After four seasons with the Razorbacks, John Pelphrey was fired as the head men’s basketball coach at Arkansas on Sunday, said the university’s athletics director Jeff Long.
“After a thorough and comprehensive evaluation of our men’s basketball program, including an assessment of the overall student-athlete experience within our program, it is clear that we have not made the progress over the last four years that is necessary to return Razorback Basketball to a place of national relevance,” said Long in a statement. “As a program, our initial goals are to challenge for Southeastern Conference championships, compete in the NCAA Tournament and support our student-athletes in the pursuit of a degree. Our program’s tradition demonstrates those goals are certainly attainable at the University of Arkansas.
“I want to thank John and his staff for their hard work and dedication to the Razorback program. I am appreciative of their efforts on behalf of the University of Arkansas.”
During his four seasons as head coach, Pelphrey compiled an overall record of 69-59 (25-39 SEC). The Razorbacks finished 18-13 (7-9 SEC) this season including a 74-68 loss to Tennessee in the first round of the SEC tournament.
“The University of Arkansas has a proud tradition in basketball including playing in one of college basketball’s best arenas, Bud Walton Arena, and in front of the nation’s most passionate fans,” Long said. “It is because of this passion that we seek to elevate our program on and off the court.”
During a Sunday evening press conference, Long said assistant coach Rob Evans will serve as interim head coach if necessary.
“While it appears that it will be unlikely that we would receive an NIT bid,” said Long, “if we did, we would continue with coach Evans as our interim head coach.”
Long said a national search for a coach will begin immediately.
» Watch the Jeff Long Coaching Change Press Conference
Pelphrey’s Record at Arkansas
| 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 23-12 | 14-16 | 14-18 | 18-12 |
| Conf Record | 9-7 (2nd in West) | 2-14 (6th in West) | 7-9 (3rd in West) | 7-9 (4th in West) |
| Post-season | NCAA Second Round (beat Indiana, lost to North Carolina) | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| RPI | 26 | 147 | 159 | 120 |
| SOS | 10 | 70 | 45 | 112 |
| Conf RPI | 3 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| Conf SOS | 4 | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| PPG (Nat’l rank) | 74.1 (73) | 74.6 (61) | 74.7 (54) | 70.8 (118) |
| RPG (Nat’l rank) | 36.4 (116) | 37.6 (68) | 34.5 (207) | 34.5 (195) |
| APG (Nat’l rank) | 14.4 (100) | 13.0 (161) | 13.8 (108) | 12.0 (240) |
| FG% (Nat’l rank) | .468 (46) | .438 (159) | .446 (105) | .435 (175) |
Statistics and figures found at:
