John Pelphrey didn’t miss coaching, but happy to be at Alabama

John Pelphrey is settling into his new job as an assistant coach ato Avery Johnson at Alabama, he tells Michael Casagrande of AL.com.

The former Paintsville star and UK forward recounts his journey from South Alabama and Arkansas head coach to Alabama assistant after doing television work for a year while taking a break from coaching.

After leaving Kentucky in 1992, Pelphrey was an assistant under Eddie Sutton at Oklahoma State and then Billy Donovan at both Marshall and Florida. He was head coach at USA from 2002-03 through 2006-07, compiling a 80-67 record, including one NCAA Tournament berth. He was head coach at Arkansas from 2007-08 through 2010-11, going 149-126 with one NCAA Tournament berth.

Pelphrey returned to Florida as Donovan’s assistant coach from 2008-09 through 2014-15. But when Donovan left for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, Pelphrey decided to take a year off from the Xs and Os.

“I didn’t really miss coaching when I was out of it,” Pelphrey told Casagrande, “because I was completely consumed with making sure I was being a champion with some of the things I needed to get addressed in my life. And I think we did that.”

Pelphrey also tells some funny stories about when he was recruited by former Bama coach Wimp Sanderson.