Like it is : Hiring top-notch , Arkansas-friendly staff vital

Wally Hall

Posted on Tuesday, April 10, 2007

URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/187022/

During the SEC basketball tournament a few years ago, a voice asked politely if anyone was sitting in the seat next to me.

If memory serves, Arkansas had already played and a game featuring Kentucky was being played, so Bob Holt and Scott Cain did not need the seat.

The person wanting to use the seat was John Pelphrey, who at the time was an assistant coach at Florida.

He sat, opened a large notebook and almost immediately started taking notes and making diagrams.

Introductions were made, and Pelphrey said he knew of me through Eddie Sutton and remembered meeting when he was a player.

Knowing he was working, conversation was kept to a minimum and mostly during one of the many timeouts.

Sometimes he would make random comments about Kentucky while writing, such as: “Great passing game,” or “Excellent spacing.”

We went our separate ways, but a couple of days after arriving home from the tournament, I got a handwritten note from Pelphrey telling me he enjoyed the conversation.

The note was answered immediately, but his correspondence made a lasting positive impression.

Monday, after a lengthy introduction, Pelphrey, 38, was presented as the 12 th head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

What he deserves today is a chance to prove he is the right guy to be the head coach of the Razorbacks basketball team.

Granted, his hiring was a bit of a surprise, but he came highly recommended, mostly by Billy Donovan, who has just won backto-back national championships.

His odds of success might hinge on the next thing he does, hiring assistants.

It is going to be a big jump for Pelphrey from the Sun Belt to the SEC, so having assistants who can evaluate and recruit players who can play and compete in one of the major conferences is critical.

Certainly, it would behoove him if he could find a couple of Arkansas guys who can do that.

The only questions Pelphrey should be asked for a while are about his offense and defense. Maybe if his family is signing off on this move, too.

The big questions that loom will be aimed at Frank Broyles and The Firm, known as Parker Executive Search.

Seriously, was it worth $ 90, 000 to get the heads up on a coach in the Sun Belt ?

Why was no one named Sutton, Dickey or Sadler considered ? Those guys know firsthand the pride and passion of the Razorbacks.

Was this really what you had in mind when you fired Stan Heath ?

Obviously, none of that should reflect on Pelphrey.

For him, this is an opportunity to get aboard a ride where grabbing the golden ring is possible.

There are a lot of coaches on the midmajor level who would love to have the same chance, and really, most of the good highlevel D-I coaches were in the midlevel range at some time.

It will be up to Pelphrey to take advantage of what Heath did while at Arkansas.

Unlike five years ago, the program is not bankrupt of talent as it was when Heath jumped from Kent State to Fayetteville.

Forever remember that Heath left the program in better shape than he found it.

Pelphrey appears to be a guy who recognizes that and will want to build off what is there right now.

If any player wants to transfer, then good luck to him.

Those who stay should know there will be changes. Pelphrey played for Eddie Sutton and Rick Pitino, two of the most disciplined coaches to ever teach the game.

He coached under Donovan, who is also about discipline.

He knows X’s and O’s and he knows how to teach. He likes his teams to score and for his defenses to make a difference.

John Pelphrey needs a honeymoon period with the fans as he and his family adjust to a new life, and he needs to hire the right assistant coaches.