Dothan native Jim Farmer sat in the stands of Coleman Coliseum on Saturday to show his support for his friend and former teammate, Alabama basketball coach Mark Gottfried.

“Well, I had been hearing a lot of little things,” Farmer said. “I went down there Saturday for the game and sat with Mark’s dad.

“I wanted to be there for him.”

Farmer said he briefly spoke with Gottfried before and after Saturday’s loss to Kentucky. Like others, Farmer knew his friend was on the hot seat as the school’s coach.

“We talked, but didn’t go into any discussions about what was going on,” Farmer said. “When you start hearing rumors, you don’t really know what the truth is.”

Little did Farmer believe he would be watching Gottfried’s final game as head coach.

“It hurts me to see him gone,” Farmer said of Gottfried’s resignation on Monday. “He’s a great friend. It didn’t shock me, but I’m disappointed for Mark and his family.

“He was not only a great player for Alabama, but his family has been ingrained in Tuscaloosa.”

Farmer and Gottfried were teammates at Alabama (1985-87) on some of the school’s most successful teams, and have remained close over the years. They once shared an apartment in Los Angeles when Gottfried was an assistant at UCLA.

Farmer said he left a message on Gottfried’s phone soon after hearing the news of the resignation Monday afternoon.

“I called and left a message saying, ‘I’m here for you whenever you want to talk.’’’ Farmer said.

Farmer, a Houston Academy product who spent five seasons in the NBA and now resides in Nashville, will continue to be supportive of the program.

“Well, if Mark can’t coach, I want to get the best candidate,” Farmer said. “We’ve done a great job in getting (Nick) Saban for football.”

For the time being, assistant Philip Pearson will be the interim head coach. Farmer believes he should be given consideration for the head coaching post.

“I’m a good friend with Philip and I think he’s a great coach,” Farmer said. “I don’t know if Alabama will consider him or not, but I would like to see that.”