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Good news for us. Pelphery taking Arkansas job

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this is good news for us, this guy was a great coach, hopefully SAU loses some recruits.

April 9, 2007

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) – Arkansas is set to announce its new basketball coach Monday amid reports John Pelphrey of South Alabama will succeed Stan Heath.

The school has scheduled an afternoon news conference, but would not say who the coach will be.

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The Razorbacks have been without a coach since Heath was fired March 26. They hired Dana Altman last Monday, but Altman changed his mind and returned to Creighton the next day.

South Alabama spokesman Kit Strief said Pelphrey would be in Arkansas on Monday, but he wouldn't confirm the coach had taken the Arkansas job. Athletic directors Frank Broyles of Arkansas and Joe Gottfried South Alabama have not returned calls to The Associated Press.

FoxSports.com and CBS Sportsline.com, citing unidentified sources, reported Sunday night Pelphrey will become the Arkansas coach.

Altman's startling reversal led Arkansas to enlist a search firm to help find a coach. Arkansas eyed Billy Gillispie, who later left Texas A&M to take over at Kentucky. The Razorbacks also received permission to talk to Memphis coach John Calipari.

The Razorbacks went 21-14 last season and made the NCAA tournament for the second straight year, but they lost in the first round both seasons. Heath was fired and took the South Florida job.

Pelphrey went 80-67 in five seasons at South Alabama, including 44-19 the last two seasons. The Jaguars made the NCAA tournament in 2006.

The 38-year-old Pelphrey has plenty of Southeastern Conference experience. He was an assistant at Florida from 1996-02 and played at Kentucky.

His college playing career ended on one of the most memorable shots in NCAA tournament history. Pelphrey was standing a few feet from Christian Laettner when the Duke star made his famous buzzer-beater against Kentucky in the 1992 round of eight.

After that, Pelphrey became an assistant at Oklahoma State and Marshall before heading to Florida.



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Good news for us. Pelphery taking Arkansas job

Good news for us. Pelphery taking Arkansas job

Just to follow up:

Arkansas hired South Alabama's John Pelphrey as its new basketball coach Monday, a South Alabama athletic department official told the Associated Press.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity pending Arkansas' announcement at an afternoon news conference.
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Good news for us. Pelphery taking Arkansas job

It may be good news for us but we want the Sunbelt to be strong as a conference. Losing a good coach doesn't necessarily help that. Our bragging rights will be when we can consistantly win against teams like USA because we have gotten better as a team and not because the other team has lost recruits or a coach.
Bring on the competition.

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Good news for us. Pelphery taking Arkansas job

I know what you're saying but I would still take the win against a lesser team.
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Good news for us. Pelphery taking Arkansas job

im gonna go the other way on this one boys…i dont see the big deal…i think it was a bad hire…he aint all that…good luck in the SEC bud! :-*
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Good news for us. Pelphery taking Arkansas job

dude you don't doodie. He was a great coach with great connections.
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Good news for us. Pelphery taking Arkansas job

sorry, you don't know doodie. he has so many connections from Billy D. the guy had some legit recruits every year.

I think it will help us.
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Good news for us. Pelphery taking Arkansas job


Exit39 said

sorry, you don't know doodie. he has so many connections from Billy D. the guy had some legit recruits every year.

I think it will help us.

i hear ya on his background - not belittling it…but what did he do?? we were first year in, and beat em…what does that say?? what players did he have this year?? i wasnt all that impressed with anyone…we have better players all around…and better recruits coming in - hands down…respectfully, lets see how he does in the SEC….my guess is he lasts 3 threes and hes tossed…mark this thread… :)

my commentary was more directed on the hire that Arkansas made…

on helping us, i AGREE with you though…good luck finding someone this late who is worth their salt to replace him at this level in this league!
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Good news for us. Pelphery taking Arkansas job

last paragraph is pretty interesting. how much is rex making
USA looking at Lutz
Charlotte coach comes to Mobile to interview for vacant men's basketball post Thursday, April 12, 2007By KIM SHUGARTSports Reporter
Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz has emerged as a leading candidate to replace John Pelphrey as the University of South Alabama men's basketball coach, the Press-Register has learned.

