John Pelphrey
Encyclopedia
John Leslie Pelphrey is an American college basketball
coach and was the 14th head men's basketball coach at the University of Arkansas
(hired April 2007). After being named Kentucky's "Mr. Basketball" in 1987, he became a star college player at the University of Kentucky
. Prior to coaching the Razorbacks, he served as head basketball coach for South Alabama
. Pelphrey served as an assistant coach under Eddie Sutton
at Oklahoma State
and Billy Donovan
at Marshall
and Florida
.
. He attended Paintsville High School
, where he was coached by Bill Mike Runyon. He would lead the Tigers to the Sweet Sixteen in the State Tournament, and make the Sweet Sixteen Fab 50. During his senior year as a Tiger (1987), the team's final record was 32-5. The team won Paintsville Invitational Championship, the Hillbrook Classic, the 57th District Championship, the 15th Region Championship, and made the KHSAA
"Sweet Sixteen" Final Four where they lost to eventual state champion Louisville Ballard led by future NBA player Allan Houston
. A two-sport athlete, Pelphrey also had a passion for baseball, he played during his high school years as a shortstop
and a pitcher
.
from 1988–1992, Pelphrey led the Wildcats to the SEC
Tournament Championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance, including the epic battle with Duke in the 1992 Elite Eight
. Pelphrey was a two-time captain while at Kentucky and in 1989 was named the UK Student Athlete of the Year. During his collegiate career, Pelphrey started 90 of 114 games, and averaged 11 points per game over his career. In 2005, Pelphrey was inducted into the Kentucky Hall of Fame.
During his freshman year in 1988-89, the UK program was rocked by a major scandal. One player, Eric Manuel
, was found by the NCAA
to have received improper assistance on his college entrance exams. A second player, Chris Mills
, received cash payments from a booster
. The scandal led to the resignation of coach Eddie Sutton
and athletic director Cliff Hagan
, and led to major NCAA sanctions. Pelphrey and his fellow freshmen, Richie Farmer, Deron Feldhaus and Sean Woods
, stayed with the program despite the sanctions, and entered UK lore during their senior season in 1991-92.
That year, a relatively unheralded Kentucky team coached by Rick Pitino
, in its first year after coming off NCAA probation, lost to Duke
in the Elite Eight
. This game is often considered one of the greatest in college basketball history, ending with the Blue Devils' Christian Laettner
's buzzer-beating jumper in overtime, which is among the most famous finishes in a college basketball game. The four seniors, as undisputed team leaders who showed their loyalty to UK during some of the program's darkest hours, would forever be known by Wildcats fans as "The Unforgettables" (A name given to them by Coach Pitino). Pelphrey is one of only 29 former Kentucky players to have his jersey retired (#34).
's staff at Oklahoma State
for the 1993-94 season.
's staff at Marshall
for two years and was instrumental in the resurgence of the Thundering Herd program.
and coached as an assistant for 6 years. He helped the Gators garner a school record four straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1999 to 2002. During the 1999-2000 season, the Gators made their first-ever appearance in the national championship game against Michigan State
.
. In his first season there in 2002-03, Pelphrey led the Jaguars to a 14-14 record but had subsequently bad seasons the next two years, going 12-16 in 2003-04 and then 10-18 in 2004-05. In 2005-06 the Jaguars defeated Western Kentucky University
in the Sun Belt Conference
tournament championship game, earning USA's first NCAA tournament bid since 1998. The Jaguars lost to eventual tournament champions, Florida
in the round of 64.
In 2007, Pelphrey led the Jags to a regular season title but they fell short in the Sun Belt Conference tournament quarterfinals after losing the final four games of the regular season. This led to an NIT
berth and resulted in a loss to Syracuse in the first round 79-73, which was South Alabama's sixth straight loss to end the season. South Alabama finished the year with a 20-12 record, giving Pelphrey an overall record of 80-67 with the Jags.
Pelphrey was announced as the new head coach of the University of Arkansas basketball team at a press conference on Monday, April 9, 2007, in Fayetteville, Arkansas
. Pelphrey replaced Stan Heath
, whose tenure ended with the University of Arkansas on March 26, 2007.
The Razorbacks began the season ranked # 19, but fell out of the top 25 after losing their third game of the season to unranked Providence College
. Arkansas went on to win six consecutive games to improve to 8-1, before losing to the Oklahoma Sooners
. They finished the nonconference season 11-3, highlighted by wins over Missouri
and Baylor
.
