Scott Cain: Sources: UA gives Pelphrey shot
South Alabama’s John Pelphrey is expected to be introduced today as Arkansas’ basketball coach, two sources close to the situation said Sunday night.
Pelphrey, 38, accepted the job Sunday and around 9 p.m. informed his South Alabama team that he was going to Arkansas after five years at the Sun Belt Conference school in Mobile, Ala.
Also:
- Hogwired.com: Announcement Set for 3 p.m. On Floor of Bud Walton Arena
- Ryan Malashock: Coach Expected To Be Named Today
- Nate Allen: Former Wildcat Pelphrey likely to be named UA coach
- Mobile Press-Register: Razorbacks target Jaguars’ Pelphrey
- The Birmingham News: Scarbinsky: South Alabama loses Pelphrey to Razorbacks
- 4029TV.com (Video): Hog Hoopsters Have A New Coach
- AP: Reports: Pelphrey to take Arkansas job
- Jeff Goodman: Pelphrey to take Arkansas coaching job
- Gary Parrish: Arkansas set to hire South Alabama coach Pelphrey
Updated 4/9/07 9:30 a.m.
We've finally made the big time. With all the problems, I didn't think we could get a big time name.
I will hope and expect that he will be the best ever.
I'm good with this hire, possibly even more than Altman. He was a legit player and comes from a fine line of coaches (Pitino, Sutton and Donovan). Sounds like he presses hard and plays up-tempo. This could be good.
Great hire. 40 minutes of hell is back!
I'm think I'm gonna live… Did South Florida select Heath over him??
Pelphrey was a candidate for the USF job before Winthrop's Gregg Marshall was offered. Marshall turned it down and they eventually moved on and hired Heath.
Here's an article about it from the Mobile Register:
'I'm not a candidate for any job'
A quick review:
2002-2003 14-14
2003-2004 12-16
2004-2005 10-18
2005-2006 24-7
2006-2007 20-12
Are we better off before or after? I guess it doesn't matter but you kinda have to wonder why we went to all of this trouble just to get a possible up and coming coach!
I think this might be a very good selection. Suppose to be a very very hard worker and obvioulsy comes from the best coaches in the business. I hated him at Kentucky because he did everything right and was tough as heck and smart. He may be exactly what we need. Afraid to like him atleast for a couple days.
I thought they might go to Low Water Bridge to get their next coach – It was just under the Mobile Bay Bridge Tunnel where he came from instead…We won't miss him here with five season ending losses to FLA INTERNATIONAL, FLA ATLANCTIC, TROY, MIDDLE TENN and SYRACUSE…TWO WINNING SEASONS, ONE FIVE HUNDRED SEASON and TWO LOSING SEASONS…MAKE SURE ITS' A one-way ticket!!!
P.S. – You know he was the fouth guy for the South Florida job…I think they ended up giving the job to a guy name STAN HEATH!!!
Hmmm…sounds like you're a little more "South Alabama" than you are "Hog." "They" getting "their next coach."
I watched this guy coach in the tourny. He's pretty intense to say the least. I'm not buying in to the "bad to mediocra" records though. It's not like Pelphrey had top recruits to choose from or anything, considering he gets most of Alabama, Georgia,South Carolina, and Florida's leftover recruits to choose from. Considering the back ground of coaching he has come from, and the hard working rep he brings with him, I'm hoping this proves to be a good hire, but I think I'll wait a couple of days too, just to see if he's going to hang around.
It doesn't matter what I think. What matters is what Beverly, Walsh, and Washington think. With out them we are screwed. We can't expect the underachievers to win many games. Go coach Pelphery! Please bring back the tradition and team that we so despartly want.
The problem is still Frank. Can you believe this guy is hanging on by his fingernails at 82? He could be playing golf at Augusta and traveling to every major sporting event in America as someone's guest but his ego will not let him let go.
Sad.
He is destroying everything he built.
We don't know what the future will hold. We do know that Heath didn't have "it". You can't second guess this decision now. Let's give them our support and wait and see. Go Hogs!
Amen. Couldn't agree more. Good luck to Stan. I couldn't watch another game. This guy may be pretty close to where we needed to be anyway.
I am not going to say this is the worth hire we could have made but it does say a lot about the state of Hog sports when your tossing around figures like 2 and 2.5 mil and you still cant bring in a proven winner. If the record up top is has any truth I hope the contract is a 3yr deal because we don't want to pay another coach after their gone.
WOW. I sure hope he is the real deal. I'm willing to give Pelphrey a chance after all what choice to we have. I find it extremly odd that we would fire a coach then hire one with almost the same record. It like one of those things that make you go hummmmmmmmmmmmmm. Wierd really wierd. If we can keep the guys we already have It should be very intersting to see next season. I wish the season would start tomorrow so the suspence wold be over. GO HOGS beat Kentucky
Oh and Crieghton too.
Mike in Magnolia… as far as records go I don't think that really matters at this point. We know what we had in SH… a very likable individual but someone who was never going to take us to the heights we once knew. His coaching personality was just never going to get it done. Pelphrey, according to those who know more about him than me, ie UK fans, seem to think he's what we are looking for in personality, coaching philosophy, and recruiting. I hope they're right because we're all ready to be excited about BB again. I really believe the UK fans want Ark to be successful again because they love the competition that we used to bring to the table. If Coach Pelphrey is successful over the next couple of years, the SEC tournament is going to return to the UA-UK electric atmosphere before Nolan got lazy.
