Coach Tyler Ulis a 'huge impact' and 'big plus' for Kentucky

Tyler Ulis was an extension of the coaching staff on the floor during his playing days at Kentucky. Now he’s an actual coach on John Calipari‘s bench.

He came in last January as a student assistant, learning the ropes during the back half of the 2022-23 season. Now he’s a seasoned coaching vet, and the hire is paying off — crucial considering the guard talent the Wildcats brought in this season.

Ulis won the Bob Cousy Award for the nation’s best point guard in 2016. Now the former All-American gets to teach the likes of DJ Wagner, Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard how to play the position at a high level in Lexington. The early returns? Overwhelmingly positive.

“In terms of being a point guard, he pulls Reed to the side, Rob to the side, DJ to the side and drops a bunch of nuggets on them in terms of what he did, how he played, what they should do in this or that situation,” assistant coach Chin Coleman said Thursday. “He’s a huge addition to our staff in terms of his knowledge of the game.”

There’s a connection there between Ulis and the players, mutual respect. The student assistant has been in their shoes, and the players know how valuable that is. When he speaks, you listen because he knows what it takes to be elite.

And he knows how to get the most out of learning from John Calipari — through all of his Cal-isms.

“A huge impact. He’s a voice of influence because he played for Coach Cal,” Coleman said. “He was in the space that this whole team is in, so he can speak to those guys in terms of explaining the Cal-isms, as I like to call them. He can explain the Cal-isms in terms of, ‘This is what he really means,’ right?”

Ulis has a future in coaching if he wants it, clearly. His path to becoming a head coach is clear, and he may choose to take it. Until that day comes, though, Kentucky will certainly appreciate his time on Calipari’s bench as a student assistant.

“If he ever wanted to be a coach, he’s going to be a great coach, if that’s something he wanted to do,” Coleman said. “What I remember, when he played here, Coach Cal said he coached the team for the most part.

“He was that guy on the floor who coached the team. He’s using those skills and sharing them with our young guards. He has been a plus for us, a big plus.”