The Hogs won their first two conference games against Auburn
and Alabama, before losing their next two to South Carolina
and Georgia
. Pelphrey's Razorback team then responded with back-to-back home wins against two ranked opponents, defeating Mississippi State
and also Florida
, coached by one of his mentor
s and dear friends, Billy Donovan
. The Razorbacks also handed a loss to ranked Vanderbilt
along the way. Arkansas finished the SEC regular season with a 9-7 record.
The Hogs defeated Vanderbilt (then ranked 18th nationally) again in the 2008 SEC Tournament. They followed this up with arguably their biggest victory of the season, a 92-91 win over #4 Tennessee
in the tourney semifinals. The Hogs lost in the championship game to underdog Georgia
, but rebounded to defeat Indiana
86-72 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. It was the Razorbacks' first NCAA tourney victory since 1999. The Razorbacks were eliminated by overall #1 seed North Carolina
in the second round.
On December 30, 2008, Pelphrey earned his biggest upset as coach of the Razorbacks up until that point by beating #4 ranked Oklahoma
in Bud Walton Arena
, 96-88. On January 6, 2009, Pelphrey followed that victory up with a huge win over one of the Hogs' archrivals from Southwest Conference days, the #7 ranked Texas Longhorns
, 67-61. However, after those wins, Pelphrey's season rapidly went downhill as the Razorbacks went on to a last place finish in the SEC West with a 2-14 record and an overall final record of 14-16.
In the 2009-10 season, Pelphrey's team started off slow, losing to Morgan State, East Tennessee State and South Alabama early in non-conference play. But Arkansas regained some momentum by winning five in a row to have a 7-5 record, although the victories came against Mississippi Valley State, Delaware State, Alabama State, Stephen F. Austin and Missouri State. The Razorbacks then lost four straight, including the Southeastern Conference opener against Mississippi State. Arkansas was humbled in a 101-70 loss at Kentucky but followed with five straight SEC wins to improve to 13-11. However, the Razorbacks finished the season on another slide, losing their final five games of the regular season before falling to Georgia in the first round of the SEC Tournament by a score of 77-64 to end with a six game losing streak. The six game slide is the longest in the history of University of Arkansas basketball to end a season with and dropped the Razorbacks to 14-18 in Pephrey's third year as the UA basketball coach.
On March 13, 2011, John Pelphrey was fired as Head Coach at the University of Arkansas.
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
coach and was the 14th head men's basketball coach at the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
(hired April 2007). After being named Kentucky's "Mr. Basketball" in 1987, he became a star college player at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. Prior to coaching the Razorbacks, he served as head basketball coach for South Alabama
University of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama is a public, doctoral-level university in Mobile, Alabama, USA. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama. No other areas of the state were willing to support such a...
. Pelphrey served as an assistant coach under Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton is an American former college head coach with 36 years of Division I basketball coaching experience at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State , and the University of San Francisco...
at Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater is a land-grant, sun-grant, coeducational public research university located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. OSU was founded in 1890 under the Morrill Act...
and Billy Donovan
Billy Donovan
William John "Billy" Donovan, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and a former college and professional basketball player. Donovan is the current head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team of the University of Florida...
at Marshall
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
and Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
.
Early years
John Pelphrey was born in Paintsville, KentuckyPaintsville, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,132 people, 1,681 households, and 1,079 families residing in the city. The population density was 786.1 people per square mile . There were 1,901 housing units at an average density of 361.7 per square mile...
. He attended Paintsville High School
Paintsville High School
Paintsville High School is a secondary-level school located in Paintsville, Johnson County, Kentucky and is part of the Paintsville Independent School District. Its student enrollment as of 2006 was 344 in grades 7 through 12...
, where he was coached by Bill Mike Runyon. He would lead the Tigers to the Sweet Sixteen in the State Tournament, and make the Sweet Sixteen Fab 50. During his senior year as a Tiger (1987), the team's final record was 32-5. The team won Paintsville Invitational Championship, the Hillbrook Classic, the 57th District Championship, the 15th Region Championship, and made the KHSAA
Kentucky High School Athletic Association
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association has been the governing body of Kentucky high school athletics since 1917. Located in Lexington, the organization sanctions competition in the following sports:*Boys and girls**Basketball**Bowling*...
"Sweet Sixteen" Final Four where they lost to eventual state champion Louisville Ballard led by future NBA player Allan Houston
Allan Houston
Allan Wade Houston is a retired American professional basketball player for the NBA, and currently the Assistant General Manager for the New York Knicks. He was one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA until a knee injury forced him to retire...
. A two-sport athlete, Pelphrey also had a passion for baseball, he played during his high school years as a shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
and a pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
.
College
While a player at KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
from 1988–1992, Pelphrey led the Wildcats to the SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
Tournament Championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance, including the epic battle with Duke in the 1992 Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
. Pelphrey was a two-time captain while at Kentucky and in 1989 was named the UK Student Athlete of the Year. During his collegiate career, Pelphrey started 90 of 114 games, and averaged 11 points per game over his career. In 2005, Pelphrey was inducted into the Kentucky Hall of Fame.
During his freshman year in 1988-89, the UK program was rocked by a major scandal. One player, Eric Manuel
Eric Manuel
Eric Manuel was an American college basketball player.Born in Macon, Georgia; Manuel made the Parade and McDonald's All-America teams as a high school senior in 1987. The small forward/shooting guard signed with the Kentucky Wildcats, and broke into the starting lineup by the middle of his...
, was found by the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
to have received improper assistance on his college entrance exams. A second player, Chris Mills
Chris Mills
Christopher Lemonte Mills is a retired American professional basketball player.Chris Mills attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, from 1986–1988. At 6'7", he was the starting center for each of his three years playing varsity basketball there. In 1987 and 1988, he was awarded the City 4-A...
, received cash payments from a booster
Booster club
A booster club is an organization that is formed to support an associated club, sports team, or organization. Booster clubs are popular in American schools at the high school and university level...
. The scandal led to the resignation of coach Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton is an American former college head coach with 36 years of Division I basketball coaching experience at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State , and the University of San Francisco...
and athletic director Cliff Hagan
Cliff Hagan
Clifford Oldham Hagan is an American former professional basketball player. A 6-4 forward who excelled with the hook shot, Hagan, nicknamed "Li'l Abner," played his entire 10-year NBA career with the St. Louis Hawks...
, and led to major NCAA sanctions. Pelphrey and his fellow freshmen, Richie Farmer, Deron Feldhaus and Sean Woods
Sean Woods
Sean Woods is an American former basketball player who is currently serving as thehead coach of the Mississippi Valley State University men's basketball team. He had previously been an assistant coach at Texas Christian University....
, stayed with the program despite the sanctions, and entered UK lore during their senior season in 1991-92.
That year, a relatively unheralded Kentucky team coached by Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...
, in its first year after coming off NCAA probation, lost to Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
in the Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
. This game is often considered one of the greatest in college basketball history, ending with the Blue Devils' Christian Laettner
Christian Laettner
Christian Donald Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player and entrepreneur. He had a distinguished college and national career, and played in the National Basketball Association for thirteen seasons, from 1992–2005. He is presently a minority holder for the Major League...
's buzzer-beating jumper in overtime, which is among the most famous finishes in a college basketball game. The four seniors, as undisputed team leaders who showed their loyalty to UK during some of the program's darkest hours, would forever be known by Wildcats fans as "The Unforgettables" (A name given to them by Coach Pitino). Pelphrey is one of only 29 former Kentucky players to have his jersey retired (#34).
Oklahoma State
After leaving Kentucky, Pelphrey failed to be drafted in the NBA and spent a short time playing professional basketball in France and Spain before joining his former coach Eddie SuttonEddie Sutton
Eddie Sutton is an American former college head coach with 36 years of Division I basketball coaching experience at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State , and the University of San Francisco...
's staff at Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater is a land-grant, sun-grant, coeducational public research university located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. OSU was founded in 1890 under the Morrill Act...
for the 1993-94 season.
Marshall
Pelphrey joined Billy DonovanBilly Donovan
William John "Billy" Donovan, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and a former college and professional basketball player. Donovan is the current head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team of the University of Florida...
's staff at Marshall
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
for two years and was instrumental in the resurgence of the Thundering Herd program.
Florida
In 1996, he followed Donovan from Marshall to FloridaUniversity of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
and coached as an assistant for 6 years. He helped the Gators garner a school record four straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1999 to 2002. During the 1999-2000 season, the Gators made their first-ever appearance in the national championship game against Michigan State
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
.
South Alabama
Pelphrey spent five seasons as head coach at the University of South AlabamaUniversity of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama is a public, doctoral-level university in Mobile, Alabama, USA. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama. No other areas of the state were willing to support such a...
. In his first season there in 2002-03, Pelphrey led the Jaguars to a 14-14 record but had subsequently bad seasons the next two years, going 12-16 in 2003-04 and then 10-18 in 2004-05. In 2005-06 the Jaguars defeated Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
in the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
tournament championship game, earning USA's first NCAA tournament bid since 1998. The Jaguars lost to eventual tournament champions, Florida
Florida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
in the round of 64.
In 2007, Pelphrey led the Jags to a regular season title but they fell short in the Sun Belt Conference tournament quarterfinals after losing the final four games of the regular season. This led to an NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
berth and resulted in a loss to Syracuse in the first round 79-73, which was South Alabama's sixth straight loss to end the season. South Alabama finished the year with a 20-12 record, giving Pelphrey an overall record of 80-67 with the Jags.
Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
. Pelphrey replaced Stan Heath
Stan Heath
Stanley Heath, III is the head men's basketball coach at the University of South Florida Bulls...
, whose tenure ended with the University of Arkansas on March 26, 2007.
The Razorbacks began the season ranked # 19, but fell out of the top 25 after losing their third game of the season to unranked Providence College
Providence Friars
The Providence Friars is the name of the athletic teams of Providence College. They compete in the Big East Conference for every sport except for ice hockey, where they compete in Hockey East and in women's volleyball, where they compete in the America East Conference...
. Arkansas went on to win six consecutive games to improve to 8-1, before losing to the Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
. They finished the nonconference season 11-3, highlighted by wins over Missouri
Missouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States...
and Baylor
Baylor Bears
Baylor Bears refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference...
.
The Hogs won their first two conference games against Auburn
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
and Alabama, before losing their next two to South Carolina
South Carolina Gamecocks
The University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the "Gamecocks". The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his...
and Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams of the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference...
. Pelphrey's Razorback team then responded with back-to-back home wins against two ranked opponents, defeating Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are the athletic teams of Mississippi State University. They participate in NCAA's Division I in the competitive 12-member Southeastern Conference under the mascot Bulldogs and the school colors of maroon and white...
and also Florida
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
, coached by one of his mentor
Mentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
s and dear friends, Billy Donovan
Billy Donovan
William John "Billy" Donovan, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and a former college and professional basketball player. Donovan is the current head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team of the University of Florida...
. The Razorbacks also handed a loss to ranked Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
along the way. Arkansas finished the SEC regular season with a 9-7 record.
The Hogs defeated Vanderbilt (then ranked 18th nationally) again in the 2008 SEC Tournament. They followed this up with arguably their biggest victory of the season, a 92-91 win over #4 Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
in the tourney semifinals. The Hogs lost in the championship game to underdog Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
, but rebounded to defeat Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the athletic teams for the Bloomington campus of Indiana University . Athletic teams sponsored by IU Bloomington include cross country, track, baseball, golf, tennis, rowing, volleyball, soccer, football and basketball...
86-72 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. It was the Razorbacks' first NCAA tourney victory since 1999. The Razorbacks were eliminated by overall #1 seed North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State...
in the second round.
On December 30, 2008, Pelphrey earned his biggest upset as coach of the Razorbacks up until that point by beating #4 ranked Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
in Bud Walton Arena
Bud Walton Arena
Bud Walton Arena is the home to the men's and women's basketball teams of the University of Arkansas, known as the Razorbacks...
, 96-88. On January 6, 2009, Pelphrey followed that victory up with a huge win over one of the Hogs' archrivals from Southwest Conference days, the #7 ranked Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns men's basketball
The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Longhorns currently compete in the Big 12 Conference....
, 67-61. However, after those wins, Pelphrey's season rapidly went downhill as the Razorbacks went on to a last place finish in the SEC West with a 2-14 record and an overall final record of 14-16.
In the 2009-10 season, Pelphrey's team started off slow, losing to Morgan State, East Tennessee State and South Alabama early in non-conference play. But Arkansas regained some momentum by winning five in a row to have a 7-5 record, although the victories came against Mississippi Valley State, Delaware State, Alabama State, Stephen F. Austin and Missouri State. The Razorbacks then lost four straight, including the Southeastern Conference opener against Mississippi State. Arkansas was humbled in a 101-70 loss at Kentucky but followed with five straight SEC wins to improve to 13-11. However, the Razorbacks finished the season on another slide, losing their final five games of the regular season before falling to Georgia in the first round of the SEC Tournament by a score of 77-64 to end with a six game losing streak. The six game slide is the longest in the history of University of Arkansas basketball to end a season with and dropped the Razorbacks to 14-18 in Pephrey's third year as the UA basketball coach.
On March 13, 2011, John Pelphrey was fired as Head Coach at the University of Arkansas.
Florida
On April 12, 2011, John Pelphrey was hired by Florida Head Coach Billy Donovan to be the assistant coach for the Florida Gators Men's Basketball TeamPersonal life
Pelphrey and his wife Tracy Lyon have two children: a son, Jaxson, and a daughter, Grace Donovan. In 2003, the Pelphreys' infant son, John Patrick, died of a rare blood disorder. On June 10, 2008, Pelphrey and his wife launched the Pel's Pals Foundation as a memorial to John Patrick.Head coaching record
Player
|
United Press International United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century... & Coaches Poll Associated Press The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists... University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky... retired his jersey (#34) |