Clearly a big enough topic to have a thread of its own. Nate Oats at Alabama and Scott Drew at Baylor appear to be staying put having put out statements they are very happy in Tuscaloosa and Waco respectively.

Dan Hurley seems happy to stay at UConn as well so who is the next option that Mitch Barnhart will reach out too?

Brad Stevens, Billy Donovan, Mark Pope, Rick Pitino, TJ Otzelberger?

How far down the list do Kentucky have to go until we get to Kenny Payne?

IMO, next tier: Pearl, Sampson, Underwood and, gulp, Pitino.

I think they should just hire Mark Pope at this point. At least he's an alum from a national championship winning team.

(04-11-2024 02:39 PM)schmolik Wrote:  I think they should just hire Mark Pope at this point. At least he's an alum from a national championship winning team.

I tend to agree, schmolik. Would be a very solid hire.

Jeff Van Gundy ?

Can they outspend Tarleton for Billy Clyde?

(04-11-2024 02:57 PM)esayem Wrote:  Can they outspend Tarleton for Billy Clyde?

Magic 8 ball says: Reply hazy, try again.

Just read this from a 2020 article that was linked in another thread:

1. Kentucky

Record since 1938-39: 1,984-540 | Regular-season titles: 47
NCAA Tournaments: 59 | Final Fours: 17
Weeks ranked: 918 | Top-60 NBA picks: 100
POINTS: 1,931.8

Kentucky is blowing away this field with 1,931.8 points. The difference, really, is the SEC championships and the NBA talent John Calipari has recruited to the Bluegrass State for the past decade. It's astounding. Kentucky is unequivocally the most successful and consistent program in college basketball in the past 10 years, the past 20, 30, 40, 60 and even 80 years. UK's 131 NCAA Tournament wins: most ever. Its 2,320 wins in history: most ever. How about this: it has made 21 Elite Eights NOT including the years it also went to the Final Four, which adds another nine to that pile. By far the most ever. Kentucky's 102 top-60 NBA picks since 1946: most ever. It's been ranked for 919 weeks, tops in college basketball history. The 59 NCAA Tournament bids outpaces No. 2 North Carolina by NINE. Its domination of the SEC is silly; those 47 regular-season titles, in addition to 17 Final Fours, catapulted Kentucky past the competition

It's amazing what 4 years can do. I can't wait to see Alabama go through similar hurt in their post-Saban dog years.

UConn and Baylor are places where a natty has been won and their coaches are comfortable. Alabama certainly offers that as well.

Kentucky’s last coach came outside the power structure. Prior to that, you had Billy Clyde and Tubby Smith—who was at Georgia and putting pretty basic power level teams on the court (a single S16). Same with Billy Clyde. I can’t recall, but neither seem like option #1. Feel free to correct me.

It seems UK is of the mindset they get whomever they want, when 2/3 of their last hires don’t really paint that picture.

I could see Buzz Williams and Bruce Pearl being offered interviews. Perhaps the feller at UF, I forget his name. Pope would be a courtesy interview. Brownell might not be splashy enough, but he’d run a great program. Otzelberger might be good.

I’d love to see Will Wade get a strong arse offer.. haha I know it’s cliche at this point

(04-11-2024 02:39 PM)schmolik Wrote:  I think they should just hire Mark Pope at this point. At least he's an alum from a national championship winning team.

We can only hope they do that.

Rick Pitino says he would be very interested in the Kentucky job.

(04-11-2024 02:39 PM)schmolik Wrote:  I think they should just hire Mark Pope at this point. At least he's an alum from a national championship winning team.

That's exactly what they're doing.

Do UK fans "Greg Schiano" this potential hire?

It’s Mark Pope

(04-11-2024 08:48 PM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  Do UK fans "Greg Schiano" this potential hire?

The guy makes his teams better everywhere he goes, and he was a team captain on a Kentucky National Championship team. What do you think?

(04-11-2024 08:48 PM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  Do UK fans "Greg Schiano" this potential hire?

I don't think UK has a national Clay Travis type.

(04-11-2024 09:05 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  It’s Mark Pope

https://247sports.com/college/byu/articl...230306190/

REPORTS: Mark Pope set to leave BYU for Kentucky
Matt Norlander
@MattNorlander
Breaking news: Kentucky has lined up BYU's Mark Pope to be its next coach, sources tell
@CBSSports
Nothing is signed at this hour but the sides are quickly working toward a deal and hope to get it done by the end of the night.
6:33 PM · Apr 11, 2024

Mark Pope may end up being a fantastic hire but this is definitely a bit of an ego blow to Kentucky fans

I think I saw that BYU has finished ahead of Kentucky in Ken Pom in 4 of the last 5 years.

(04-11-2024 10:07 PM)WhoseHouse? Wrote:  Mark Pope may end up being a fantastic hire but this is definitely a bit of an ego blow to Kentucky fans

Yes and yes

Three out of the last four Kentucky coaches have been second or third choices with not much in their trophy case