According to multiple reports, Tubby Smith has agreed to terms to become the next head basketball coach at Texas Tech. Smith was fired by Minnesota on March 25th after six seasons as the Gophers head coach.

The Gophers went 124-81 in overall play and 46-62 in the Big Ten conference under Smith in the past six seasons. With Smith at the helm, the Gophers made the NCAA tournament in three of Smith’s six seasons but was knocked out in the first round in 2009 and 2010.

Texas Tech, however, has denied that Smith and Texas Tech have reached an agreement.

Tubby Smith has agreed to terms to become the head coach at Texas Tech, sources tell AP.—
Jon Krawczynski (@APkrawczynski) April 01, 2013

Texas Tech has NOT reached an agreement with Tubby Smith to be next hoops coach. Current reports are inaccurate.—
Blayne Beal (@BlayneBeal) April 01, 2013

Billy Gillispie has been accused of verbally abusing a teenager after stepping down as Texas Tech coach following similar allegations from his college players. (Ed Zurga, Getty Images)

Billy Gillispie is in trouble for player mistreatment again. The AP reports that the mother of a teenager that attended Gillispie’s summer basketball camp has sent a letter to a Texas Tech administrator claiming the coach repeatedly verbally abused her son.

The letter, addressed to Texas Tech Univeristy System Chancellor Kent Hance, claimed that coaches at the camp told the teenager that Gillispie likes to pitck out one player in the camp and attempt to “break” them.

Gillispie resigned from his post as head coach of the Texas Tech men’s basketball team yesterday amid allegations of player mistreatment. Gillispie has also made multiple visits to the hospital for stress-related symptoms.

Billy Gillispie has resigned as Texas Tech basketball coach. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Embattled Texas Tech basketball coach Billy Gillispie has resigned according to a statement released by the school.

“Billy has decided to focus on his health and we wish him a full recovery,” athletic director Kirby Hocutt said. “We are proud of the young men that he has brought to this campus. Billy’s decision allows him to concentrate on his well-being and allows us to turn our attention to preparations for the upcoming season.”

The move comes less than a week after Gillispie returned to Lubbock after spending less than 72 hours — reportedly being treated for high blood pressure and stress — at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Gillispie later texted reporters saying that doctors had instructed him to take 30 stress-free days.

Multiple university sources told RedRaiderSports.com Friday that Gillispie caught Tech officials off guard by returning to Lubbock Friday evening, less than five hours after telling athletic director Kirby Hocutt that he was still undergoing tests at the Mayo Clinic.

Gillispie, 52, reported health issues on the same day news surfaced that Texas Tech players had complained to Hocutt of mistreatment and NCAA rules violations.

Hocutt recently said Gillispie was no longer involved with the day-to-day operations of the team and ordered him “not to engage” the basketball program “in any way” until the two could meet. Gillispie has since been unavailable to meet with Hocutt.

Gillispie’s further actions did not include communicating with Texas Tech officials.

According to multiple sources, Gillispie did not notify Tech after he left UMC on Sept. 6 and ignored multiple calls from university officials after it was discovered that he was no longer in the hospital.

Embattled Texas Tech coach Billy Gillispie seeks stress-free rest. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

A text from Billy Gillispie to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal said doctors have ordered the troubled Texas Tech basketball coach to recover in a stress-free environment for 30 days.

Gillispie returned to Lubbock Friday after spending four days at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn..

The text said Gillispie had been treated at the clinic for abnormal headaches and kidney problems and was ordered to live in the stress-free environment while trying to get his high blood pressure under control.

Texas Tech initiated an investigation of Gillispie and his program after a group of players raised concerns about the way Gillispie was treating the players and breaking NCAA rules regarding practices.

Athletic director Kirby Hocutt recently said Gillispie was no longer involved with the day-to-day operations of the team and ordered him “not to engage” the basketball program “in any way” until the two could meet. Gillispie has been unavailable to meet with Hocutt.

Assistant coach Chris Walker is now in charge of the day-to-day operations of the team.

