Tubbs returns at top of his game

Jimmy Tubbs is back, but this time he is in complete control. He’s the new head coach for men’s basketball team, and Tubbs is ready to shape the Mustangs into the team he knows they can become.

Tubbs’ first order of business was to change the overall attitude of the players and staff. He needed to create and maintain a positive, winning attitude. “It’s the one thing we’ve been missing,” he said. Although it can be tough to change a mentality, Tubbs has enough experience to know that once you change the attitude, the rest will follow.

Another drastic change was the workout regimen of the players. The practices became more demanding, and even the off-season workouts were grueling. Tubbs believes firmly in a strong work ethic where everyone has to work hard to get what they want. Although this was a change from previous coach, Mike Dement, Tubbs has said that the players have adjusted to it without any resistance. In fact, some of his players are in the best shape of their career.

As far as playing the game is concerned, Tubbs rests his focus on transition defense, active man-to-man defense and motion offense. He feels that the key player is the point guard who can effect and determine the other players’ intensity and energy. Luckily, he has been able to rely on strong team leaders, the four returning starters: P. Simpson, Castro, Hopkins, and Isham, to make his new techniques come alive, while maintaining strong team unity.

Tubbs feels that the key to unity on the court is to keep passing the ball. He knows that while he can promote that idea all he wants, it has to start with the players. Tubbs will continue to promote unity and passing, but it is because of the great character of all the players that his ideas are practiced and regarded with the highest importance. Tubbs says, “I can’t take the credit, the players deserve all the credit.”

Tubbs has seen a great improvement in his Mustang team, both offensively and defensively. He knows that what he puts on to the floor each game is a great product. Once the combination of all his new coaching techniques and styles come together, that’s when they start winning the games. This point was proven without a doubt when the Mustangs made their third largest comeback in SMU history winning against Louisiana Tech on Feb. 16. Tubbs commented after that game that the win could not have been possible without the crowd support.

Although the seats at the basketball games are far from full, Tubbs believes that the crowd plays an important role in the game. “When you start hearing the cheers, and the stomping after you make a huge defensive stop, or offensive play then it creates adrenaline. It really gets the adrenaline pumping.”

Tubbs has an easy response to how to draw the fans and make them excited about attending games. He feels that he puts a good product on the floor; the players are great guys, hardworking and a lot of fun to watch. It is impossible to miss the emotion and dedication of the players. You can feel it while you watch them play. Tubbs says, “The key is to win games and have a good product on the floor. If you do that, the fans will catch on. That way even if we don’t win all of our games, the fans will see the product is still good— and fun to watch so they’ll keep coming.”

While his immediate goals are shared and easily recognized, his future goals do not fall into the same category. “I don’t mean to offend you, but I only share those goals privately with the team, I don’t discuss them with the public,” he says. “It keeps it personal, but don’t worry they’re there.”

Tubbs unique coaching style and attitude has come from a lifetime full of basketball, both playing and coaching. “At first I wanted to play professional basketball, but I wasn’t good enough,” he said. “So I went to the next best thing- coaching.” He played at Bishop College, where he graduated. He went on to coach Kimball High School Varsity basketball and in his last season with them, won the Texas 5A state title. Now, Tubbs returns to the Mustangs after spending two years at University of Oklahoma as an assistant coach. While in Oklahoma he helped lead the team to an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA tournament. He also helped land one of OU’s top recruiting classes. Before going up to OU, Tubbs spent 12 years at SMU as assistant coach. Now back as head coach he says, “I left here two years ago, and I left crying. I came back smiling. I did not come to date SMU, I came to marry SMU. You have to understand that. I’m back home.”

Tubbs is only the 15th head coach in SMU’s history, and he knows there are new, different and greater responsibilities that come with the job. Despite the high expectations, this is the job he’s dreamed of and he welcomes the high levels of pressure. “I enjoy the pressure,” he says, “not when it’s on me, but afterwards when you get to reflect on it. I enjoy it the pressure then.”

Don’t miss the Mustangs and Coach Tubbs as the make they’re final two home game appearances of the season. Tonight, SMU plays Tulsa at 7p.m. in Moody Coliseum.