Former Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball coaches have been much in the news in recent weeks.
On New Year's Eve, UK honored former top Cat Tubby Smith by raising a jersey in his honor to the rafters in Rupp Arena. That was before John Calipari's current Wildcats put a 92-48 beatdown on Smith's current team, High Point.
This past Saturday, Rick Pitino took his Iona Gaels to Saint Louis to face the Billikens — coached by Pitino's former UK point guard, Travis Ford.
Hastily scheduled as a "COVID-19 replacement contest," the Gaels and Billikens turned out to be a terrific game. It was won by the pupil over the mentor when Fred Thatch scored on a putback with 9.1 seconds left to give Saint Louis a 68-67 win over Iona.
Yet it is the third ex-UK head man currently coaching in NCAA Division I who is putting together the most improbable season.
Don't look now, but Billy Gillispie has led Tarleton State to five wins in its past six games. Coming off a 77-71 overtime victory over Stephen F. Austin, Billy G's Texans are 3-1 in the Western Athletic Conference.
Billy G's uptick in fortunes is generally reflective of all the coaches with Kentucky Wildcats ties who are working as Division I men's hoops head men. As you will see below, 2021-22 has so far been rather kind to ex-Cats toiling as coaches.
Ex-UK head men
RICK PITINO
Team: Iona.
Record: The Gaels stand 11-3, 3-0 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
NCAA NET ranking: No. 54.
Shining moment: Iona upset then-No. 10 Alabama 72-68 on Nov. 25.
Feeling the pain: Followed up the stunner over Alabama by falling 72-65 to Belmont the next day.
Up next: Pitino faces another coaching matchup vs. a former UK player when Iona plays on Friday against Manhattan, led by ex-Kentucky guard Steve Masiello.
Kentucky days: Coached the Wildcats to a 219-50 record from 1989-1997 that included the 1996 NCAA title and three Final Four trips (1993, 1996, 1997).
BILLY GILLISPIE
Team: Tarleton State.
Record: The Texans are 8-9, 3-1 in the WAC.
NCAA NET ranking: No. 165.
Shining moment: On the road at Gonzaga, led the then-No. 3 Zags 49-47 with 5:34 left in game before falling 64-55.
Feeling the pain: The one WAC loss was a blowout, a 77-55 defeat at Utah Valley on New Year's Day.
Up next: Will face traditional WAC kingpin New Mexico State on the road Thursday.
Kentucky days: Coached the Wildcats to a 40-27 record from 2007-2009 that included a trip to the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
TUBBY SMITH
Team: High Point.
Record: The Panthers are 6-8, 0-0 in the Big South Conference.
NCAA NET ranking: No. 286.
Shining moment: In road games at Notre Dame (Nov. 16) and Michigan State (Dec. 29), High Point led by one point at halftime in both before falling to the Fighting Irish (70-61) and Spartans (81-68).
Feeling the pain: Close losses to Furman (by four points), South Carolina State (one) and North Carolina-Wilmington (two) cost High Point a winning non-league record.
Up next: Slated to open Big South play Wednesday at South Carolina Upstate.
Kentucky days: Coached the Wildcats to a 263-83 record from 1997-2007 that included the 1998 NCAA title.
Ex-UK players
MARK POPE
Team: BYU.
Record: 14-3, 2-0 West Coast Conference.
NCAA NET ranking: No. 30.
Shining moment: Pummeled then-No. 12 Oregon 81-49 on Nov. 16 in Portland.
Feeling the pain: Cougars were upset by Pope's former team, Utah Valley, 72-65 in overtime on Nov. 27.
Up next: BYU travels to Spokane to face No. 2 Gonzaga on Thursday.
Kentucky days: Averaged 7.9 points and 5.7 rebounds in two seasons (1994-96) at UK after transferring from Washington.
TRAVIS FORD
Team: Saint Louis.
Record: 10-4, 1-0 Atlantic 10.
NCAA NET ranking: No. 65.
Shining moment: The Billikens' victory over Iona was not the first for Ford over Pitino. As Massachusetts head man, Ford defeated Pitino's Louisville Cardinals 72-68 in Freedom Hall on Dec. 13, 2006.
Feeling the pain: Lost back-to-back home games to UAB (77-72 on Dec. 4) and Belmont (64-59 on Dec. 7).
Up next: Saint Louis has a crucial A-10 road game at Dayton Tuesday night.
Kentucky days: Averaged 9.5 points and 4.3 assists in three seasons, 1991-94, at UK after transferring from Missouri.
STEVE MASIELLO
Team: Manhattan.
Record: 8-3, 1-1 Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference.
NCAA NET ranking: No. 235.
Shining moment: Whipped ASUN Conference-favorite Liberty 76-60 on Nov. 20.
Feeling the pain: Rocked in MAAC road contest by Quinnipiac, 90-73, on Dec. 5.
Up next: Play Rick Pitino and Iona on Friday.
Kentucky days: Scored 42 career points in four seasons (1996-2000) as a UK walk-on.
SEAN WOODS
Team: Southern.
Record: 8-7, 3-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference.
NCAA NET ranking: No. 200.
Shining moment: Defeated intrastate foe Tulane of the American Athletic Conference 73-70 on Nov. 13.
Feeling the pain: Lost at Louisville (Nov. 9) and at Kentucky (Dec. 7) by 12 points each.
Up next: Play at Bethune-Cookman in a SWAC contest Monday night.
Kentucky days: Averaged 8.7 points and 5.3 assists in three varsity seasons (1989-1992).
JOHN PELPHREY
Team: Tennessee Tech.
Record: 3-10, 0-0 Ohio Valley Conference.
NCAA NET ranking: No. 257.
Shining moment: Led then-No. 15 Tennessee 35-34 at the half before falling 80-69 in Knoxville on Nov. 26.
Feeling the pain: Of the Golden Eagles' 10 losses, seven have been by single-digit margins.
Up next: Tech opens OVC play at Southeast Missouri on Thursday night.
Kentucky days: Averaged 11.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists in four seasons (1988-1992).
