Special to The Leader
Billy Donovan wields unique perspectives on Arkansas’ current basketball coach and its most recent basketball coach.
New Arkansas coach Mike Anderson and now longtime Florida coach Donovan were rival assistants in the 1990s for the SEC’s two most innovative coaches.
Arkansas’ SEC arrival from the Southwest Conference under Nolan Richardson in 1992 galvanized the SEC and its style that had been transforming in 1989 under new Kentucky coach Rick Pitino and his young assistant, Billy Donovan.
Donovan had played for Pitino at Providence like Anderson had played for Richardson at Tulsa.
Both had much to compare with their uptempo styles that won Richardson’s Razorbacks a national championship in 1994 and Pitino’s Wildcats a national championship in 1996.
Arkansas vs. Kentucky was the SEC’s hottest basketball ticket in the 1990s. That was unique being so fiercely contested on the court yet with mutual respect of the coaching staffs and even the fans.
So Donovan had plenty to say during Monday’s annual SEC Media Summer Teleconference when asked about former 17-year assistant Anderson heading the Hogs after nine years head coaching Alabama-Birmingham and Missouri.
“I have had a great relationship with Mike for a long time,” Donovan said. “We were both assistants in the league. He was at Arkansas and I was at Kentucky at the time. There were some great battles when Arkansas first came into the SEC. I have great respect for Mike as a coach and as a person. He and I over the last 15 or 20 years have developed a very good relationship.”
Donovan predicted good things for Anderson and Arkansas.
“Certainly coming back home so to speak where he was there for a long time, he will do a great job,” Donovan said. “I’m sure the fan base is very excited about him being there. He did a terrific job at Missouri and I think he will do a terrific job at Arkansas.”
Ironically, Donovan had been critical of Arkansas firing John Pelphrey last March after just four years head coaching.
Pelphrey, a Kentucky player when Donovan assisted Pitino, and a rookie assistant for rookie head coach Donovan at Marshall, assisted Donovan at Florida before becoming the head coach at South Alabama and then at Arkansas. Now Pelphrey assists Donovan at Florida again.
“John has been doing great,” Donovan said. “He finally got moved in with his family last week. I think when you have as many coaches as I had leave in one year, one of the things I was looking for was a level of consistency in people knowing me and knowing Florida. John knows it as well as anybody. Also I think being a head coach at South Alabama and Arkansas he can bring some different things to the table for us. John is a great guy and I think he is a terrific coach. Having him back here with me is only going to help us.”
At the recent Arkansas High School Coaches Association Clinic, Anderson recalled a prophetic conversation with crusty veteran coach Norm Stewart when Stewart still coached Missouri and Anderson assisted Richardson.
It was after Arkansas’ dedication game opening Walton Arena and the eventual national champion Razorbacks winning by a surreal 120-68.
“It was a buzz saw,” Anderson said. “One of those nights we played well and we could not miss. I’ll never forget. I am walking with Coach Richardson and he and Norm Stewart meet. Norm Stewart looked coach right in the eye and said, ‘Either you guys are *&%@#&@ good or we ain’t worth a #*%@.’ True story. Norm Stewart must have known he was headed for better things because his team went undefeated in the Big Eight.”
Stewart and Anderson be-came good friends during Anderson’s five Missouri years.
No doubt their friendship was helped by the relationship Richardson and Stewart established from their annual early-season nonconference game.
“Coach Stewart was great to me,” Anderson said. “I always liked his teams. They were tough and hard-nosed defensively when we played them here at Arkansas. He did a great job at Missouri and is a legend there. He was the face of Missouri basketball. He was great to me and very complimentary of what we did.”
Both Richardson and Stewart barked on the court but are all heart off the court, Anderson said.
“He and Coach Richardson were both competitors and both givers,” Anderson said. “Coach Stewart started the Coaches Against Cancer. And course Coach Richardson with all the charity work he has done, they are both great coaches and great people.”
New Arkansas coach Mike Anderson and now longtime Florida coach Donovan were rival assistants in the 1990s for the SEC’s two most innovative coaches.
Arkansas’ SEC arrival from the Southwest Conference under Nolan Richardson in 1992 galvanized the SEC and its style that had been transforming in 1989 under new Kentucky coach Rick Pitino and his young assistant, Billy Donovan.
Donovan had played for Pitino at Providence like Anderson had played for Richardson at Tulsa.
Both had much to compare with their uptempo styles that won Richardson’s Razorbacks a national championship in 1994 and Pitino’s Wildcats a national championship in 1996.
Arkansas vs. Kentucky was the SEC’s hottest basketball ticket in the 1990s. That was unique being so fiercely contested on the court yet with mutual respect of the coaching staffs and even the fans.
So Donovan had plenty to say during Monday’s annual SEC Media Summer Teleconference when asked about former 17-year assistant Anderson heading the Hogs after nine years head coaching Alabama-Birmingham and Missouri.
“I have had a great relationship with Mike for a long time,” Donovan said. “We were both assistants in the league. He was at Arkansas and I was at Kentucky at the time. There were some great battles when Arkansas first came into the SEC. I have great respect for Mike as a coach and as a person. He and I over the last 15 or 20 years have developed a very good relationship.”
Donovan predicted good things for Anderson and Arkansas.
“Certainly coming back home so to speak where he was there for a long time, he will do a great job,” Donovan said. “I’m sure the fan base is very excited about him being there. He did a terrific job at Missouri and I think he will do a terrific job at Arkansas.”
Ironically, Donovan had been critical of Arkansas firing John Pelphrey last March after just four years head coaching.
Pelphrey, a Kentucky player when Donovan assisted Pitino, and a rookie assistant for rookie head coach Donovan at Marshall, assisted Donovan at Florida before becoming the head coach at South Alabama and then at Arkansas. Now Pelphrey assists Donovan at Florida again.
“John has been doing great,” Donovan said. “He finally got moved in with his family last week. I think when you have as many coaches as I had leave in one year, one of the things I was looking for was a level of consistency in people knowing me and knowing Florida. John knows it as well as anybody. Also I think being a head coach at South Alabama and Arkansas he can bring some different things to the table for us. John is a great guy and I think he is a terrific coach. Having him back here with me is only going to help us.”
At the recent Arkansas High School Coaches Association Clinic, Anderson recalled a prophetic conversation with crusty veteran coach Norm Stewart when Stewart still coached Missouri and Anderson assisted Richardson.
It was after Arkansas’ dedication game opening Walton Arena and the eventual national champion Razorbacks winning by a surreal 120-68.
“It was a buzz saw,” Anderson said. “One of those nights we played well and we could not miss. I’ll never forget. I am walking with Coach Richardson and he and Norm Stewart meet. Norm Stewart looked coach right in the eye and said, ‘Either you guys are *&%@#&@ good or we ain’t worth a #*%@.’ True story. Norm Stewart must have known he was headed for better things because his team went undefeated in the Big Eight.”
Stewart and Anderson be-came good friends during Anderson’s five Missouri years.
No doubt their friendship was helped by the relationship Richardson and Stewart established from their annual early-season nonconference game.
“Coach Stewart was great to me,” Anderson said. “I always liked his teams. They were tough and hard-nosed defensively when we played them here at Arkansas. He did a great job at Missouri and is a legend there. He was the face of Missouri basketball. He was great to me and very complimentary of what we did.”
Both Richardson and Stewart barked on the court but are all heart off the court, Anderson said.
“He and Coach Richardson were both competitors and both givers,” Anderson said. “Coach Stewart started the Coaches Against Cancer. And course Coach Richardson with all the charity work he has done, they are both great coaches and great people.”
