Jay Bilas gives his thoughts on Tubby Smith stepping down at High Point

Former Kentucky head coach Tubby Smith is stepping down as the head basketball coach of High Point University , according to a press release issued by the school on Wednesday. Smith, now 70 years old, hasn’t coached a game in more than three weeks. His son, G.G. Smith, will take over as the head coach for High Point for the remainder of the 2021-2022 and the 2022-2023 seasons, according to the press release issued by the school. Tubby Smith is an alum of High Point and played college basketball for the Panthers from 1969-1973.

ESPN’s Jay Bilas gave his thoughts on Smith stepping away and potentially moving out of the coaching life via his Twitter account on Wednesday evening.

“Tubby Smith is one of the great coaches in the game’s history. Beyond the court, Smith is a world class human being, mentor, teacher, and father figure. One cannot find a better man than Orlando “Tubby” Smith,” Bilas said.

Smith contracted Covid-19 for the second time in less than a year and had spent an extended period of time away from the team. The popular head coach thought the time was best for him to hand the reigns over to his son and for him to step away from the game.

Tubby Smith had a remarkably prolific career as a college basketball coach–serving as the head coach at seven schools–High Point, Memphis, Texas Tech, Minnesota, Kentucky, Georgia, and Tulsa. He became one of only three head coaches in college basketball history to take five different schools to the NCAA Tournament. He’s been recognized with the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award. The legendary coach was also inducted into the High Point Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.

High Point University President Dr. Nido Quebin issued a statement on Smith’s impact on college basketball:

“Tubby Smith is a champion, and High Point University continues to appreciate his contributions to our campus and community,” said High Point President Dr. Nido Qubein. “As a coach, Tubby has impacted the game of basketball in measurable and meaningful ways. Tubby and his wife Donna have also created a legacy of leadership and service along their entire journey, and we are happy that will continue to grow right here at HPU. We are also excited for G.G. in his new role as the men’s head coach.”

On December 31, 2021, Kentucky honored Tubby Smith with a banner in the rafters of Rupp Arena: joining the likes of Adolf Rupp, Joe B. Hall, and Rick Pitino. Throughout his storied career, Smith went 642-370, finishing with a 63.4 percent career win percentage. His best win percentage came at Kentucky, where in 10 years, he won 76 percent of his games, including the 1998 National Championship.

Tubby Smith accomplished incredible things at the University of Kentucky

He established himself as one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history and he had his most impressive run with the Kentucky Wildcats. During 10 seasons with the school, Smith won 263 games, including an average of 26 wins per season. He guided the 1998 Kentucky team to the national crown in a 78-69 victory over third-ranked Utah. A few of the more notable names on the 1998 team were: Jeff Sheppard, Nazr Mohammed, and Scott Padgett.