The Kentucky basketball teaching job is now formally open. After days of studies and hypothesis, John Calipari posted his formal goodbye to Huge Blue Nation on Tuesday by way of a video on social media. He did not say the place he’d be going, however Arkansas ended any questions on that on Wednesday by way of a press launch saying that it had employed the Corridor of Fame Coach. It brings a seismic shift within the SEC basketball panorama as Razorbacks add arguably the highest school basketball recruiter within the sport, whereas the Kentucky basketball teaching search is now on for the primary time since 2009. Here’s how it all went down.
Kentucky basketball has the nation’s most all-time victories, the best successful share and eight nationwide championships. It is maybe probably the most coveted job within the nation, so the Wildcats may have their decide of a number of the prime coaches in school basketball and maybe even the NBA. In the event you love the Wildcats, or simply wish to know in case your coach is the following goal, you’ll want to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at CatsPause, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Kentucky.
The group of insiders at Catspause.com are offering up-to-the-minute scoop on the newest intel surrounding the Kentucky basketball teaching search. Catspause has constructed a strong status over its 20+ years masking the Wildcats, and has deep-rooted sources inside and across the Kentucky athletic division.
CatsPause has collectively put together a list of coaches to watch because the Wildcats are within the thick of their search. And proper now, CatsPause is providing 50% off the primary 12 months of an annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up.
The group at CatsPause already has a listing out of 12 potential candidates and there are some stunning names on the record. Head to CatsPause now to see them all.
Prime Kentucky head teaching candidates
While Scott Drew is a possibility, one identify the workers has recognized as a possible candidate is BYU head coach Mark Pope. He checks a number of bins as a championship-winning participant at Kentucky, a former assistant coach within the SEC (Georgia, 2009-10) and now a power-conference head coach within the Huge 12. He is led the Cougars to 2 NCAA Match appearances and has had them ranked No. 15 or increased in some unspecified time in the future in three totally different seasons.
Pope’s downsides embrace that he is by no means received a sport within the NCAA Match and he isn’t often called an elite recruiter. Although he performed at Kentucky and had assistant teaching stints at Georgia and Wake Forest, the Nebraska native has performed all of his current teaching out West. He had a stint at BYU as an assistant from 2011-15 earlier than serving as the pinnacle coach at Utah Valley after which coming again to BYU as the pinnacle coach in 2019. There could be a transparent adjustment in returning to a new-look SEC that may characteristic high-profile coaches reminiscent of Nate Oats, Rick Barnes, Bruce Pearl and Calipari.
One other identify on the record is Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan. Each group within the nation is chasing UConn proper now after the Huskies simply received their second consecutive nationwide title. The final coach to perform that feat was Donovan with the Florida Gators again in 2006 and 2007, so maybe he is the coach Kentucky would faucet to get the Wildcats again to the highest.
Donovan stayed at Florida till 2015, main the Gators to 5 extra NCAA Match appearances and one other journey to the Last 4 in 2014. He is been within the NBA since that time, teaching the Thunder from 2015-2020 and the Bulls since that time. Chicago has solely made it to the playoffs as soon as underneath Donovan and has hovered round .500 the previous couple years. If he took the Kentucky job, he’d be returning to a wholly totally different world in school basketball with NIL and the switch portal taking focus, however his previous success at Florida makes him one of many coaches who may draw as a lot buzz as Calipari did throughout his tenure. See more candidates at CatsPause.
The right way to get insider Kentucky teaching search updates
The remainder of the record of 10 names to know contains a number of nationwide championship winners, and a surprising identify who’s presently teaching one other SEC program. See who it is at CatsPause
Who’re the highest names within the Kentucky teaching search because the Wildcats look to interchange John Calipari, and what different SEC coach may very well be on the transfer? Go to CatsPause to see their hot board and more, all from a team of reporters with years of experience covering the Wildcats, and discover out. And reminder, CatsPause is providing 50% off the primary 12 months of an annual VIP membership* as a training search particular, so subscribe now before it’s too late.
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