Tubby Smith was hired as Kentucky’s men’s basketball coach Monday, succeeding Rick Pitino in one of the most prestigious jobs in college sports.

The Kentucky Athletics Association board of directors unanimously approved the Georgia coach and former Pitino assistant, needing just 7 minutes to act on the recommendation of athletic director C.M. Newton.

“I think we have absolutely chosen the very best candidate in the nation,” University of Kentucky president Charles Wethington said.

Smith received a five-year contract, but financial terms were not disclosed. However, he reportedly would increase his salary from the $605,280 he would have received at Georgia next season to more than $1 million.

Meanwhile, Georgia athletic director Vince Dooley called a news conference to discuss the basketball situation there. A source close to the Georgia program said Dooley would address questions concerning Smith, but had no plans to announce a successor.

Don Newman, the men’s basketball coach at Sacramento State the last five years and a former assistant at Washington State, has been hired as an Arizona State assistant.

Coach Bill Frieder said he has known Newman, who played at the University of Idaho, for 20 years and values his recruiting ability, a lackluster coaching record notwithstanding.

Newman, 39, had a 20-114 record at Sacramento State while directing the program through its transition from NCAA Division II to membership in the Division I Big Sky Conference. He was an assistant to Kelvin Sampson at Washington State for five years before Sacramento, finishing as recruiting coordinator.