For the third consecutive year, La Familia will enter The Basketball Tournament under new leadership, with former Kentucky guard Jon Hood set to coach the Wildcats alumni team at the 2026 event.
Hood takes over from two other ex-Kentucky guards, Tyler Ulis and Sean Woods, who coached the team in its first two tournament runs. During La Familia’s debut season, Ulis led the squad to the Final Four, while Woods guided the team to the Sweet 16 in 2025.
In addition to his playing background, Hood brings collegiate coaching experience to the position. He started his coaching career at Kentucky Wesleyan College in the 2020–21 season and then joined Missouri Western State University as an assistant coach in 2021. Since arriving at Missouri Western, Hood has helped the team make two conference tournament appearances, secure wins over several ranked opponents, and produce four All-MIAA selections.
Before moving into college coaching, Hood also coached at Frederick Douglass High School in Lexington and worked at basketball camps, including those run by former Kentucky head coach John Calipari.
A native of Madisonville, Kentucky, Hood played five seasons at Kentucky and was a member of the Wildcats’ 2012 national championship team. He helped Kentucky reach three Final Fours during his college career, having arrived as part of the program’s highly ranked 2009 recruiting class that included stars like John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Eric Bledsoe.
Prior to his time at Kentucky, Hood excelled at North Hopkins High School, where he was named Kentucky Mr. Basketball and Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year in 2009.
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