Wednesday, October 11, 2000
Felton leaves UK for job with Pacers
Move reunites him with Walsh
The Associated Press
LEXINGTON — Kentucky associate head coach George Felton resigned on Tuesday to become a scout for the Indiana Pacers, the school announced.
Felton, 47, was promoted from associate coach in August. He had been with the team since 1997.
Felton said UK basketball was “the finest program in the country.” He added that scouting for an NBA team is a “lifelong goal.”
“I am excited about my new challenge and look forward to a new career,” Felton said.
Pacers president Donnie Walsh was an assistant coach at South Carolina when Felton was a player there in the 1970s. Felton coached the Gamecocks from 1987-1991, compiling an 87-62 record.
Kentucky coach Tubby Smith thanked Felton for his contributions to Kentucky's success. Smith called the Wildcats' 1998 NCAA championship he and Felton's “greatest moment.
“He'll be sorely missed because he's done such an outstanding job, not just in recruiting, but in all aspects of coaching,” Smith said.
Smith gave no timetable for hiring a new associate head coach.
HOOSIER HUBBUB: A quirk in the Big Ten basketball schedule means longtime rivals Indiana and Purdue might play each other only once in the 2002 and 2003 seasons. It would be the first time that's happened since 1974.
The Big Ten reduced its schedule from 18 conference games to 16 games three years ago to accommodate a postseason tournament. That means each team in the 11-team conference plays four league teams only once, with the four opponents rotated every two years.
For Purdue and Indiana, the single-meeting years start with the 2001-02 season. The two schools' athletic directors already are trying to arrange a non-conference meeting in those two years.
IRISH HOPEFUL: Notre Dame is starting the season with its third coach in three years. The team has yet to have an official practice. And on top that, the Irish haven't made an appearance in the NCAA tournament since 1990.
But that isn't stopping the Fighting Irish from thinking ahead to March, 2001.
“A basketball season is a marathon, not a sprint,” said Irish head coach Mike Brey at a news conference Tuesday. “Our goal is to have fresh legs, fresh minds and fresh everything to use in March. We've talked so much about the NCAA tournament. That's something that's dominated discussion since July 14.”
Brey, who spent the last five seasons as head coach at Delaware, was named Irish coach on July 14, three days after Matt Doherty accepted the vacancy at North Carolina.
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Felton leaves UK for job with Pacers
