Illinois basketball hires former Kentucky assistant Orlando Antigua as associate head coach

The Illinois Fighting Illini have plucked a former Kentucky basketball assistant and brought them to their staff. Illinois hired Orlando Antigua as their associate head coach, according to their press release on Sunday. He had previously worked for Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood in Champaign, before returning to Kentucky to work for John Calipari.

Calipari has moved on to become the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. And the Wildcats have Mark Pope as their new head basketball coach.

Antigua was named one of Yahoo! Sports’ Top 10 college basketball recruiters. In May of 2012, ESPN.com hailed him as the top assistant coach under 40 years old.

He served as an assistant for Illinois back in 2017-2021, landing such premiere talents as Andre Curbelo and former Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Kofi Cockburn. He worked mostly with the big men, developing Cockburn and Giorgi Bezhanishvili, who has the Illinois single-game scoring record as a freshman.

In his most recent stint with the Kentucky Wildcats, Antigua was responsible for recruiting sharpshooter Reed Sheppard. He was also the primary recruiter for Adou Thiero in 2022. In his return to Champaign, Antigua will be another experienced recruiter to work alongside Tim Anderson. Illinois currently has three open scholarship spots, so he’ll look to begin filling out the roster.

Sheppard showcased his talent as one of the nation’s best player this year, averaging 12.5 points, 4.1 points, and 4.5 assists per game. As a three-point shooter, he drilled 52%, of his shots, firmly cementing his place as one of the best freshman shooters in college basketball history. He figures to be a top selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Antigua has a fascinating life story in which he’s experienced many different things. He was shot near his eye at age 15, homeless at age 17, and even shaken the hand of Nelson Mandela.

During his time as a college basketball assistant, he’s spent time with Pittsburgh (2006-2008), Memphis (2008-2009), Kentucky (2009-2014), Illinois (2017-2021), and Kentucky again (2021-2024). Antigua was also the director of operations for the Pittsburgh Panthers back in 2003-2006.

As a head coach, Antigua was the leader of the South Florida Bulls from 2014-2017. And he also spent two years as the head coach of the Dominican Republic. He tallied an overall record of 23-55 as a head coach, winning just 29.5% of his games.