- John Calipari unexpectedly resigned from Kentucky to accept the Arkansas coaching job.
- Calipari stepped down two weeks after Kentucky’s athletic director Mitch Barnhart confirmed he would be returning for the 2024-25 season.
- Baylor head coach Scott Drew is currently the favorite to replace Calipari as head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats.
Only two weeks after John Calipari reportedly informed the University of Kentucky that he’d be returning as head coach in 2024-25, the 65-year-old is currently finalizing a five-year deal with the Arkansas Razorbacks. The ensuing fallout has the Kentucky Wildcats scrambling to hire a replacement for Calipari, who was with the program for 15 seasons.
Oddsmakers have tabbed Scott Drew, 53, as the odds-on favorite to be hired as Kentucky’s next head coach. According to the latest odds at BetOnline, Drew is a +160 favorite to replace Calipari. At +160, Drew has an implied probability of 38.5% to become Kentucky’s next head coach.
The odds have shifted considerably since the news broke on Sunday. Alabama’s Nate Oats opened as a +350 favorite to step in and lead Kentucky basketball. However, Oats has reiterated that he is not leaving his job as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Following a myriad of rumors, Oats stated that he is “fully committed to this team and to this University”. BetOnline has left his odds on the board, though his odds have regressed from +350 to +2500.
Per the odds, the Chicago Bulls’ Billy Donovan (+200) and the Connecticut Huskies’ Dan Hurley (+350) are reportedly on Kentucky’s shortlist, as well. With Hurley coming off back-to-back championships at UConn, would he be tempted by a lucrative payday from the University of Kentucky?
Kentucky is coming off a 23-10 season and on the receiving end of a stunning 80-76 upset against Oakland in the NCAA Tournament’s First Round.
Scott Drew Is Kentucky’s Most Likely Option
The Kentucky basketball program requires a proper revamp after failing to reach the Final Four since 2015. After turning Baylor around into a national contender, Drew would appear like a solid fit for Lexington, KY.
Drew has been Baylor’s head basketball coach since the 2003-04 season. In his first four years at Baylor, Drew’s teams finished below .500. Since then, Baylor hasn’t had a losing season, and they won the national championship in 2021.
The season earlier, Baylor had a championship contender before the NCAA Tournament was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He knows something about putting a team back on the map.
Additionally, Drew is good friends with AD Barnhart. The two are close and Barnhart wouldn’t have any qualms about hiring his friend. Kentucky has the money, but does Drew want to leave the team that he built from the ground up at Baylor?
Billy Donovan Returning To College Basketball?
The Chicago Bulls’ head coach has been in the NBA since accepting the Oklahoma City Thunder job in 2015. After Donovan and the Thunder failed to reach a new contract in 2020, the Bulls made him their new head coach.
Donovan has had mixed results in the NBA, with the Bulls currently a 37-41 team and out of playoff contention. Donovan’s tenure as the Florida Gators head coach was filled with an abundance of success.
In addition to being a three-time SEC Coach of the Year, Donovan won back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007. Also, Donovan led Florida to four SEC Tournament titles and six regular season crowns.
If not Drew, Donovan is the next likeliest coach in Kentucky’s search, according to BetOnline. With Hurley coming off back-to-back national championships at UConn, the University of Kentucky would have to open their wallets up to lure him to Lexington.
Following UConn’s 75-60 win over the Purdue Boilermakers in the 2024 NCAA National Championship, Hurley laughed off the rumors.
“Yeah, yeah, I don’t think that’s a concern,” Hurley said to a pool of reporters in the post-game conference. “My wife, you should have her answer that … She’ll answer that question better than I can.”
On Tuesday, Hurley also appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and dismissed the Kentucky head coaching rumors.
If Kentucky misses on Drew, Donovan, and Hurley, Barnhart might have to go down the list to Mark Pope (+1000) or Chris Beard (+2000). Rick Pitino and his son, Richard, both have +2000 odds of becoming Kentucky’s next head coach.
