John Clay's Sidelines

Martin Newton

Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News has a good Q&A with Martin Newton, UK’s former director of basketball operations who was recently named the athletic director at Samford, his alma mater.

In it, Newton says that he and John Calipari talked about a three-game series between Samford and UK before Newton interviewed for the Samford AD position. He also said his job at Kentucky prepared him for being an athletic director.

And in a bit of news, Newton said he was once offered an assistant coaching job at Kentucky by Rick Pitino. That was when Newton’s father, C.M., was the AD at UK.

Continue reading ‘Martin Newton says UK job helped him train for Samford’

Samford athletic director Martin Newton (Southern Conference photo)

Big Blue Links for Wednesday:

• As new athletic director at Samford, Martin Newton has negotiated a deal with Kentucky for basketball games over the next three seasons, with the final game to be played in Birmingham, reports Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News.
• Florida’s Billy Donovan beats out Kentucky’s John Calipari for best basketball coach in SEC, according to a media poll Knoxville radio talk show host Jimmy Hyams conducted at the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin last week.
• Joker Phillips sees the perception of Kentucky football changing, reports ESPN’s Edward Aschoff.
• My H-L column says Kentucky fans have been no doubt amused by the mess on Rocky Top, which brought Mike Hamilton’s resignation on Tuesday.

Continue reading ‘BBL: UK to play Samford in basketball next 3 seasons’

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• Tough night for Michael Gilchrist, writes Matthew Stanmyre of Star-Ledger.
• Amoeba defense gets the best of Gilchrist, writes Brandon Parker of ESPN Rise.
• A sweet moment for St. Anthony, writes Christopher Lawlor of Daily News.
• Memory of Georgia tornado still vivid at SEC tourney, writes Jerry Tipton of H-L.
• Twenty questions about the SEC Tournament, by me.
• Pelphrey says he’s building program the right way, writes Tipton.
• Martin Newton named AD at Samford, reports Daniel Pauling of Birmingham News.
• SEC tourney about seeding and pleading, writes Brett Dawson of the C-J.
• Joe Dean, Jr. picks Kentucky to win tourney, writes Larry Vaught of the A-M.
• Cats prepping for tourney time, reports Aaron Smith of the Kentucky Kernel.
• Lamb shifts his focus from scoring, writes Chandler Howard of the Kernel.
• Basketball reigns in Kentucky, writes Earl Cox for Voice Tribune.

Continue reading ‘BBL: Michael Gilchrist has an off night in big game’

Martin Newton

Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News is reporting that UK’s director of basketball operations, Martin Newton, will be named the new athletic director at Samford.

Newton is the son of former UK athletics director C.M. Newton and is a graduate of Samford.

The announcement is expected Wednesday.

“Timing is everything for athletics directors and coaches,” C.M. Newton told the News when Martin interviewed for the job. “I think he’s a great fit at this time. That’s a dad talking and an old AD talking.”

(Hat tip to Walter’s Wildcat World)

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• Nothing official from UK, but WLEX is reporting that Matt Pilgrim and Kevin Galloway will not be on the UK basketball team next season.
• WKYT is also reporting that Galloway and Pilgrim are out.
• Herald-Leader’s Jerry Tipton reports that Martin Newton is now officially UK’s director of basketball operations.
• Tipton also reports that Scott Padgett is happy to be a coach in training.
• Herald-Leader’s Mark Maloney writes on UK discus throwers Rashaud Scott and Chase Madison, who are among the favorites at the NCAAs.
• Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger writes that UK’s football camps are booming.
• Zagsblog writes that if Jodie Meeks does return, Kentucky will be loaded.
• In the Voice-Tribune, Earl Cox writes that Mike Pratt would be a TV winner.
• Bluegrass State Basketball writes it source says Meeks will reluctantly return to UK.