It’s official. The University of Arkansas has announced the firing of Razorback men’s basketball coach John Pelphrey.
It’s a business, as any sports fan knows. The news release doesn’t mention buyout terms, but Twitter feeds say he’ll get his $1.8 million at $50,000 per month for three years, unless hired elsewhere. Athletic Director Jeff Long’s boilerplate:
After a thorough and comprehensive evaluation of our men’s basketball program, including an assessment of the overall student-athlete experience within our program, it is clear that we have not made the progress over the last four years that is necessary to return Razorback Basketball to a place of national relevance.” Long said. “As a program, our initial goals are to challenge for Southeastern Conference championships, compete in the NCAA Tournament and support our student-athletes in the pursuit of a degree. Our program’s tradition demonstrates those goals are certainly attainable at the University of Arkansas.
“I want to thank John and his staff for their hard work and dedication to the Razorback program. I am appreciative of their efforts on behalf of the University of Arkansas.”
There’s a 6 p.m. news conference; TV will go live, undoubtedly (7 for sure). Mike Anderson and Marquette’s Buzz Williams are getting mentions.