The Best (and Worst) opposing SEC coaches in UK Basketball History

As Kentucky fans know, the Southeastern Conference has never been as easy as it seems from the outside.  People may laugh at John Calipari's "everybody's Super Bowl" comments, but it's true.  Does a team like Auburn sell out games unless they're playing UK...or Alabama?  What about Georgia...it's just UK and Georgia Tech, right?  They put EVERYTHING into playing UK.  And it isn't just the fans and players.  Coaches define their legacies by their results in the Kentucky games.

Which SEC coaches have had the most (and least) success against our Cats?  Glad you asked...

MOST SUCCESSFUL:

1) RAY MEARS (TENNESSEE)

Record against UK: 15-15 (.500)

Years: 1962-1977

Faced: Adolph Rupp (8-12 vs. Rupp), Joe B. Hall (7-3 vs. Hall)

Memorable: He infuriated Rupp with everything from his hideous orange clothing to his deliberate style of play to his success, even winning four in a row against UK in the late '60s.  

2) BILLY DONOVAN (FLORIDA)

Record against UK: 17-27 (.386) at Florida, plus 0-2 at Marshall

Years: 1997-2015 at Florida

Faced: Rick Pitino (0-2 vs. Pitino), Tubby Smith (10-12 vs. Smith), Billy Gillispie (2-2 vs. Gillispie), John Calipari (5-11 vs. Calipari)

Memorable: Had a 7-game winning streak against the Wildcats from 2005 through 2008, the same timeframe during which his Gators won two national titles.  Also beat UK three times in a single season (2014), the same year Florida became the first team to go 21-0 in the SEC.  UK matched that feat in 2015.

3) DON DeVOE (TENNESSEE / FLORIDA)

Record against UK: 11-14 (.440) including 11-12 at UT, 0-2 at Florida

Years: 1979-1990

Faced: Joe B. Hall (9-6 vs. Hall), Eddie Sutton (2-6 vs. Sutton), Rick Pitino (0-2 vs. Pitino)

Memorable: Beat UK for the 1979 SEC Tournament title in Birmingham.

4) ROY SKINNER (VANDERBILT)

Record against UK: 14-18 (.438)

Years: 1959-1976

Faced: Adolph Rupp (9-15 vs. Rupp), Joe B. Hall (5-3 vs. Hall)

Memorable: One of the main reasons we now speak of "Memorial magic," as the Commodores had a "mysterious" way of pulling out victories during his era in Nashville.

5) NOLAN RICHARDSON (ARKANSAS)

Record against UK: 7-12 (.368)...but he was 6-5 during the regular season

Years: 1992-2002

Faced: Rick Pitino (4-6 vs. Pitino), Tubby Smith (3-6 vs. Smith)

Memorable: Won his first four regular season games against UK...but also lost his first six SEC tournament games against us.


HONORABLE MENTION: 
Wimp Sanderson (11-18 against UK at Alabama)
Dale Brown (18-33 against UK at LSU)
Tommy Bartlett (6-8 against UK at Florida)
Mark Gottfried (5-8 against UK at Alabama)
Kevin Stallings (12-23 against UK at Vanderbilt)
Mike Anderson (3-4 against UK at Arkansas)


And the LEAST SUCCESSFUL?

1) RED LAWSON (GEORGIA)

Record against UK: 0-15 (.000)

Years: 1952-1965

Faced: Adolph Rupp

Memorable: Six of his first seven games against UK were lost by 30+ points, including a 143-66 annihilation in 1956.

2) EMMETT LOWERY (TENNESSEE)

Record against UK: 1-25 (.038)

Years: 1948-1959

Faced: Adolph Rupp

Memorable: Lowery had the unfortunate task of facing UK during Rupp's most successful years, and was thrashed repeatedly.  His teams lost four SEC tournament games to Rupp in Louisville, with margins ranging from 15 to 39 points.

3) JAN VAN BREDA KOLFF (VANDERBILT)

Record against UK: 0-12 (.000)

Years: 1994-1999

Faced: Rick Pitino (0-8 vs. Pitino), Tubby Smith (0-4 vs. Smith)

Memorable: Gave up a combined 221 points in two blowout losses against the 1996 national champion Wildcats.

4) OLE MISS COACHES...

Bonnie Graham: 0-14 from 1950-1962

Lee Hunt: 0-9 from 1983-1986

Bob Weltlich: 1-14 from 1977-1982

Rod Barnes: 1-10 from 1999-2006

Andy Kennedy: 2-12 from 2006-present

5) AUBURN COACHES...

Jeff Lebo: 0-6 from 2005-2010

Tony Barbee: 0-5 from 2011-2014

Cliff Ellis: 1-13 from 1995-2004

Joel Eaves: 2-11 from 1951-1963


DISHONORABLE MENTION:
Floyd Burdette (0-10 against UK at Alabama)
Harry Rabenhorst (0-14 against UK at LSU)
Press Maravich (1-11 against UK at LSU)
Bob Polk (3-23 against UK at Vanderbilt)
Lon Kruger (2-13 against UK at Florida)

UK's record against each school in the SEC Tournament

(updated through 2016 tournament)

Kentucky is 127-25 in the SEC tournament, and have taken home 29 titles (the rest of the league has 27 combined).

Against each school:

Mississippi: 15-0 (100%)
Georgia Tech: 5-0 (100%)

Texas A&M: 1-0 (100%)
Auburn: 13-1 (92.9%)
Georgia: 10-1 (90.9%)
Louisiana State: 16-2 (88.9%)
Arkansas: 8-1 (88.9%)
Alabama: 14-2 (87.5%)
Tulane: 6-1 (85.7%)
Mississippi State: 8-2 (80%)
Florida: 13-4 (76.5%)
Tennessee: 11-4 (73.3%)
South Carolina: 3-2 (60%)
Vanderbilt: 4-5 (44.4%)

Some thoughts, and additional facts:

1) I hate Vanderbilt.  They're like our SEC Tournament version of UConn.  Their only two titles (1951 and 2012) were both won at our expense, and they also defeated us in 1981, 1989 and 2013.  Our victories against them were in 1940, 1947, 1992 and 2003.  Really strange that we haven't met more frequently.

2) No surprise that we dominate Ole Miss and Auburn, just as we have in the regular season.

3) It is, however, a bit surprising that UK has a combined 24-3 record against Arkansas and LSU, two teams that have been very difficult opponents in the regular season.

4) We still haven't faced Missouri.