FAYETTEVILLE — When Louisville Coach Rick Pitino looks at new Arkansas Coach John Pelphrey, he sees a lot of Billy Donovan.

Arkansas administrators and fans hope that’s an accurate picture considering Donovan, Florida’s coach, has led the Gators to three Final Four appearances since 2000, including back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007.

Donovan played for Pitino at Providence as a 6-1 point guard. Pelphrey was a 6-7 forward for Pitino at Kentucky and also was an assistant coach under Donovan at Marshall and Florida.

“John’s a taller version of Billy,” Pitino said on Monday. “All the good things that Billy represents, so does John.

ADVERTISEMENT

“ He was an overachiever as a player the same way Billy was. He’s a relentless recruiter the same way Billy is. He’s a great X and O teacher of the game, the same as Billy is.

“ John is the entire package.”

Pitino, who competed against Arkansas when the Razorbacks won the NCAA title in 1994 and finished runner-up in 1995, said he has no doubt Pelphrey will restore the program to national prominence.

“I don’t know if they can win back-toback championships,” Pitino said, referring to comparisons to Donovan. “But in a short period of time, he can get Arkansas knocking on the door to the Final Four again.

“ I just think John is an unbelievable hire. I guarantee the fans will not only love his style — because it’s all about pressing and running — but he’ll bring a legitimate national contender to Arkansas.”

Pelphrey, 38, began his college playing career at Kentucky for Eddie Sutton and also began his coaching career with Sutton at Oklahoma State in 1994.

“John was a very nice player for us and did a nice job as a grad assistant, too,” said Sutton, who coached Arkansas to a 260-75 record in 11 seasons before going to Kentucky in 1986. “He really had good work habits and a competitive spirit about him.

“ I think he’ll be a good fit for Arkansas and the Razorback fans. I know I’ll be rooting for him.”

Pelphrey was at Oklahoma State for one season and then coached with Donovan for eight years, including two at Marshall and six at Florida, before becoming head coach at South Alabama.

Donovan, Pitino and Sutton have combined for three national championships and 11 Final Four appearances as head coaches.

“I think anytime you get to see greatness from a lot of different angles, it helps,” said Pelphrey, who was South Alabama’s coach the past five years. “I think all of those guys had certain things in common in terms of playing great defense, rebounding the basketball, don’t turn it over, let’s get as good a shot as we possibly can. Let’s play offense more than we play defense.

“ Yet they’re also uniquely different.... Coach Sutton was primarily about keeping the basketball and playing half-court offense and defense. Coach Pitino wants to extend the floor. Billy is probably a combination of both.

“ I think I’ve been able to take a lot from all of them.”

Pelphrey said he’s proud to be associated with Pitino, Donovan and Sutton, but that he’s also his own coach.

“I don’t want to be Rick Pitino, I don’t want to be Billy Donovan, I don’t want to be Eddie Sutton,” he said. “But I aspire to do some of the same things they’ve done. They’ve won a lot of games and competed for championships and they’ve got a life-long relationship with their players.

“ How do I know that ? Because I’ve got those relationships with them. Those are special people.”

Pelphrey was a redshirt freshman at Kentucky in 1988 when the Wildcats went 27-6, then began playing the next year, when the team went 13-19 amidst an NCAA investigation that resulted in Sutton’s firing and several players transferring.

Pitino, hired from the New York Knicks, restored the program and led the Wildcats to a 29-7 record in 1992. Pelphrey was a fifth-year senior, playing a key role as Kentucky lost to defending national champion Duke 104-103 in overtime in the NCAA East Regional final in one of the most memorable games in college basketball history.

“That’s the greatest game according to the Duke fans,” Pelphrey said, managing a smile. “Not to me.”

Pitino said that except for star forward Jamal Mashburn, the rest of the Kentucky’s starters in 1992 were average in terms of talent.

“That team was 2. 1 seconds away from a Final Four because of John’s leadership,” Pitino said. “He’s always been that way. I knew he’d be a great coach.

“ I’ve been in coaching 32 years now, and John is the brightest person I’ve ever coached in terms of basketball intelligence. He was the smartest player I’ve ever coached, was the best leader in the locker room, and also knew how to play the best.... We overachieved because of John.”

Pitino said Pelphrey is confident as a coach, but humble as a person.

“He also has what I call that PHD — that poor, hungry and driven way of conducting himself,” Pitino said. “He is as hungry and driven as any coach I know, and he’s a terrific family man.”

Pitino said he expects Pelphrey to build a national reputation as a coach at Arkansas just as Donovan has at Florida.

“If you said to me, in three years, will [Pelphrey ] be one of the power guys in the game ? I’d tell you no question about it,” Pitino said. “All he needs is a stage like Arkansas to showcase his skills.”

PELPHREY FACTS AGE 38 BIRTHDATE July 18, 1968 HEIGHT 6-7 HOMETOWN Paintsville, Ky. COLLEGE PLAYING EXPERIENCE Four years at the University of Kentucky (1989-1992 ) PROFESSIONAL PLAYING EXPERIENCE Played in France and Spain for one season COACHING EXPERIENCE Head Coach – South Alabama (2003-2007 ); Assistant coach – Oklahoma State (1993-94 ); Marshall (1994-96 ); Florida (1996-2002 ). FAMILY Wife – Tracy (Lyon ); children – son Jaxson Hamilton (10 ); daughter Ann-Marie Grace Donovan (7 ) COACHING HONORS 2006 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year PLAYER NOTES Inducted into Kentucky Hall of Fame in 2005; jersey number (34 ) retired in 1992; 1991 honorable mention All-American, first-team All-Southeastern Conference (coaches ), second-team All-SEC (Associated Press ), team MVP; two-year team captain (1991 and 1992 ); 1990.