Roberts: Queens College

by **LA_Mustang** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:27 am

Why has no one talked Roberts five years as HC at Queens College where he went 24-84. That is an average of 5 wins per year. If you coach at one place for five years you should make some kind of progress in the program, regardless of the level. But 24 wins in five years???? That concerns the hell outta me.

People are very quick to question Tubbs coaching ability but who says that Roberts can coach???

by **Bill** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:31 am

I am with ya my brother, for christ sakes hire someone that can win :roll:

by **BigEasyPony** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:33 am

I think that is a question mark with all of the candidates and certainly with the two (2) finalists. The only response Roberts can give is that he knows what it takes to win having been an assistant to Bill Self for 8 years. Also, Tubbs has to give a similar response. Neither candidate has been a successful HC at the collegiate level.

by **Bill** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:38 am

Right so I point to Scott Rigot 158-35 head coach SMC Division ii Hall of Fame, couple trips to NJCAA Final Four, now with the Kentucky Flopcats. Can recruit, proved himself at Hawaii, UAB, South Carolina, and Kentucky.
This committee did not look to hard to find a winner. :oops:

by **Hoop Fan** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:38 am

Yea, thats a pretty bad record. Being DII Queens College, I don't necessarily think it means the guy cant coach or wouldn't be successful here, but it does make you wonder why some people are so quick to favor him over Tubbs. It probably comes from having worked for Bill Self and thats all. The thing is, even Dement worked for Coach K at one time.

I think Roberts is viable because he is a bright guy, a good communicator and has recruited Texas and the Southwest quite a bit. He's a good guy, but no one fits SMU like Jimmy Tubbs does right now.

by **Stallion** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:41 am

......actually coaching the Kimball Knights at least when Tubbs was there was probably a higher level of basketball than Queens College.

by **LA_Mustang** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:45 am

When talking about the two finalists, one has never been a HC (Tubbs) and the other has never been a successful HC (Roberts). There's a big difference. I am confident that both have made it this far for the SMU job because of their ability to recruit, which I have no problem with. IMO, recruiting should be the #1 requirement for this job and these two guys were the best two candidates. Iâ€™m not saying that Roberts canâ€™t coach but that 24-84 record at Queens raises more than a few questions.

by **LA_Mustang** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:46 am

I was thinking the same thing Stallion.

by **Hoop Fan** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:49 am

LA, is your guess the same as mine, that Roberts is the choice? I see no other reason for the 2 week reference from Copeland. I will stop short of predicting a mistake, but the more I ponder it, it will be a disappointment.

by **DiamondM** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:55 am

If anyone cares, here is the letter I sent to Turner yesterday.

Dear Dr. Turner,

I have no doubt that you and the rest of the basketball coach search committee are doing your best to select a coach that is the best fit for SMU. I also have no doubt that you have received plenty of opinions from interested fans and observers -- some fans more truly interested than others and some opinions more rational than others. I hope you will accept and consider this letter as one of the rational opinions from one of the more truly interested fans that SMU has.

If the Dallas Morning News is correct, then the search has been narrowed to two very good and deserving candidates: Jimmy Tubbs and Norm Roberts. Both have similar records as assistant coaches rising through the ranks of mid-majors to their current positions on the staff top-notch Big XII basketball programs under great head coaches. The opinion on message boards, through grapevines, and even in the media coverage of the ongoing search has, in my opinion, been mostly weighing in favor of Jimmy Tubbs. Let me first say I am also in that camp. I do not know him personally, but it is undeniable that he has a tremendous upside given his ties to Dallas -- which, as I know you are aware, is likely to translate into some recruiting victories for SMU that it might not otherwise have. While I'm sure Norm Roberts is a highly skilled recruiter, I dare say that his ties in this area -- an area in which SMU absolutely must have success to build this program -- are not so strong.

