All the talk today is about Tubby Smith. But what are they saying in Minneapolis?

The Star Tribune gives us the northern view of Tubby's move.

Here's what they're saying:

"Tubby Smith? Really?"

"It's a move that brings instant credibility to a Gophers program."



Minnesota Athletic Director "hit the jackpot with Tubby."

"They'll [KY] find out they've lost a gem."

"Consider us in a state of shock."

"The last couple years, I couldn't give away Gophers tickets. I think you're going to see an immediate turnaround now."

"...10th highest winning percentage among active coaches."

"The guy was coaching at one of the top basketball schools in the country. I mean, Kentucky's won tons of NCAA championships, SEC championships and everything else. There's no comparison between the two jobs. One job is the New York Yankees and the other is, maybe, the Minnesota Twins. Here's a guy leaving the Yankee job...that don't happen very often."

"Only Arizona coach Lute Olson has a longer streak of consecutive 20-win seasons than Smith's 14.

"Wow!" "It's probably the perfect hire."

"A strong defensive coach and motivator..."


"He definitely brings a lot of experience. He knows what it takes to win. He's won a national championship. We need that type of aura in our program."


"As soon as you say Tubby Smith ... it's a big name,"

"He's tough, he's good, he runs a clean program, he's great. I'm sounding like I'm going to be his recruiting coordinator. I just love him. To me, he's a special guy. I think it's great for our league; it's great for Minnesota."

"He's going to really invigorate that city, put a lot of enthusiasm back into that program."



"...shocked to learn tubby was available."



"...an absolute coup."



"One of the great things is Minnesota has fans that care so much about the program but also they don't have wacky expectations."



"I obviously knew that Tubby and the Kentucky faithful had not been on great terms the last two years and he's a proud guy. Obviously, it was a great position he was in for 10 years and I thought he did an excellent job but the expectations at Kentucky are really incredible. I am surprised it was a boom-boom situation."



"It's a scenario where he averaged 26 wins a year, won five SEC tournament championships, five regular-season titles, 263 wins in 10 years, a national championship, yet people were taking full-page ads out [calling for his ouster],"



"He's more than just a coach. He's a mentor. He's a leader. He knows how to do it and do it right. That's why I'm so upset today."

"I'm a little shocked by it. I didn't think they'd bring in someone like Tubby Smith. That's big-time, and I wish them all the best."



"Wow. I did not know that. ... It's good for the Gophers.

"When I heard it...I really wanted to tell somebody. ... It's a huge name, and talk about keeping kids in Minnesota -- this brings instant credibility to that."



"I was very surprised, but I'm not disappointed. I'll tell you that."

"...the thing we’re still struck by is how big-time this move is, particularly in a sports market — college and pro — that is often small-time or, at best, medium-time.

"It’s not just [a] bold [move]. It has the potential to be a perception-changing move. For too long, the teams in this market have aimed low and hoped high."



"Kentucky has been on the backslide. Coming here would obviously be a move to stay one step ahead of the posse, so to speak, because nobody would confuse Minnesota’s place on the hoops food chain with Kentucky’s."



"...the Big Blue Nation made him feel unwanted."

"I think it's an absolutely phenomenal day for the University of Minnesota to announce a man like Tubby Smith as the head basketball coach."

"Everybody wanted a big name, and he's a big name plus a great coach. I think Tubby is going to create a lot of excitement in Minnesota. I think he's going to bring a lot of pride back to Minnesota."

"What a choice -- not in my wildest dreams would I have ever anticipated something like this...I was a Flip [Saunders] man, but this takes away the disappointment. "



"He's going to demand 110 percent effort, and when you've got a coach like that, people are willing to pay for their seats and be patient."



"They know it won't take forever -- there's light at the end of the tunnel now."

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Photo by Renée Jones Schneider, Star Tribune

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For more Minnesota perspective here's Sid Hartman's audio discussing Tubby's move to Minnesota. Or you can vote on "When Tubby will lead the Gophers to the NCAA.