Jordan Tolbert says he won’t play for Billy Gillispie if the coach returns to Texas Tech. (Ed Zurga, Getty Images)

As more details emerge about Texas Tech’s investigation of Head Basketball Coach Billy Gillispie, one of his star players has added to the disturbing details uncovered in recent reports, most of which came from unnamed sources.

Rising sophomore Jordan Tolbert, who led the Red Raiders in scoring as a freshman, told ESPN that he would not play for Texas Tech if Billy Gillispie, currently on medical leave and hospitalized after complaining for heart-attack like symptoms, returns as coach this season.

“I don’t,” Tolbert said by phone. “I don’t. Maybe I would for the assistants. I haven’t put that much thought into it. There is a big sense of urgency. I don’t want to play for him if he comes back.”

Tolbert and several of his Texas Tech teammates met with the university’s athletic director Kirby Hocutt two weeks ago, complaining that Gillispie forced the players to practice excessively, sometimes to the point of causing injuries and purposely aggravating existing ones.

Texas Tech has made no announcement yet concerning the future of Gillispie, who went 8-23 in his first season in charge of the Red Raiders.

Billy Gillispie is the subject of complaints from the players on his basketball team (Ed Zurga, Getty Images)

The players of the Texas Tech men’s basketball team met privately with their athletic director to express concern about the behavior of head coach Billy Gillispie, according to an ESPN report.

The players were first called to a meeting with the Texas Tech compliance department, after which they met as a group with Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt. Hocutt released a short statement afterward, saying “We are aware and are looking into concerns within the leadership of our men’s basketball program. Student-athlete well-being is our top priority and a matter that we take extremely seriously at Texas Tech. Texas Tech is devoting its full resources to look into this matter.”

Gillispie is set to enter his second season as the Texas Tech mane’s basketball coach, after two years out of the game. He last coached the University of Kentucky for two years, after which he was fired due in part to his treatment of players.

UPDATE: The Longhorn Network will no longer televise Texas Tech’s game with Texas State, which should end talk of cancelling the game, reports Orangebloods.com‘s Chip Brown.

I was just told LHN/ESPN will not pursue the Texas State-Texas Tech fball game that had raised blood pressure of #TTech officials.

—
Chip Brown (@ChipBrownOB) June 22, 2012

Texas Tech learned in recent days that its September 8 game with Texas State would be played on the Longhorn Network, and the school is so opposed to that plan that it is considering cancelling the game, reports RedRaiderSports.com‘s Chris Level and Aaron Dickens (via the Big Lead‘s Ty Duffy).

The Red Raiders knew that the game would be played on an ESPN outlet, but just found out that it would be the Longhorn Network, the University of Texas-focused ESPN channel that has caused much trouble between Big 12 schools in the past year.

Level and Dickens report that a source tells them the school is “adamantly opposed to playing on the Longhorn Network” and “putting serious consideration into canceling the game and playing an 11-game schedule.” Texas Tech would have to pay a buyout fee to cancel the game.

“We are extremely disappointed,” the source told Level and Dickens. “Our hope is that the Texas State game will be played on a primary ESPN platform.”

Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach says he’s interested in the opening at Ole Miss, according to the Commercial Appeal. The Ole Miss position became open after Houston Nutt’s firing on Monday.

No one from Ole Miss has contacted Leach but that hasn’t stopped him from making his interests known publically.

“I haven’t heard from anybody, but I’m not too hard to find,” Leach told the paper. “It’s a great job. I’m sure the (Ole Miss) administration has a certain individual it is looking for, and I’m sure they’ll find the right guy.”

Leach, who has 23-years of coaching experience, hasn’t coached in two years.  He currently hosts college football talk shows for CBS College Sports and Sirius satellite radio. The 50-year-old coached for 10 seasons at Texas Tech where he had an 84-43 record.  Known for his pass offenses, Leach never had a losing season and took the Red Raiders to a bowl game every year.

Texas Tech fired Leach when he refused to apologize to receiver Adam Jones, for “…actions that put James at risk for further injury,” according to school officials.