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

There might not be a bigger and more important job in the men’s college basketball world than the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. On Sunday night, the gig suddenly became wide open when John Calipari decided to bolt for the conference rival Arkansas Razorbacks.

Hiring Calipari is a home run for Arkansas. The timing of the divorce also works out well for Kentucky. Calipari had lost the fanbase after losing to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s and No. 14 seed Oakland in two of the last three NCAA tournaments. Calipari had not led the program to the Final Four since 2015, hadn’t won a national title since 2012, and hadn’t made the second weekend since 2019. Despite consistent regular season success, that’s just not good enough for a place with standards like Kentucky.

Replacing Calipari won’t be easy, but it’s also an incredible opportunity for the right coach. There are only so many names with the gravitas for the job. Here are nine candidates for the job, ranked by their likelihood of actually ending up in Lexington as the Wildcats’ next head coach.

9. Jay Wright

Wright had it made for life at Villanova after leading the program to two national championships, but he still chose to retire in part because he didn’t want to deal with NIL and the transfer portal. He could absolutely still coach at 62 years old, but he has nothing left to prove and has a comfy TV gig to keep him occupied. He would hang up quick.

8. Danny Hurley

This would be the best case scenario for Kentucky, but it isn’t happening. Hurley has spent his entire career on the East Coast, and has UConn rolling. Kentucky needs to make the call, and Hurley will probably get a nice pay bump out of it, but the Huskies should be able to raise whatever it takes to keep him in Storrs.

7. Rick Pitino

Pitino led Kentucky to the 1996 national championship, and proved he’s still got it by helping turn around St. John’s in his first season this year. Pitino would probably love to accept this job, but at 71 years old and with a ton of baggage, it just seems like Kentucky will go in another direction.

6. TJ Otzelberger

This feels like a suitable backup plan for Kentucky, but it’s not an exciting one. Otzelberger is an excellent coach who has a couple more decades in the sport left at 46 years old. He turned Iowa State into an excellent team this year, but he doesn’t recruit at the level Kentucky desires. With a $17 million buyout, Kentucky will swing for a bigger name.

5. Tommy Lloyd

Lloyd has clearly been an awesome hire for Arizona, leading the program to a No. 1 seed and two No. 2 seeds in the NCAA tournament since coming over from Gonzaga. He also hasn’t been past the Sweet 16 yet, which isn’t good enough for the Wildcats. Kentucky knows how frustrating it is to lose to teams you shouldn’t lose to in the tournament, and that makes someone like Lloyd too big of a leap of faith this time around.

4. Bruce Pearl

Pearl has the personality to thrive at Kentucky. He made the Final Four at Auburn in 2019, and reached the second weekend three times at Tennessee. Pearl is also 64 years old and has a ton of baggage. This might feel like an exciting hire for Kentucky in the moment, but Pearl isn’t built to last.

3. Billy Donovan

The college basketball world Donovan exited in 2015 was a totally different landscape than today’s sport. The 58-year-old Donovan has been in the NBA ever since, and seems to still have good job security with the Chicago Bulls despite middling results. It’s hard to envision him wanting to deal with 18 year olds after a decade with pros. The transfer portal and NIL adds a new dimension that would bring more stress than anything else. As long as the NBA wants him, Donovan very likely won’t leave for college.

2. Scott Drew

Drew has a national championship at Baylor. He’s recruited NBA talent on a consistent basis. He’s annually competed in an extremely difficult league. His chill personality would likely play well at Kentucky. At 53 years old, he has plenty of time left in coaching. This feels like a suitable hire for the Wildcats, and with only a $4.5 million buyout, it’s a relatively affordable one, too. Drew should get serious consideration, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he lands the job.

1. Nate Oats

Oats was teaching algebra at a suburban Detroit high school just over a decade ago. This season, he led Alabama to the Final Four for the first time in program history. His analytical approach to the game sets him up for success anywhere. He’s already proven he can recruit and develop NBA talent. It’s impossible not to be impressed by Oats’ story and the job he’s done. At 49 years old, he could be at Kentucky for a long time. His $18 million buyout will be an issue, but the Wildcats can raise the money. Oats feels like the best of the realistic targets, and he’d be something close to a home run hire for Kentucky.

USA News Hub