But recruiting is not the only benefit Tubbs' ties are likely to bring, which again, I'm sure you and the committe already know. The chance for SMU to finally, after so many years, reach out to a part of the Dallas community that has felt alienated from and unwelcome in SMU and the Park Cities a chance we simply cannot ignore or miss. I would love for the stands in Moody to be filled with non-alumni Dallasites, especially given the fact that the SMU alumni has not responded to efforts to get them to basketball games. Plus, Jimmy Tubbs is the more likely candidate to consider SMU a destination job -- a dream job even -- than a stepping stone opportunity. That gives SMU a chance to really develop and build a consistent tradition.

But I'm sure you've heard this all before. What I am concerned about is that you or certain members of the search committee might feel that they must go with Roberts or risk appearing weak and pliable in the face of alumni, media, and Dallas public pressure. Trust me, no one will appear weak if the committee chooses Tubbs as the next SMU head coach. Intead, the committee will appear smart. You and the committee should not feel railroaded by the public and vocal support for Tubbs, but bolstered by it. I simply hope that the groundswell of legitimate, reasoned support for Jimmy Tubbs is part of the reason the committee does select him, not the reason the committee does not.

Finally, my position from the beginning was that if SMU did not choose Jimmy Tubbs, I would be open to another "Wow!" candidate that would really make heads turn in response to a clear commitment by SMU to win in basketball. While I feel that Norm Roberts would be an excellent candidate for any other school, I doubt he going to make SMU alums, the city of Dallas, or the local or national media stand up and take notice. He certainly does not have that impact with me, a person who is often criticized for giving the athletic department too much credit in their adminstration of the program. In the absence of that effect, I do not think that SMU can look a gifthorse in the mouth and deny that Jimmy Tubbs is the perfect fit for my beloved Mustangs.

Thank you for listening.

by **Bill** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 12:23 pm

wasted letter he is probably using it to start a SMU bonfire

by **BUS** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 12:25 pm

Yo Go Girl.

I would like to thank you and if I could, add my signature to that letter.

I have not seen a Bobby Knight, Penders, Tark the Shark or ANY other WOW interviews.

Tubbs is the MAN!

by **LA_Mustang** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 1:18 pm

Diamond M,
Very well done! Thank you for posting that and thank you for sending it to Dr Turner. Like BUS, you could have added my signature to that letter. It was well said, heartfelt, and truthful.

HF,
Unfortunately, I have the same thought as you about the two week wait. Itâ€™s not a good sign for Tubbs. Hopefully, that is not the case but it sure seems that way.

Bill,
Leave the board. You have no affiliation to SMU and we are not hiring your guy. Get over it and stop trying to [deleted] people off.

by **moodymadness** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 1:38 pm

Diamond,
Great, great letter. I just cannot see how Roberts is more qualified than Tubbs for the SMU job. In fact, after learning of his 24-82 Division II coaching record I am shocked that he is a finalist. You would think that his failure would set off alarms, not get him more interviews. Tubbs is clearly a better fit for SMU.

by **EastStang** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 2:55 pm

It was his first coaching gig? Give me a break. #1 assistant to Bill Self from UK. Dement was never Coach K's #1 assistant. Think he's learned a little bit since his head coaching days fresh from playing at Queens College. I'll bet he has. Like I've said, I don't know if he or Tubbs is the better choice. I suspect that Turner, Copeland and the Committee have looked at all these guys. It comes down to which guy they feel best about right now. If the choice flops, Copeland will be axed. I am sure they are going to make the choice that they feel will be the best choice right now. It may not be the best long term choice either. It may be the choice that will right the ship quickest in their opinion. No one on this board has interviewed the candidates. No one on this board has heard the thoughts of Lamar Hunt or Voc Atkins. You can bet that Copeland and Turner are listening. If Voc were to say, Tubbs is the best and the players will respond to him and not to Roberts, that means something. If he says the opposite that means something. If Lamar Hunt says, if you don't take this player my billion is outta hear, that means a whole lot of something. Get my drift.

Roberts: Queens College

Roberts: Queens College

My letter

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