John Pelphrey knows Florida.
One of three new Gators basketball assistant coaches, Pelphrey is actually a former UF assistant making a return to Gainesville after a nine-year absence.
A heralded recruiter, Pelphrey brought Mike Miller to UF and was an assistant during the Gators’ Final Four run of 2000 — a time he called “magical.” Pelphrey’s two children were born in Gainesville, and he helped coach Billy Donovan lay the foundation for the program’s current run of success.
During his introductory press conference Tuesday, Pelphrey repeatedly emphasized that Gainesville is a special place and returning to Florida was a unique situation.
“(UF) is the only place I’d be doing this,” Pelphrey said, specifically referencing coaching as an assistant.
“I think because it’s (Donovan), because all my kids were born here, this is a safe place. I don’t see myself having taken this opportunity anywhere else.”
Pelphrey was a head coach at South Alabama and Arkansas after leaving Florida in 2002.
But Pelphrey was fired as coach of the Razorbacks in March. And shortly after, Larry Shyatt left Florida for Wyoming, Richard Pitino bolted to Louisville and Rob Lanier returned to Texas, opening the door for Pelphrey and Donovan to reunite.
“Everything changed and really the first person I hired was John,” Donovan said. “I felt like I really needed somebody that knew me, that knew Florida, that knew the way to do things.”
The 42-year-old is one of three new coaches on UF’s staff, joining Norm Roberts, former St. John’s head coach, and Matt McCall, former FAU assistant coach.
Familiarity is one of the big reasons Pelphrey is back on UF’s staff. He played at Kentucky from 1989-92 when Donovan was an assistant and was a part of Donovan’s staff at Marshall from 1994-96 before following him to Florida.
Pelphrey said he didn’t pursue head-coaching jobs after being let go because the time between his firing and Donovan’s offer was so soon.
Returning to an assistant’s role can be a challenge, but Pelphrey said he’s focused solely on playing his role on the staff and being the best he can be for Donovan and the players.
“Some of that other stuff, I’m not going to look at that or focus on those things because that’s going to take me away from doing what I need to do,” Pelphrey said. “This opportunity is certainly a wonderful opportunity. It’s a blessing and it needs to be treated that way.”
While neither Donovan nor Pelphrey envisioned a future reunion, Pelphrey said he knows it’s the right decision. And seeing all the familiar faces in his return to Gainesville has made the transition easier, Pelphrey said.
“If you know more than five people in a place, you probably have a pretty good feel for it,” he said. “I can name off a lot more than five. Nobody seems to leave Florida, that’s how special it is.”
ETC: According to Donovan, forwards Erik Murphy and Cody Larson remain suspended indefinitely despite a report that charges against them have been reduced. Donovan said he would continue to allow the legal process to play itself out before making any decisions about their future. “Once it gets resolved and once I found out what the resolution is, then I think I can react,” Donovan said. “Until that happens, right now those guys are going to be suspended, but it’s not like there’s a whole lot going on right now to suspend them from.”
