John Pelphrey is back in Lexington, this time as part of Mark Pope’s Kentucky staff.
Kentucky has hired Pelphrey as its director of player development, bringing the former Wildcat and Paintsville native back into the program where he played from 1987-92. He will officially begin Friday, the same day basketball season unofficially gets rolling with Big Blue Madness at Rupp Arena.
The move is separate from the assistant coach opening Kentucky posted this week.
Pelphrey most recently worked as head coach at Tennessee Tech, where he went 79-138 from 2019 to 2026. He brought the Golden Eagles to Lexington for a regular-season game in 2025, and that trip turned into a reunion of sorts when his former “Unforgettable” teammates Deron Feldhaus, Richie Farmer and Sean Woods were also in attendance. Kentucky rolled to a 104-54 win behind 16 points each from Trent Noah and Otega Oweh, while Malachi Moreno posted 13 points and 11 rebounds.
After the game, Pelphrey joined Pope on his postgame radio show with Feldhaus, Farmer and Woods, and he reflected on what Kentucky meant to him and the players from that era.
“The thing that makes this place special is you. When we first got here, it was great.
The Roman Empire fell, and the enemies were at the gate wanting to come in, and they thought they were going to get us, talking about how they were going to beat us twice and sweep Kentucky. ‘This is the time to do it.’
It didn’t happen,” Pelphrey said. “Yes, we had C.M.
Newton. Yes, we had Rick Pitino.
Thank goodness Jamal Mashburn showed up, but you people showed up for three straight years early, loud and continuous. It was amazing.
“For us, that’s why it’s kinda in here (our hearts) and goes a little bit deeper. There’s not another place - this is our school, that is our jersey, those are our colors and you are our fans. We love you.”
Pelphrey’s Kentucky career was a productive one. In 114 games, he scored 1,257 points and added 469 rebounds, 327 assists, 173 steals and 51 blocks.
Now he’s back in blue and white, helping Pope’s staff from the support side of the bench.
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Trent Noah Faces A Make Or Break Stretch At Kentucky
Trent Noahs freshman year in Lexington offered a glimpse of what Kentucky hoped it was getting, especially with that memorable showing against Arkansas, but the rest of the season made clear how quickly the margins tighten for a perimeter player. His shot from deep never really settled in after that, and the offseason brought another obstacle in the form of hamstring injuries, even as he continued to show the kind of eagerness to improve that keeps him in the conversation heading into the new season.
Now Noah enters a stretch that could say a lot about where he fits in Kentuckys rotation. The Wildcats roster additions should create better spacing and cleaner looks, which matters for a shooter trying to rediscover his rhythm, and Noahs own push to contribute more gives this fall a little extra weight. If he can take advantage of the room around him, he has a real chance to turn last years promise into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Big Blue Madness Gives Kentucky A Huge Chance With Elite Visitor
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CJ Rosser, one of the top names in the 2027 cycle, made the trip to Lexington for the festivities, giving Mark Pope and Kenny Brooks a chance to showcase Kentucky in front of a prospect who has already seen several other major programs. He has been around the recruiting block with visits to Arkansas, Miami, NC State and North Carolina, which makes this stop in Lexington especially important for a staff looking to make an early impression in a cycle that already has plenty of momentum. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Fans May Not All Agree With Will Stein On This
Will Stein used his weekly radio show to make a familiar argument in modern college football circles: the game is drifting closer to the NFL, so the rules should probably follow suit. The Kentucky offensive coordinator pointed out that college football already operates as a developmental pipeline for the league, and he suggested the sport should align more closely with the pro game when it comes to how teams play and how the field is set up.
Stein also focused on kickoffs, a spot where the college game has changed dramatically in recent years. He said he would like to see more returns, but added that the current version of the play has become less exciting and remains too dangerous, a view that is sure to draw agreement from some fans and pushback from others who prefer college football to keep its own identity. [Read more 🡒]