9 Kentucky basketball coaching candidates, ranked by likelihood after John Calipari’s exit

There may be no bigger or more important job in men’s college basketball than that of a college head coach. kentucky wildcats. Sunday night, the show suddenly got wider when John Calipari showed up. I decided to add a bolt. to their conference rival, the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Hiring Calipari is a home run for Arkansas. The timing of the divorce also worked out well for Kentucky. Calipari lost his fan base after losing to No. 15 St. Peter’s and No. 14 seed Oakland in two of the last three NCAA tournaments. Calipari hasn’t led the program to the Final Four since 2015, hasn’t won a national title since 2012 and hasn’t advanced to the second weekend since 2019. Like Kentucky, even though they had consistent success in the regular season, it wasn’t good enough to be a place with standards.

Replacing Calipari won’t be easy, but it’s also a great opportunity for the right coach. There are only a few names that carry the weight of this job. Here are nine candidates ranked in order of likelihood of actually landing in Lexington as the Wildcats’ next head coach.

9. Jay Wright

Wright spent a lifetime making it. villanova After leading the program to two national championships, he still chose to retire, in part because he didn’t want to get involved with the NIL or the transfer portal. He can absolutely still coach at age 62, but with nothing left to prove, he has a comfy TV show to binge on. He will hang up immediately.

8. Danny Hurley

This is the best-case scenario for Kentucky, but it’s not happening. Hurley spent his entire career on the East Coast, university university rolling. Kentucky has a decision to make, and Hurley will likely get a good salary for it, but the Huskies should be able to procure whatever they need to keep him in Storrs.

7. Rick Pitino

Pitino led Kentucky to the 1996 national championship and helped St. John’s rebuild in his first season this year, proving he still has what it takes. Pitino would probably be happy to take the job, but he’s 71 years old and carries a lot of baggage, so it looks like Kentucky will go in a different direction.

6. TJ Otzelberger

This seems like a good backup plan for Kentucky, but it’s not an attractive plan. Otzelberger is 46 years old and a great coach who will be in the sport for decades to come.he turned iowa They’ve built a good team this year, but they haven’t recruited at the level Kentucky wants. The $17 million deal will give Kentucky a bigger name.

5. Tommy Lloyd

Lloyd is clearly a great asset for Arizona, having led the program to a No. 1 seed and two No. 2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament since coming from Gonzaga. He hasn’t made it past the Sweet 16 yet, which isn’t good enough for the Wildcats. Kentucky knows how frustrating it is to lose to a team that shouldn’t lose in the tournament, so someone like Lloyd will jump with too much faith this time around.

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4. Bruce Pearl

Pearl has the personality to succeed at Kentucky. He reached the Final Four at Auburn in 2019 and reached the second weekend three times at Tennessee. Pearl is also 64 years old and carries a lot of baggage. While it may seem like an attractive hire for Kentucky at this point, Pearl isn’t built to last.

3. Billy Donovan

The world of college basketball when Donovan retired in 2015 was a very different landscape than the sport is today. Donovan, 58, has been in the NBA ever since, and despite his middling performance, appears to still be well-employed with the Chicago Bulls. After 10 years as a pro, it’s hard to imagine him wanting to play against an 18-year-old. Transfer portals and his NIL add a new dimension that brings more stress than anything else. Donovan won’t go to college as long as the NBA wants him.

2. Scott Drew

Drew was a national champion at Baylor University. He has consistently recruited NBA talent. He competes in a very difficult league every year. His calm personality will serve him well at Kentucky. At 53, he has plenty of time left as a coach. This feels like the right hire for the Wildcats, and it’s also relatively affordable at just $4.5 million. Drew should be seriously considered and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he gets the job.

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1. Nate Oates

About 10 years ago, Oates was teaching algebra at a high school in suburban Detroit. This season, he led the University of Alabama to the Final Four for the first time in program history. His analytical approach to the game will lead you to success anywhere. He’s already proven he can recruit and develop NBA talent. It’s hard not to be impressed by Oates’ story and the work he accomplished. At 49 years old, he could be at Kentucky for a long time. His $18 million buyout is an issue, but the Wildcats could raise the money. Oats feels like the best of the realistic targets and would be Kentucky’s closest match for a home run.