First years have been pretty special for UK coaches

[FurdTurgason]

I can think of four that have been incredible.

1. Eddie Sutton, 1985-86. We went 32-4 and may have won it all if NCAA hadn't made us beat Alabama AND LSU four times.

2. Rick Pitino, 1989-90. We were only 14-14, but Pitino's Bombinos set the tone for the Pitino Era. After a 121-110 win over us in Freedom Hall, Dean Smith of UNC said he started getting scared when we were giving up twos on one end just to rush down and hit threes on the other.

3. Tubby Smith, 1997-98. We went 35-4 and finished it off with three amazing comeback wins over Duke, Arizona and Utah.

4. John Calipari, 2009-10. I believe we were 35-3. John Wall, Darcus Cousins and Co. were rock stars. Another team screwed by poor seeding in the tournament. Still should have beat WV, though.

 

[Panthur]

You should mention that Rick’s bombinos beat LSU and Chris Jackson and Shaquille O’Neal.

 

[kyboy1998_rivals34276]

Billy’s first year he even made the tournament.

 

[FurdTurgason]

You should mention that Rick’s bombinos beat LSU and Chris Jackson and Shaquille O’Neal.

And it wasn't on television. Imagine how popular that video would be.

 

[FurdTurgason]

Billy’s first year he even made the tournament.

And he won SEC coach of the year didn't he?

 

[dlh331]

I can think of four that have been incredible.

1. Eddie Sutton, 1985-86. We went 32-4 and may have won it all if NCAA hadn't made us beat Alabama AND LSU four times.

2. Rick Pitino, 1989-90. We were only 14-14, but Pitino's Bombinos set the tone for the Pitino Era. After a 121-110 win over us in Freedom Hall, Dean Smith of UNC said he started getting scared when we were giving up twos on one end just to rush down and hit threes on the other.

3. Tubby Smith, 1997-98. We went 35-4 and finished it off with three amazing comeback wins over Duke, Arizona and Utah.

4. John Calipari, 2009-10. I believe we were 35-3. John Wall, Darcus Cousins and Co. were rock stars. Another team screwed by poor seeding in the tournament. Still should have beat WV, though.

Hall won the SEC, made the Elite 8, and was SEC COY

 

[dlh331]

SEC COY
1973 Hall
1986 Sutton
1990 Pitino
1998 Smith
2008 BCG
2010 Calipari

National COY
1986 Sutton
1990 Pitino
1998 Smith
2010 Calipari

 

[FurdTurgason]

Hall won the SEC, made the Elite 8, and was SEC COY

Elite Eight? Damn. Was this like 72 or 73? Nevermind. Just saw above.

 

[DreadLox]

3. Tubby Smith, 1997-98. We went 35-4 and finished it off with three amazing comeback wins over Duke, Arizona and Utah.

Stanford. Not Arizona.

17 points down to Duke with around 15 minutes to go. What a fantastic game.

10 point deficits to Duke, Stanford, and Utah.

Ancient history.

 

[wildcat_bigd]

Crazy that BCG won any awards at UK

 

[bbnkat02]

Stanford. Not Arizona.

17 points down to Duke with around 15 minutes to go. What a fantastic game.

10 point deficits to Duke, Stanford, and Utah.

Ancient history.

And Rick Majerus saying "They might as well bury me at the finish line at Churchill Downs so [Kentucky] can run me over one more time."

He was fun. I miss him.

 

[ukcatz12]

And he won SEC coach of the year didn't he?

Shows how much the SEC has changed and improved since then. That team was 18-13 and lost to Gardner Webb, UAB, and San Diego and yet the conference was still bad enough he could get the team to 12-4 in conference and win COTY.

 

[bcox13]

Stanford. Not Arizona.

17 points down to Duke with around 15 minutes to go. What a fantastic game.

10 point deficits to Duke, Stanford, and Utah.

Ancient history.

My dad and I were at that Duke game-we went to the UCLA s16 game as well. Csts rolled in that sweet 16 game.

Some of my favorite UK memories.