Former Kentucky star Scott Padgett reportedly out as head coach at Samford

Former University of Kentucky basketball standout Scott Padgett will not return as head coach at Samford University, according to multiple media reports Monday.

The school and Padgett reportedly parted ways after his team went 10-23 in 2019-20 and finished eighth in the 10-team Southern Conference. The Bulldogs lost 15 of their last 17 games after an 8-8 start.

Padgett coached the Birmingham, Alabama-based school for six seasons, compiling an overall record of 84-115. His best season was 2016-17 when the Bulldogs went 20-16. His only other winning season was 2018-19, when Samford finished 17-16.

Padgett, who starred at St. Xavier High School before playing at UK, was part of the Cats’ 1998 national championship squad. He was a first-round NBA Draft pick, selected 28th overall by the Utah Jazz in 1999 and spent eight years in the NBA.

Padgett scored 1,142 points in four years with the Jazz before spending the next two seasons with the Houston Rockets. He also played for the New Jersey Nets (2005-06), the Rockets again (2006-07) and the Memphis Grizzlies (2007).

He returned to Kentucky as an assistant coach in 2009 and was at Manhattan from 2010-2012 before being hired as an assistant coach at Samford.

He was promoted to head coach of the Bulldogs in 2014.