John Pelphrey

College coach infobox
Name = John Pelphrey


Size = 200px
Caption = Pelphrey playing in the Red-White game for Arkansas
DateOfBirth = birth date and age|1968|07|18
Birthplace = flagicon|USA Paintsville, Kentucky
DateOfDeath =
Sport = Basketball
College = Arkansas
Title = Head coach
OverallRecord = 103-79
CurrentRecord = 23-12
Conference Record = 9-7
Awards = Sun Belt Coach of the Year (2006)
Championships = Sun Belt Tournament Championship (2006)
Player = *
Years = 1989–1992
Team = Kentucky
Position = Forward
Coach = *
CoachYears = 1993–1994
1994–1996
1996–2002
2002–2007
2007–present
CoachTeams = Oklahoma State (asst.)
Marshall (asst.)
Florida (asst.)
South Alabama
Arkansas

John Pelphrey (born July 18, 1968 in Paintsville, Kentucky) is the 14th head men's basketball coach at the University of Arkansas (hired April 2007). After being named Kentucky's "Mr. Basketball" in 1987cite web|title="John Pelphrey "|work=USAJaguars.com |url=http://www.usajaguars.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8300&ATCLID=521986|date=2006-07-30|accessdate=2007-03-12] , 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.

Playing career

High School

John Pelphrey attended Paintsville High School in Paintsville, Kentucky, 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. A two-sport athlete, Pelphrey also had a passion for baseball, he played during his high school years as a shortstop and a pitcher.

College

While a player at Kentucky 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.cite web|title="John Pelphrey "|work=USAJaguars.com |url=http://www.usajaguars.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8300&ATCLID=521986|date=2006-07-30|accessdate=2007-03-12]

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). [cite web
last = Story
first = Mark
title = Tubby Bashers not the majority
date = 2007-04-20
url = http://www.kentucky.com/287/story/47968.html
format = HTML
accessdate = 2007-05-02 ]

Coaching career

Oklahoma State

After leaving Kentucky, Pelphrey spent a short time playing basketball overseas before joining his former coach Eddie Sutton's staff at Oklahoma State for the 1993-94 season.cite web|title="John Pelphrey "|work=USAJaguars.com |url=http://www.usajaguars.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8300&ATCLID=521986|date=2006-07-30|accessdate=2007-03-12]

Marshall

Pelphrey joined Billy Donovan's staff at Marshall for two years and was instrumental in the resurgence of the Thundering Herd program.

Florida

In 1996, he followed Donovan from Marshall to Florida 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.cite web|title="John Pelphrey "|work=USAJaguars.com |url=http://www.usajaguars.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8300&ATCLID=521986|date=2006-07-30|accessdate=2007-03-12]

outh Alabama

Pelphrey spent five seasons as head coach at the University of South Alabama. In his first season there in 2002-03, Pelphrey led the Jaguars from a 8-20 record the year before to a 14-14 record. 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. This led to an NIT berth and resulted in a loss to Syracuse in the first round 79-73. cite web |title="College Hoops" |work=CNNSI.com |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/ncaa/men/scoreboards/divia/today/|accessdate=2007-03-14] South Alabama finished the year with a 20-12 record, giving Pelphrey an overall record of 80-67 with the Jags. cite web |title="Report: Arkansas Inks South Alabama's John Pelphrey To Be Next Head Coach"|last=Smith|first=Matthew|work=All Headline News |url=http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7006991242|date=2007-04-09|accessdate=2007-04-09]

Arkansas

Pelphrey was announced as the new head coach of the University of Arkansas basketball team at a press conference on Monday, April 9th in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Pelphrey replaced Dana Altman, who resigned after 26 hours as the head coach of Arkansas. cite web|title="Pelphrey to leave South Alabama after five years"|publisher=Associated Press|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2830349|accessdate=2007-04-08] 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 mentors 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.

Personal life

He and his wife Tracy Lyon have two children, a son Jaxson, and a daughter Ann Marie. In 2003, the Pelphreys' infant son, John Patrick, died of a rare blood disorder.cite web |last=Tipton |first=Jerry |title=Pelphrey launches charity foundation |url=http://ukbasketball.kentucky.com/pelphrey-launches-charity-foundation/ |publisher=Lexington Herald-Leader |date=2008-06-10 |accessdate=2008-06-12] On June 10, 2008, Pelphrey and his wife launched the Pel’s Pals Foundation as a memorial to John Patrick. The foundation benefits children's charities, with a focus on neonatal care.

Head coaching record

CBB Yearly Record Start
type=coach
conference=
postseason=
poll=noCBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=South Alabama
startyear=2002
conference=Sun Belt Conference
endyear=2007|CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2002–2003
name = South Alabama
overall = 14-14
conference = 7-8
confstanding = T-3rd (West)
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2003–2004
name = South Alabama
overall = 12-16
conference = 6-9
confstanding = T-4th (West)
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2004–2005
name = South Alabama
overall = 10-18
conference = 6-9
confstanding = T-4th (West)
postseason = CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
season = 2005–2006
name = South Alabama
overall = 24-7
conference = 12-3
confstanding = 1st (West)
postseason = NCAA 1st RoundCBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2006–2007
name = South Alabama
overall = 20-12
conference = 13-5
confstanding = 1st (East)
postseason = NIT 1st RoundCBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = South Alabama
overall = 80-67
confrecord = 44-40CBB Yearly Record Subhead
name=Arkansas
startyear=2007
conference=Southeastern Conference
endyear=|CBB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
season = 2007–2008
name = Arkansas
overall = 23-12
conference = 9-7
confstanding = 2nd (West)
postseason = NCAA 2nd RoundCBB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Arkansas
overall = 23-12
confrecord = 9-7CBB Yearly Record End
overall=103-79

Awards

Player

Coaching

*2006 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year

References

External links

* [http://www.usajaguars.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=38471&SPID=3258&DB_OEM_ID=8300&ATCLID=521986&Q_SEASON=2006 USA Athletics Page]
* [http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statistics/Players/Pelphrey_John.html Career UK Stats]
* [http://www.FortyMinutesofPel.com 40MinutesOfPel.com]
* [http://www.pelspals.com/ Pel's Pals Foundation home page]