Why did he do it?

Why’d he bail on Kentucky for the cold climes of Minnesota?

Many have speculated, but to this day, no one really knows. No one other than Tubby himself, anyway. But ASeaofBlue.com has an intriguing take. It starts with Tubby’s son, Saul Smith, taking up space on the Kentucky roster — a space fans felt would be better utilized for a faster, more athletic, more talented player — and ends with the younger Smith’s move into the college basketball coaching ranks. Take it away, Truzenzuzex:

Enter Minnesota with an offer on par with what UK was paying Smith. Now, Tubby could go to UM, hire his son, and as a bonus, remove all those little indignities he had been suffering over the years — all for a very small pay cut. Tubby is not a young man anymore, and he knows more of his coaching days are behind him than ahead of him.
So why would Tubby Smith leave legendary UK basketball for moribund Minnesota? Given all these factors, Smith’s decision looked easy. Yes, he was taking a hit in status, but let’s face it — he never intends to leave UM to coach elsewhere — his next gig will be on, in the words of Blake Shelton, “some beach, somewhere”. He has hired his son, who can now learn the coaching trade from his father, and nobody in Gopherland will say boo about it. His family is back together in a place where he faces far less pressure and will have more time with them. And he was no doubt aware that all this would come to pass before he left. Saul’s position was the straw that broke Kentucky’s back, not Barnhart’s reputed unhappiness.

Tru might just be on to something here. When Smith left Lexington in sudden, dramatic fashion — practically disappearing overnight with no notice given — one of the first real comments pried from the coach’s mouth had to do with “standing with your people.” Then, Smith’s assistant coaches failed to make the trek with him to Minneapolis, making one wonder what the hell Smith was talking about.

But when you take his son into account, it makes a lot more sense. Tru’s right: Saul Smith would never have been accepted at Kentucky because he represented a sad and painful period for Kentucky basketball. He was also at the center of the schism between Smith and UK Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart. For Tubby to take care of family matters first, he had to leave Kentucky. And it might have been the best possible decision for all involved.

We’re still celebrating his departure, and Billy G has my full confidence and support. Go Big Blue!

Maybe even:
Now that we’ve got Billy Clyde
On our side…
The SEC belongs to
BILLY G!

We’ve got Billy Clyde
On our side!
WELCOME TO THE BIG BLUE NATION!

That’s just… not right.

That would REALLY irritate the anti-UK contingent.

U Can’t Hyde
From Billy Clyde
Kids like him
Cuz he don’t lie!

lol

just throwin shit out there…but plenty of good shit can come out to put on shirts with Billy Clyde as our coach…