Mike Pegues Explained

Mike Pegues
Position:Assistant coach
Team:Butler Bulldogs
League:Big East Conference
Height Ft:6
Height In:5
Weight Lb:240
Birth Date:13 January 1978
Birth Place:Washington, D.C., U.S.
High School:DeMatha Catholic
(Hyattsville, Maryland)
College:Delaware (1996–2000)
Draft Year:2000
Career Start:2000
Career End:2005
Career Position:Power forward
Coach Start:2005
Years1:2000
Team1:Titano San Marino
Years2:2000–2001
Team2:Connecticut Pride
Years3:2003
Team3:Canterbury Rams
Years4:2003
Team4:Otago Nuggets
Years5:2003–2004
Team5:Leicester Riders
Years6:2005
Team6:Atenas
Cyears1:2005–2006
Cteam1:Friendship Collegiate Academy
Cyears2:2006–2009
Cteam2:Bishop O'Connell HS (assistant)
Cyears3:2009–2010
Cteam3:VCU (video coordinator)
Cyears4:2010–2012
Cteam4:Delaware (assistant)
Cyears5:2012–2018
Cteam5:Xavier (assistant)
Cyears6:2018–2022
Cteam6:Louisville (assistant)
Cyears7:2022
Cteam7:Louisville (interim HC)
Cyears8:2022–present
Cteam8:Butler (assistant)
Highlights:

Mike Pegues (born January 13, 1978) is an American men's basketball coach who is currently an assistant for the Butler University men's basketball team. He previously served as an assistant and then interim head coach for the University of Louisville from 2018 to 2022. He is also known for his playing career at Delaware, where he was a three-time first-team All-America East Conference selection, as well as the league's player of the year in 1998–99.

Playing career

High school

Pegues, a 6'5", 240-lb power forward from Forestville, Maryland, played at national basketball power DeMatha Catholic High School from 1992 to 1996 and was a teammate of former Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook.[1] His head coach was Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Morgan Wootten. During his four-year high school career he compiled an overall record of 105–26, including two #1 rankings in the Washington, D.C. area.

College

After graduating from DeMatha Catholic in 1996, Pegues enrolled at the University of Delaware on a basketball scholarship to play for head coach Mike Brey (who is, coincidentally, also a DeMatha alumnus).[1] During a college career that spanned between 1996 and 2000, Pegues became the first player in school history to earn three first team all-conference selections as well as its first conference player of the year.[2] [3] He scored a still-standing Delaware record 2,030 points and guided the Fightin' Blue Hens to two NCAA Tournaments (1998, 1999) and one National Invitation Tournament (2000).[3] In both 1997–98 and 1998–99, Delaware was America East regular season and tournament champions. When he was named the America East Conference Player of the Year as a junior,[4] Pegues averaged 21.8 points per game. Although he did not repeat as player of the year as a senior, his overall career was good enough to have him enshrined in the University of Delaware Hall of Fame in 2007.[2]

Professional

Pegues did not get selected in the 2000 NBA draft but had a professional career that took him to Italy, England, Argentina, New Zealand and the Continental Basketball Association in the United States.[5]

Coaching career

A knee injury ended Pegues' playing career after several seasons, and he became a teacher at Friendship Collegiate Academy Public Charter School.[5] He also coached high school and Amateur Athletic Union basketball.[5] In 2009–10, Pegues served as the video coordinator at Virginia Commonwealth before joining the staff at Delaware in 2010–11.[5] In 2012, Pegues was hired as an assistant for coach Chris Mack at Xavier.[6]

In 2018, Mack took the head coaching job at Louisville and Pegues followed him there. Pegues served as acting head coach for the first six games of the 2021–22 season while Mack was suspended; he went 5–1 and won the Bahamas Championship.

On January 26, 2022, Pegues was named the interim head coach after Louisville and Mack mutually parted ways.[7] On March 18, 2022, Pegues tenure at Louisville came to an end upon the announcement that Kenny Payne would become the next permanent head coach for the Cardinals.[8] Following the season, Pegues was hired as an assistant for head coach Thad Matta at Butler.[9]

Head coaching record

*Pegues coached the first six games of the 2021–22 season during Chris Mack's suspension and went 5–1 (0–0 ACC). Then on January 26, 2022, he took over again as the interim head coach for the rest of the year following the permanent departure of Mack.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Catching Up with a Blue Hens Legend. Town Square Delaware. June 2, 2011. December 4, 2011.
  2. Web site: Eight athletes join UD Hall of Fame. University of Delaware. 2007. December 4, 2011.
  3. Web site: Mike Pegues Selected as Top Player in Delaware Men's Basketball History as Part of 100th Anniversary Season . University of Delaware . March 9, 2006 . December 4, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120307215209/http://www.bluehens.com/sportsinfo/mens_basketball/mbb06-alltimeteam.html . March 7, 2012 .
  4. Web site: 2011–12 America East Conference Men's Basketball Media Guide. America East Conference. 2011 . PDF. December 4, 2011.
  5. Web site: Mike Pegues named assistant basketball coach. UDReview.com. May 3, 2010. Speace . Katie. December 4, 2011.
  6. Web site: Xavier hires two assistant coaches . Cincinnati.com. May 19, 2012 . Russell . Shannon . May 19, 2012.
  7. Web site: Chris Mack out as head coach of UofL men's basketball team . WLKY. January 26, 2022 . Suckow . Alex. January 26, 2022.
  8. Web site: Louisville officially names Kenny Payne new head men's basketball coach . SBNation . March 18, 2022 . Rutherford . Mike. March 18, 2022.
  9. Web site: Thad Matta adds former Xavier assistant Mike Pegues to Butler coaching staff, per reports . Cincinnati.com. April 11, 2022 . Clark . Dave . April 12, 2022.