Tennessee Tech fires coach John Pelphrey as it prepares for move to Southern Conference

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Tech has fired John Pelphrey after his seventh straight losing season ended with the Golden Eagles failing to qualify for the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

Pelphrey, 55, posted a 79-138 record that included a 13-18 mark this season. Tennessee Tech’s season ended Saturday with an 89-73 loss to Southeast Missouri State.

Tennessee Tech tied for eighth place in the Ohio Valley Conference but lost a tiebreaker with Eastern Illinois for the league’s final tournament spot.

“We thank John for his service and commitment to our men’s basketball program,” athletic director Casey Fox said Tuesday in a statement announcing the move. “We felt it was the right time for a leadership change and a refocus for the men’s basketball program. We wish John and his family the best moving forward.”

Tennessee Tech was the third head coaching stop for Pelphrey, who owns an overall record of 228-264 in 16 seasons. He posted an 80-67 record at South Alabama from 2002-07 and went 69-59 at Arkansas from 2007-11 before his seven-year run at Tennessee Tech.

Pelphrey reached the NCAA Tournament with South Alabama in 2006 and with Arkansas in 2008.

He was an associate head coach at Florida from 2011-15 and at Alabama from 2016-19 before Tennessee Tech hired him. He also had been an assistant at Florida from 1996-2002.

Fox said Tennessee Tech will be working with CSA Search & Consulting as the Golden Eagles select their next coach. This search is taking place as Tennessee Tech prepares to move from the Ohio Valley to the Southern Conference next season.

Tennessee Tech hasn’t posted a winning record since going 19-14 under Steve Payne in 2017-18.

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