The Southeastern Conference will name Billy Gillispie of Kentucky and Bruce Pearl of Tennessee as its co-coaches of the year later Tuesday.
The official announcement is expected at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.
Gillispie and Pearl each received four votes in the balloting of league coaches for the award. Kevin Stallings of Vanderbilt and Rick Stansbury of Mississippi State each received two votes to complete the balloting.
Gillispie guided Kentucky to a second-place finish in the SEC Eastern Division. UK shook off injuries and a 6-7 non-conference record. The Cats were especially good in the clutch, winning 11 of 14 games decided by eight or fewer points or in overtime.
Pearl led Tennessee to its first outright SEC regular-season championship since 1967.
Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald- Leader has covered Kentucky basketball since the 1981-82 season. That time includes five coaches, five Final Fours, four athletic directors, two interim athletic directors and many memories. Before coming to Lexington, Tipton worked eight years for the Huntington (W.Va.) Herald-Dispatch. He covered Marshall’s basketball team for two seasons before coming to the Herald-Leader.
I have to say that I think that is absolutely fair. I think that what Bruce Pearl has done in Tennessee has been outstanding. He has taken a team with very little competitiveness and turned them into a force in the SEC and NCAA. Billy Gillispie has been just as outstanding. He has taken a team that many people did not see having more than a .500 winning percentage this year to a team that I don’t think anyone wants to play in the NCAA Tournament. He has figured out how to get the players and fans to believe in his system, and to turn it into a winning plan. I think there are many teams that don’t want to see Kentucky make the tournament.