(AP photo)
John Pelphrey is back in Gainesville. He would have no doubt preferred to stay in Fayetteville, where the Razorbacks new coach Mike Anderson welcomes in a stellar signee class that Pelphrey signed as Arkansas coach, but that was not to be. Relieved of his duties at season’s end, the former UK Wildcat is now re-united with Billy Donovan at Florida.
Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun writes that the Paintsville native is excited to be back with the Gators, even if it is in an assistant coach’s role.
An excerpt:
“I feel like I have ownership in the program already because I was here before the renovations to the O-Dome,” Pelphrey said. “I was here before the practice facility was built. I was here before the first run to the national championship game, so I feel like I’m a little bit invested.”
Walking through the practice facility, though, Pelphrey has recognized how much has changed since he left UF in 2002.
“I was in this building four or five months after it was built,” Pelphrey said. “But it looks totally different because of all the history and tradition that’s on those walls. Nine short years, there have been a lot of things that have happened here in a very positive fashion.”
Pelphrey was 69-59 at Arkansas in four seasons, but was just 25-39 in the SEC. The Razorbacks were 16-32 in league play over the last three years. Before that, Pelphrey was 80-67 in five years at South Alabama.
Pelphrey and ex-St. John’s coach Norm Roberts both joined Donovan’s staff after Larry Shyatt took the head coaching job at Wyoming, and Richard Pitino returned to Louisville to coach with his father, Rick.
