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Tubby Smith, Minnesota agree to three-year extension

tubby-smith

Mike Miller

It took a year, but Tubby Smith finally got his contract extension.

Smith, 61, had been discussing an extension at the end of last season, when it reportedly had been imminent. Once new Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi got settled, they worked out the details: three more years, keeping him with the Gophers through the 2016-17 season.

“We are excited about the extension and know that the University of Minnesota is the right place for us,” Smith said in a statement. “I am focused on reaching our full potential as a program. That is why we came here five years ago and it is still our goal.”

Minnesota reached the NIT title game last season and went 23-15 overall. But the Gophers were just 6-12 in the Big Ten, the second consecutive season they’ve done that. He’s 38-49 in the Big Ten. Maybe those were more hitches in the negations.

Still, he’s 103-64 in five seasons, including two NCAA tournament berths. Considering where the Gophers were before he arrived, the extension makes sense.

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