What the heck is going on in Minnesota? The No. 11 Golden Gophers fired head coach Tubby Smith after getting ousted by No. 3 Florida in the third round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament. It was the team’s best tournament finish in his six-year tenure, so why let him go?

The Golden Gophers won nine games the year before Tubby arrived and won at least 20 games in five of the six seasons he was in Minnesota, so this is a little premature? Minnesota upset No. 6 UCLA as a No. 11 seed in the second round of this year’s tournament and went 21-13 this season despite playing in the ruthless Big Ten Conference. A lot folks to will point to the Golden Gophers’ 8-10 conference record, but have you seen the teams in the Big Ten this year? Considering Minnesota almost finished .500 in conference play should be considered a success!

Minnesota athletic director Norwood Teague said the program needs a “fresh set of eyes.” Is that a shot at Tubby? He’s only 61 and 60 is the new 50 so his eyes are still plenty fresh. I think these college programs are way too impatient with their coaches these days. The coaching carousel isn’t just something that’s seen at the professional level anymore and it’s becoming a problem at the college level.

What do yo think? Should the Golden Gophers have fired Tubby after their short run in this year’s tournament despite pulling off the upset in the second round? Comment below and let us know or tweet us using the hashtag #RML.

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