SMU fired men’s basketball coach Jimmy Tubbs Thursday amid reports he broke a number of NCAA coaching and recruiting rules.
Tubbs had been SMU’s coach since the 2004 firing of Mike Dement and had two years remaining on his original contract, which has been bought out by SMU. He tallied a 27-30 record in two seasons and went 4-10 in Conference USA this season.
According to a statement released by outgoing Athletic Director Jim Copeland, Tubbs was terminated for violations of NCAA rules discovered by an internal investigation in cooperation with the NCAA and an independent firm.
Allegations made since the investigation began include that Tubbs practiced his team for more than the NCAA limit of 20 hours per week and that he had received outside money to buy meals for freshmen Bamba Fall and Brian Morris when they were recruits. The Dallas Morning News reports that the NCAA is also searching Tubbs’ phone records to see if he contacted recruits more than the NCAA allows.
SMU’s statement said those relatively minor violations were not the sum total of those committed, and the investigation will continue.
Sophomore guard Jon Killen said that from what he knew, the investigation had not uncovered anything more damning than what occurs at other schools.
“There’s nothing out-and-out going on like paying players,” Killen said. “Bryan Hopkins has been driving the same 1994 Escort for forever.”
Killen added that SMU tends to hold its coaches to a higher level of scrutiny considering the University’s troubled history with the NCAA.
“At SMU we have a different standard for our coaches. If anything goes wrong you’re taken out,” Killen said.
Tubbs referred all questions to his attorney, Michael Pegues, who did not return calls asking for comment. The university offered its official statement, but no further comments.
The timing of the decision to fire Tubbs could be damaging to SMU. The spring signing period for basketball begins April 12, and having no coach in place will surely hurt SMU’s recruiting effort.
When Tubbs, a former Kimball high school coach, was hired the move was widely acclaimed as a boon to SMU recruiting. Several DISD coaches, including South Oak Cliff’s James Mays II, pledged to send players to SMU to help Tubbs build up SMU’s program.
Tubbs’ recruiting classes at SMU included no DISD players, but several area coaches told The Dallas Morning News expressed anger with Tubbs’ firing.
South Oak Cliff head coach James Mays told the DMN he was “very upset” by the move, and that Tubbs was about to break through. Goree Johnson, a DISD assistant athletic director said in the same story that the firing of Tubbs would set SMU back ten years,
“If someone commits to SMU now, they’re really committed to the school,” Killen said.
The University must now embark on its second search for a basketball coach since the 2004 firing of Mike Dement. Some of Dement’s recruits will be playing for their third coach next season.
“I’ve never heard of a situation where a player plays for three different coaches in their college career unless they transfer,” Killen said. “I really do hope the next coach that I play for is the last one.”
