Samford announced the departure of head basketball coach Bernie Seltzer on Friday and promoted former Kentucky and NBA player Scott Padgett to replace him.
Seltzer was 24-41 and had 14 players transfer from the program during his two seasons. Samford didn't say whether he was fired or resigned.
Padgett had been a Samford assistant since 2012 after stints with Manhattan College and the Wildcats.
The 37-year-old Padgett was a first-round NBA draft pick by the Utah Jazz in 1999, 28th overall. He played eight seasons with four teams.
The two-time All-Southeastern Conference forward helped the Wildcats win the 1998 national championship.
Padgett promised a pressing style of play similar to the systems he played in under Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith at Kentucky.
Walter Cornett, of Glendale, Kentucky, is the owner and operator of Walter's Wildcat World. He founded WildcatWorld.com in 1998 making it one of the oldest Kentucky basketball fan sites in operation today.