Lutz visited the South Alabama campus and the school's basketball facilities on Wednesday, two days after Pelphrey was introduced as Arkansas' new coach. Lutz (pronounced Lootz) is the first candidate to be interviewed, but he won't be the last.

University of Alabama assistant coach Philip Pearson confirmed Wednesday that he had been contacted and plans to interview in Mobile.

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"I'm looking forward to visiting with coach (Joe) Gottfried and the people at South Alabama," Pearson said in a statement released by UA. "Obviously they have a long-standing tradition of great basketball in the Sun Belt. It would be a great opportunity."

Gottfried, the USA athletics director, has said he prefers to hire someone with experience as a head coach to fill the vacancy rather than going with an assistant coach, as he did when Pelphrey was selected in 2002. That fact would work against Pearson, 36, who has never been a head coach and has coached the past 12 years under Gottfried's son, Mark Gottfried, at Murray State and Alabama.

Charlotte Athletics Director Judy Rose confirmed Wednesday that South Alabama had requested to speak with Lutz and she granted permission earlier this week.

When questioned about the status of those talks, Rose told the Charlotte Observer, "That's something you'll have to ask Bobby."

Joe Gottfried, who flew to Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday morning and returned with Lutz in the afternoon, could not be reached Wednesday. Lutz, 49, also could not be reached for comment.

In nine years at Charlotte (formerly known as North Carolina-Charlotte), Lutz has complied a 168-112 record with seven postseason appearances, including five NCAA tournament trips. Last season the 49ers were 14-16.

In 2005, he was a finalist for national coach of the year and later that year was in the running for the head coaching job at the University of Tennessee.

He took over the Charlotte program in 1998, succeeding Melvin Watkins. Lutz spent three years as an assistant coach with the 49ers, one year under Jeff Mullins and two years with Watkins.

Before reaching Charlotte, Lutz spent 10 years (1986-1995) as the head coach of Pfeiffer University, an NAIA school in North Carolina, where he had a 181-91 record and took six teams to the NAIA national tournament. His coaching career began in 1984 when he joined the staff of former South Alabama coach Cliff Ellis at Clemson. Lutz graduated from Charlotte in 1980.

In addition to Lutz and Pearson, sources said South Alabama has also requested permission to speak to Sam Houston State coach Bob Marlin and Lipscomb coach Scott Sanderson, a son of former Alabama coach Wimp Sanderson. Marlin was a finalist for the Wyoming job last month.

Gottfried has indicated that South Alabama is in position to offer its new coach a package worth approximately $275,000 to $300,000 annually. Lutz's total compensation at Charlotte has been reported to be in the $400,000 to $500,000 range. His contract with the 49ers runs through the 2008-2009 season.

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Good news for us. Pelphery taking Arkansas job

South Alabama to hire Arrow
April 17, 2007
By Gary Parrish
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Gary your opinion!





Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's Ronnie Arrow has reached an agreement to become South Alabama's next basketball coach, a source has told CBS SportsLine.com. A news conference to announce the development could come as early as Tuesday.

It's doubtful Arrow will need a tour of the campus considering he coached South Alabama from 1988-'95. He was 114-93 in seven seasons at USA before being fired early in the 1994-95 season.

Arrow spent the past seven years at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, where he compiled a 108-84 record that included a Southland Conference title and trip to the NCAA Tournament this past season. The Islanders finished 26-7 and nearly upset Wisconsin in the first round.

Arrow replaces John Pelphrey, who left last week to take over at Arkansas. The only other serious candidates were Sam Houston State's Bob Marlin, Alabama assistant Philip Pearson and Charlotte's Bobby Lutz.

Lutz rejected an offer over the weekend.

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