UH men's basketball loses assistant coach
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Calling it the toughest decision of his life, Scott Rigot resigned as an assistant coach for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team yesterday to accept a similar position with the storied Kentucky men's basketball program.
With tears in his eyes, Rigot said: "It's difficult because me and my family fell in love with this place. Financially, it's a good move; personally, I had a very hard time deciding."
Scott Rigot is leaving UH to accept a coaching position with the University of Kentucky.
Rigot will earn approximately $115,000 at Kentucky. He was making around $70,000 at UH.
Rigot was hired by Kentucky head coach Tubby Smith. Rigot and Smith were assistant coaches at South Carolina from 1986-89.
"Tubby Smith is the primary factor," said Rigot, 39. "He's a great friend, and it's also a chance to coach at one of the great basketball schools in the nation."
Rigot will leave for Lexington, Ky., on Friday, and could begin working for the Wildcats as soon as next week.
Rigot has been an assistant coach at UH since 1999. He recruited several foreign players to Hawai'i, including current starters Carl English, Phil Martin and Haim Shimonovich. He was also responsible for designing plays in UH's flex-motion offense.
"It's a move he felt like he had to make because he wants to become a head coach someday," UH head coach Riley Wallace said. "We'll have to find somebody who can recruit and work with the offense like he did."
Wallace said a search for a new assistant coach to replace Rigot will begin today.
"I've already received calls from people who heard that Scott was leaving," said Wallace, who is currently on vacation in Louisiana. "We'll open up a search both locally and nationally. I'd like to have somebody in place by the end of the month."
