‘I am grateful for them’: Illini assistants Antigua, Coleman leaving for UK
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Illinois head coach Brad Underwood released a statement Thursday morning on the hiring of assistants Orlando Antigua and Ron ‘Chin’ Coleman at Kentucky.
“Orlando and Chin have been instrumental in the building of this program from day one, and they deserve a lot of credit for the success that we’ve experienced,” Underwood said. “They are dear friends who I’ll miss working alongside each day, and I am grateful for the impact they’ve had on my life, which is bigger than basketball.
“All the best to Coach O and Coach Chin from the Fighting Illini.”
“I am really excited to have Orlando back,” Kentucky head coach John Calipari said in a press release. “I think everyone knows what we were able to do with Orlando as a part of our staff going to the Sweet 16 in our final season at Memphis and making three Final Fours with a national title at Kentucky in his five seasons. But aside from our team success, he brings an uplifting spirit and a work ethic that helps create relationships that are so needed in college basketball within your own team and on the recruiting trail. All of that starts within our staff, and I am excited that he wanted to be back here with us to get our program back to where we know it needs to be.”
Antigua is rejoining the program as associate coach. Coleman will be an assistant coach.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky men’s basketball coaching staff has undergone an offseason transformation with a familiar face in Orlando Antigua returning to the UK bench and another top assistant from Illinois in Ronald “Chin” Coleman coming onboard.
Antigua, a key assistant in the first five seasons of the John Calipari era at Kentucky, has rejoined the program as associate coach. Coleman is also headed to Lexington via Illinois after four seasons with the Illini and will be an assistant coach.
Contracts will be finalized pending university completion of pre-employment screenings.
New Kentucky Wildcats basketball assistant coach Ron “Chin” Coleman is already getting Big Blue Nation fired up.
Hours after he was officially announced as one of the new coaches to join John Calipari in Lexington, Coleman posted a video that should have Kentucky fans very excited for his tenure with the program.
Chin already working hard. Let’s let the good times roll! #BBN x #LaFamiliapic.twitter.com/bLvhWwnw4W Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) May 6, 2021
The standout quote from the video is Coleman promising, “many, many, many, many, many, many” more memories, special moments, championships, and good times.
Coleman comes to Kentucky after spending the last four years in Champagne under Brad Underwood, helping Illinois rise from no NCAA Tournament berths since 2013 to winning the Big Ten and earning a No. 1 seed this year.
Assistant coaches Orlando Antigua and Chin Coleman leave Illinois for roles on John Calipari s staff at Kentucky yahoo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from yahoo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.