In a statement released by the university, OU athletic director Joe Castiglione, president Joe Harroz, men's basketball head coach Lon Kruger and women's basketball head coach Sherri Coale shared their condolences in statements after former Sooner basketball coach Billy Tubbs's death on Sunday.
Tubbs entered hospice care this past week, per an Oct. 30 report from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He was the head coach of the Sooners' men's basketball team from 1980-94.
In that span, Tubbs posted a 333-132 record while leading the team to four Big Eight regular season titles and two Big Eight Tournament championships. He also coached Oklahoma to its only NCAA Championship appearance in 1988. His 333 wins are the most in OU men's basketball history.
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Coach Billy Tubbs," Castiglione said. "Billy is one of the most successful, popular and colorful figures in the history of OU Athletics. His passion and vision of the game defined an era of Sooner basketball and forever changed the trajectory of our hoops program.
"While Billy will always be known for having teams with legendary players who wreaked havoc on defense and scored a lot of points, he'll also be remembered for his quick-witted humor and charm. His one-liners and joyful charisma helped define the persona of the coach we loved."
During Tubbs' time at OU, he coached the likes of legends Mookie Blaylock, Harvey Grant, Stacey King and Wayman Tisdale. After leaving OU, Tubbs went on to coach the TCU men's basketball team from 1994-2002. In his second season with the Horned Frogs, Tubbs coached the team to a perfect 14-0 conference record and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
"All of Sooner Nation mourns Coach Tubbs' passing," Harroz said. "His leadership on and off the court made an indelible impact on so many of our student-athletes and our larger OU family. He coached basketball like he lived — with passion, love, and care for all of those around him.
"We're so thankful for his legacy and especially for the fact that OU was so profoundly tied to his life. He is one of those special members of our community who help form the heartbeat of our University. Coach Tubbs will be missed, but his memory will be enduring."
Though he took over the reigns of the Sooners' men's basketball program nearly 20 years after Tubbs left, Kruger recognized the legacy Tubbs built for the program.
"The history and tradition of the Oklahoma basketball program is rooted in Billy Tubbs and his legendary teams," Kruger said. "Coach Tubbs was an incredible innovator and mastermind behind some of the highest-scoring teams in college basketball history. His historic run with Sooner basketball continues to be the foundation of our program to this day. He remained an avid ambassador for the university and supported the program as a confidant and friend."
Coale, too, recognized the impact that Tubbs had left on OU's men's basketball program during his tenure.
"I never had an interaction with Coach Tubbs that didn't leave me better than I was before I saw him," Coale said. "He was a coaching icon — a legend whose teams played as uniquely and euphorically as their head coach coached. The bar he set, from a performance standpoint, is one we're all still jumping to touch, but how he did what he did will always be what set him apart.
"I feel blessed to call him my friend."