Good point Hog n Iowa. I want us to be good and I long for the good ol days. I hope that those involved in this know more than we do. I have to hope that they do. If he can get our underachievers to perform at the level we all know they can then this may be just what the doctor ordered.
Its about the little things. I'll be happy if we have a coach that when he breaks a huddle he has all the players involved. Heath would end a TO and put his hand in the middle and half the players would turn and walk away before the huddle broke. That always bugged the crap out of me. He never had those guys. I would like to see a Coach who isn't afraid to get in someone's face from time to time. If Pelphrey is that guy then expect the boat to rock a little early because Townes and those guys aren't used to that. And I'll agree with Iowa, that comparing records is a waste of time. Different players, conferences, etc. It's apples to oranges.
We have hope and that is more than we've had in 3 years. We'll I actually had it for about 24 hours last week.
Carolina Hog you are so right I watched the sec tourney from a couple rows back from the court and Hill wouldn't even get in the huddle and the rest were so out of it it made me crazy. I won't even mention the way Heath called timeouts and substituted. I think Pelphrey might be perfect, I really do. We all were hoping for John Wooden but deep down we knew better. ANd if anybody wants to pull a Mustain and leave, GO. I love Beverly but let's not confuse him with AI just yet. In the sec tourney he missed 15000 shots. I thought he had a blind fold on. I hope he stays. Washington is a stud.
After hearing the press conference I must admit I was impressed. It was a much better coference than we had last week. He actualy looked comfortible calling the hogs. I think is enthusiasm it cause enough to get a little excited. Could this be the man? I sure hope so. Go Hogs
I was surprised, but I like the hire. Sounds like a very good fit for UA. Give him support and time will be kind to him and us. Sounds as if style of ball was a big key in selecting him and that is exactly what many fans seemed to want. He has a well rounded background and took on a tough job in turning his last team around. However, it takes time to do that. Me, they can run whatever style they wants to run, and I will be happy. I am very happy that this new coach apparently is a friend to student athletes. That is hugely important. That is what these players are. They make or may not make a good living playing basketball after college. Therefore, scholastic results are important. Please, never lose sight of that fact.
Looks like a winner. Sure hope so.
A million times better than Altman. Pleeeaassseeee. An SEC guy that knows how to recruit and has tremendous basketball pride. AND plays pressure D. Fundamentals and pressure D. Play hard and play together. Has Heath learned yet that S. Florida is in the Big East? That would be like Arkansas Tech in the SEC. But what a great guy.
I listened to some of the things Coach Pelphrey had to say about his old playing days at Kentucky, when the UA first came into the SEC. I listened to his comments about Eddie Sutton, and Nolan Richardson, and how much he learned about our tradition here. This is a plus that Stan Heath didn't have, because Stan had very little knowledge about anything that went on here. Pelphrey seemed to connect with everyone, as if he almost knew us. I think he will be comfotable here, because the SEC is home to him, and I don't think he'll be intimidated by it at all. Billy Donavon is his best friend, after spendind 8 years with him as an assistant at Marshall and Florida. He knows what it takes to win in this league as a player and a coach, and has NCAA tournament exsperiance as a player, Assistant coach, and head coach. I wish him the best. GO HOGS!!
I talked myself into liking Altman, but I just got goosebumps reading Pelphrey's comments. Of course none of this matters until we see it on the court, but so far so good.
I agree with the feeling that John did a great job during the press conference. However, saying all of the right things doesn't cut it. Just recall how Keith Burns said all (ok, a little too much) and couldn't back it up.
I was impressed that the got off to a right start but he's going to have to prove it on the court. Unfortunately, his past record hasn't shown me much to believe that he can. Hopefully he can take our players and make something happen. If not, we are back to ground zero with the team and that is not going to be a pretty place to be. I'm afraid that the fans will not tolerate much of a break-in period for him.
This fan will. Pitino said he believes Pelphrey will have us back to national prominence in three years time. I'm willing to wait and see. While it would be great to find ourselves deep in next year's NCAA, let's be realistic: I really only have expectations for a division title from this team next year. The Hogs are experienced and talented enough to accomplish that, even with a new head coach. Anything else will be icing on the cake.
I also liked the things he said at the press conference yesterday. I do have to disagree with Hawgfan100 on going deep into the tournament next year. I think we could have chosen any coach and this team should still have a push in the tournament next year with the returning playrers.
People that look at his record and just take the numbers without looking beyond those numbers will not like what they see. When research is done, you will find that his record at S. Alabama is skewed because of inheriting a team that was short several scholarships.
In his most recent season, everyone points to him losing the last 5 and leave it at that. What I have not seen mentioned is the fact that these were his players and the team lost two road games and a senior night home game after winning the sunbelt. They went on to lose to middle tenn state in the sunbelt tourney and syracuse (at syracuse) in the NIT.
All five of those games were lost by a total of 24 points. The biggest losing margin was 10 and in the Syracuse game, they lost by 5 to a very angry team. To have those results from the Sunbelt (and particularly S. Alabama) is impressive.
After researching his record and past, I am reasonable confident that he can and will recruit players that can win in the SEC.
I agree rzrbckfan, If you look at the wins and losses that Donavon and Pelphrey put up at Marshall, in their 2 year stint, at first glance they are not very impressive. This didn't seem to effect Florida administrators, when looking to make a hire. I'd say they've done pretty well. When you bring someone from a smaller league of play, you had better be looking at just more than what is written in black and white. I don't care if John Pelphrey does leave for UK some day. If he does, it probably means that he was very sucsessful at the UofA. Look what Roy Williams accomplished at KU before he bolted back to NC.