith accomplished the feat without a first-team All-American or future NBA lottery pick.
Now, Kentucky head coach Mark Pope aims to repeat history. UK hired Pope in April after John Calipari left the program to take over at Arkansas. Due to reports regarding Calipari’s recruiting methods since he left, Kentucky fans have questioned if he understood the importance of Kentucky’s culture.
Most notably, 2025 five-star prospect Caleb Wilson claimed Calipari told him, “It’s [Coach] Cal University, just moving homes.” Five-star recruit Cameron Boozer reported a similar message from Calipari.
Mark Pope looks to follow in Tubby Smith’s footsteps
In turn, Pope emphasizes teaching his team the history of Kentucky men’s basketball. Tubby Smith helped him accomplish his goal on Friday and Pope didn’t take it for granted.
“We got like one of the greatest human beings in all of college basketball history standing right here,” Pope said, gesturing to Smith. “We talk about banner behaviors all the time. We talk about assignment No. 9.
“Coach [Smith] is one of these guys that get to walk in this room and he gets to point up there at his banner that he came in here and won with his team. It matters. It matters. And Coach did it in his first year. He just rolled in here and said, ‘You know what? I’m just gonna hang one my first year,’ which is what we’re trying to do, right, boys?”