Walter McCarty might not be the only ex-Cat to lose a college hoops coaching job this year
Walter McCarty’s 2019-20 basketball season featured the arc of a Shakespearean tragedy.
On Nov. 12, the former Kentucky Wildcats forward coached his hometown Evansville Purple Aces to a mind-boggling 67-64 upset of then No. 1-ranked UK in Rupp Arena.
Sixty-four days later, McCarty was out of his job, dismissed by Evansville after the university retained a national law firm to investigate alleged violations of the school’s Title IX policy by the coach.
McCarty’s fall leaves seven former UK men’s basketball players as head coaches of men’s NCAA Division I basketball programs in 2019-20.
As we check in on those seven — we are doing that below in descending order from best record this season to worst — the unhappy news is that it appears another of the ex-Cats might be on the way to becoming an ex-head coach.
TRAVIS FORD
Current job: Saint Louis.
2019-20 record: 15-5 (4-3, tied for sixth in the Atlantic 10).
Career record: 345-281 in 20th season as a Division I head coach at Eastern Kentucky (61-80 from 2000-2005), Massachusetts (62-35 from 2005-08), Oklahoma State (155-111 from 2008-2016) and Saint Louis (67-55 since 2016).
NCAA tournaments as a head coach: Seven, five at Oklahoma State, one each at Eastern Kentucky and Saint Louis.
The trend in 2019-20: Lost two of last three, a crushing 78-76 overtime loss to No. 7 Dayton and a 71-59 road loss at Davidson.
With only three experienced players back from last season’s Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament champions, Saint Louis nevertheless has wins over Power Five conference teams Boston College (ACC) and Kansas State (Big 12).
MARK POPE
Current job: BYU.
2019-20 record: 15-7 (4-3, tied for third in the West Coast Conference).
Career record: 92-63 in fifth season at Utah Valley (77-56 from 2015-2019) and BYU (15-7 since 2019).
NCAA tournaments as a head coach: None.
The trend in 2019-20: Lost two of last three, a 92-69 drubbing at WCC kingpin Gonzaga and an 83-82 defeat at San Francisco.
In his first year at BYU, Pope has wins over UCLA (Pac-12) and Virginia Tech (ACC) as well as American Athletic Conference power Houston.
STEVE MASIELLO
Current job: Manhattan.
2019-20 record: 8-9 (4-4, tied for fifth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference).
Career record: 135-140 in nine years, all at Manhattan.
NCAA tournaments as a head coach: Two, 2014 and 2015.
The trend in 2019-20: After starting 4-1 in the MAAC, the Jaspers have lost three straight.
Having not had a winning season since the 2015 NCAA Tournament team, Masiello could use a winner in 2019-20.
SCOTT PADGETT
Current job: Samford.
2019-20 record: 8-14 (2-6, eighth in the Southern Conference).
Career record: 82-106 in sixth year, all at Samford.
NCAA tournaments as a head coach: None.
The trend in 2019-20: After starting Southern Conference play 2-0, Padgett’s Bulldogs have lost six straight games.
SEAN WOODS
Current job: Southern.
2019-20 record: 7-13 (4-3, fourth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference).
Career record: 141-188 in 11th year as head coach at Mississippi Valley State (50-80 from 2008-2012), Morehead State (77-70 from 2012 through 2017) and Southern (14-38 since 2018).
NCAA tournaments as a head coach: One, at Mississippi Valley State, in 2012.
The trend in 2019-20: After starting the season 4-13, 1-3 in the SWAC, the Jaguars have won three straight. The uptick restores hopes that Woods can do the kind of revival at Southern that he did at Mississippi Valley State.
JOHN PELPHREY
Current job: Tennessee Tech.
2019-20 record: 5-16 (2-6, tied for ninth in the Ohio Valley Conference)
Career record: 154-142 in 10th year as head coach at South Alabama (80-67 from 2002-2007), Arkansas (69-59 from 2007-2011) and Tennessee Tech (5-16 since 2019).
NCAA tournaments as a head coach: Two, 2006 at South Alabama and 2008 at Arkansas.
The trend in 2019-20: After losing eight straight, the Golden Eagles are 2-2 in their last four. Having inherited a team that went 8-23 in 2018-19, Pelphrey knew he was taking on a reconstruction job in his return to head coaching.
ALLEN EDWARDS
Current job: Wyoming.
2019-20 record: 5-16 (0-9, last in the Mountain West Conference).
Career record: 56-69 in four seasons, all at Wyoming.
NCAA tournaments as a head coach: None.
The trend in 2019-20: Is not good. After Wyoming went 8-24 in 2018-19, Wyoming Athletics Director Tom Burman told the Casper Star Tribune, “I’m not going to say we’ve got to win x (number of games) to continue down the same (coaching) path, but we’ve got to make dramatic improvement.”
This season, the Cowboys have not won since an 82-68 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan on Dec. 28.
Wyoming plays its home games in the 15,028-seat Laramie Arena-Auditorium. Attendance at the past three Wyoming home games has been announced at 2,941; 3,000; and 3,226.
It seems eons ago since Edwards’ first two seasons as Cowboys coach yielded 23-15 and 20-13 records.
The name of former Colorado State and Nebraska head man Tim Miles is being floated by disgruntled Wyoming backers as their dream replacement for Edwards.
Given the level of negativity around his program, one wonders at this point if there is anything Edwards can realistically do to reverse the tide.
