University of Alabama head men’s basketball coach Mark Gottfried has resigned effective immediately, UA Director of Athletics Mal Moore announced today. Crimson Tide assistant coach Philip Pearson will assume the role of interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
"My number one priority is to do what is best for the University of Alabama, this basketball program, and these young men," Gottfried said. "Mal and I sat down today and we talked. At that point, I notified him of my intention to resign as head coach of the men’s basketball program. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity and the privilege to lead our men's basketball program at Alabama for the past 10 and a half seasons. It has been a wonderful decade for me and my family, and I love the University of Alabama, but I feel that it is in the best interests of everyone involved. I want to thank our players, their families, our coaching staff and their families, and our great fans for all of their support over these last 11 seasons."
The Alabama basketball team (12-7, 2-3 SEC) dropped its first game at home in Southeastern Conference play, falling to Kentucky (16-4, 5-0 SEC) 61-51 at Coleman Coliseum Saturday afternoon. The game was back-and-forth throughout with nine lead changes, but the Wildcats gained control down the stretch by converting 12-14 free throws in the final five minutes.
Both teams struggled to find its range offensively as Alabama shot 29 percent (17-58) from the field, its lowest percentage of the season, while Kentucky made 39 percent (19-49) of its field goal attempts.
"First thing is that you have to give Kentucky a lot of credit," head coach Mark Gottfried said. "I thought defensively they did a great job. We never really seemed to get in a great flow. We were not in a good rhythm offensively. Defensively, I think we did a pretty good job most of the game. I thought in the second half, the difference was our turnovers that gave them some easy baskets."
Alabama meets its first SEC Eastern Division opponent this season when it plays host to Kentucky Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Coleman Coliseum. The cross-divisional matchup will be broadcast live across the Southeast by Raycom Sports. A limited number of tickets have been returned to the Alabama athletic ticket office and are available for purchase by calling 877-TIDETIX. Prices are $18 for adults and $8 for those 18 and younger. Quantities are limited. Both Alabama and Kentucky hit the Coleman Coliseum hardwood following wins on Wednesday evening in league play. Alabama ended a two-game league skid with a 76-73 win over Mississippi to even its league record at 2-2 and improve to 12-6 overall.
The Alabama basketball team (12-6, 2-2 SEC) defeated Mississippi (10-8, 1-3 SEC) 76-73 in hard fought contest here in Coleman Coliseum Wednesday night. The Crimson Tide recorded one of its best shooting nights of the year, knocking down 55 percent (28-51) of its field goal attempts on the night. While the Tide had a stellar night shooting the ball, the difference came on the defensive end where Alabama came up with two crucial stops in the final minute to preserve its lead. Sophomore Senario Hillman sank two clutch free throws with 2.1 seconds left to force Ole Miss to attempt a desperation half-court shot that came up short as time expired.
The Alabama basketball team returns to campus and the hospitable confines of Coleman Coliseum to face the University of Mississippi Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. The Crimson Tide aims to even its Southeastern Conference record as it returns home with a 1-2 SEC mark following back-to-back road losses at Mississippi State and Auburn. UA is certainly glad to hit the home hardwood as it has won its last six home contests, including a 65-59 win over LSU to open SEC play on January 11. Overall, the Tide is 11-6 this season and has outscored opponents by an average of 16 points in its 11 victories.