A little birdy has informed me that the UK athletic director Mitch Barnhardt's denials that boosters have had any internal contact in regards to Tubby Smith's future are patently false.
This source is rock solid, and I'm not saying anything would come of it, but the wording was such that (a) there may not be trouble coming up with the funds if needed for a buyout and (b) there was talk that money may not be needed.
Take it for what it's worth, but these were big money interested parties.