Rigot to leave In the end, the bait was too much for Hawaii assistant basketball coach Scott Rigot to resist.
Hawaii for Kentucky
The UH assistant basketball
coach will take a similar
job with the WildcatsBy Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.comRigot announced today that he has accepted the position of assistant basketball coach at Kentucky.
Rigot interviewed for the position in mid-June and was one of three finalists for the job. Former Kentucky assistant Mike Sutton took the job at Tennessee Tech in April.
Rigot will be reunited with Tubby Smith, whom he coached with at South Carolina. Rigot began his career with the Gamecocks when he was studying for his master's degree. He and Smith were assistants on the South Carolina staff from 1986-89.
Rigot came to Hawaii in 1999 after serving as an assistant coach from 1996-99 at University of Alabama at Birmingham. Hawaii coach Riley Wallace, who is on the mainland recruiting, said that Rigot will be missed. But the move will be good for Rigot given Kentucky's success and tradition. He was an effective recruiter and practice coach for the Rainbows.
"More than anything, you lose a really nice person," Wallace said.
"He's a good family man. His family really fit in well with our people. So you miss him first of all as a person.
"Secondly, he did a good job working with our players on the court and with recruiting. As have all my coaches, he had a job and he did it very well. He'll be difficult to replace but I'm sure we will."
Wallace has had to do it before. Turnover is high in the position and Wallace had to fill the spot before when former assistants Jeff Law (head coach at UH-Hilo) and Jamie Dixon (assistant at Pitt) left.
Wallace said there has been several inquiries about the job
"I've got tons of calls on it," Wallace said.
"I will lineup some interviews with people after the university advertises the job."
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