1st Four Calls If Cal Leaves/Fired

[WildKatFan01]

1. Donovan - Probably won’t come back and turn us UK down again but he’s 1st to call. Why not?

2. Wright - Cant hurt to see if he’s interested in coming out of retirement. Who knows?

3. Hurley - Guy has been good everywhere he’s been, but would he leave Storrs for UK? Maybe?

4. Smart - Yeah I know he flopped at Texas, but they don’t care about basketball in Texas. I think he got a raw deal there. I’d call him before Drew from Baylor.

Just my $.02.

 

[WildKatFan01]

I’d even throw Chris Beard in the mix before Drew.

 

[Farsight]

1. Wright
2. Hurley
3. Pearl
4. Donovan

 

[Fox2monk]

1. Wright
2. Hurley
3. Pearl
4. Donovan

I’d add, Otzelburger, Underwood, and Few as some other to inquire about.

 

[Kybluedude]

The first 3 of 4 politely decline and hang up.

 

[TNCatfanforever]

1. Donovan - Probably won’t come back and turn us UK down again but he’s 1st to call. Why not?

2. Wright - Cant hurt to see if he’s interested in coming out of retirement. Who knows?

3. Hurley - Guy has been good everywhere he’s been, but would he leave Storrs for UK? Maybe?

4. Smart - Yeah I know he flopped at Texas, but they don’t care about basketball in Texas. I think he got a raw deal there. I’d call him before Drew from Baylor.

Just my $.02.

You do not want Smart. He clashed with Texans over his far left political ideology. Imagine him at UK. He is a good coach and if he can keep his mouth shut and coach he would be fine but he won’t.

 

[WildKatFan01]

I like Few. But I think he’s got s good thing going out west.

 

[WildKatFan01]

You do not want Smart. He clashed with Texans over his far left political ideology. Imagine him at UK. He is a good coach and if he can keep his mouth shut and coach he would be fine but he won’t.

I didnt know that about what went down. Yeah, may not be a good fit here.

 

[bbncal02]

I like Few. But I think he’s got s good thing going out west.

Yep, making nearly 4M a year with MUCH less pressure. Not happening.

 

[WildKatFan01]

Is Chris Beard worth a call? I think he’s better than Drew definitely.

 

[nssdigitalchumps]

I’d even throw Chris Beard in the mix before Drew.

Noooooo. I would rather have Kenny Payne.

 

[krazykats]

Unrealistic Haymakers:

1- Jay Wright
2- Scott Drew(I think he isn’t leaving this year)
3- Billy D


Realistic but terrible timing:

1- Beard
2- Oats
3- Lloyd

What would probably happen and what Mitch is left with:

1- Shaka Smart
2- Bruce Pearl
3- Musselman

 

[WildKatFan01]

Something tells me in my gut that Donovan would accept if UK went after him. I dunno why I feel that way. For some reason though I think he would come here if given another shot.

 

[WildcatforLife1965]

You do not want Smart. He clashed with Texans over his far left political ideology. Imagine him at UK. He is a good coach and if he can keep his mouth shut and coach he would be fine but he won’t.

Can you, just once, leave the goddamn politics out of it? You act like one party is so much better than the other when they all suck. Stop it

 

[Jakerz]

Steven’s first. Throw the entire endowment at him

Wright second

Donovan third

 

[WildKatFan01]

I’d like to get someone not close to retirement age though. Wright would be awesome, but I just can’t see it happening.

 

[TriCountyCat]

1. Eric Spoelstra
2. Michael Malone
3. Jay Wright
4. Billy Donovan

now the people that we could actually get.

1. Hold my nose while I type this: Mussleman
2. Bryce Drew - he is still young
3. Sean Miller
4. Pearl
5. Scott Drew
6. Pitino
7. Oates - he cost too much
8. Buzz Williams
9. Will Wade

 

[sluggercatfan]

You do not want Smart. He clashed with Texans over his far left political ideology. Imagine him at UK. He is a good coach and if he can keep his mouth shut and coach he would be fine but he won’t.

Where did you hear this?

 

[bucsrule8872]

1. Wright
2. Donovan
3. Stevens

Let those three turn us down, then start looking among the current college coaches.

 

[bbncal02]

I’d add, Otzelburger, Underwood, and Few as some other to inquire about.

Otzelburger?

Overall	169–97 (.635)
Tournaments	4–4 (NCAA Division I) 0–1 (NIT)

Meh.

He's done good with ISU but he's not exactly taking names up there.

 

[ukcatz12]

I don't think any of the usual names are the way to go. Guys like Pearl and Drew would be lateral moves. Two names rarely mentioned and one I haven't seen mentioned, but they'd all be risks and potentially not ready for the UK stage yet.

Todd Golden
TJ Otzelberger
Amir Abdur-Rahim

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Wright is not an option. He's done.

1. Dan Hurley
2. Frank Vogel
3. Nick Nurse
4. JB Bickerstaff
5. Mike Brown
6. Billy Donovan

 

[Ripcord65]

1. Donovan - Probably won’t come back and turn us UK down again but he’s 1st to call. Why not?

2. Wright - Cant hurt to see if he’s interested in coming out of retirement. Who knows?

3. Hurley - Guy has been good everywhere he’s been, but would he leave Storrs for UK? Maybe?

4. Smart - Yeah I know he flopped at Texas, but they don’t care about basketball in Texas. I think he got a raw deal there. I’d call him before Drew from Baylor.

Just my $.02.

I don't disagree about Donovan, Wright, and Hurley. But I totally agree with your suggestion about Shaka. Texas basketball doesn't have the same vibe that Shaka brings to the game. I think he'd be great for U.K., and he's only 46 years old. Give Shaka 20 years at U.K. and we'll have 5 to 8 more NCAA titles. Shaka would be a winning machine at U.K. Just MHO, of course.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Wright is not an option. He's done.

1. Dan Hurley
2. Frank Vogel
3. Nick Nurse
4. JB Bickerstaff
5. Mike Brown
6. Billy Donovan

None of those nba guys are gonna come here. Nurse coaches the 76ers he ain’t coming to college, same with bicksrstaff & brown, they aren’t leaving good nba teams to come coach Kentucky. Donavan probabaly isn’t either but he is atleast worth a shot

 

[Spica Orbit]

1. Michael Moore
2. Harvey Weinstein
3. Jabba the Hutt

 

[Dreklie]

Hurley (you force him to tell you no ... multiple times)
Wright
Pitino

I really won't be super excited about any other hire.

 

[sluggercatfan]

1. Stevens
2. Donavan
3. Williams
4. Otzleberger
5. Either Drew
6. Keatts

 

[azubuikefan]

None of those nba guys are gonna come here. Nurse coaches the 76ers he ain’t coming to college, same with bicksrstaff & brown, they aren’t leaving good nba teams to come coach Kentucky. Donavan probabaly isn’t either but he is atleast worth a shot

Lol at Mike Brown.

 

[TriCountyCat]

1. Michael Moore
2. Harvey Weinstein
3. Jabba the Hutt

I prefer

1. Gene Hackman
2. Denzel Washington
3. Martin Lawrence
4. John Stamos

 

[KYExtemper]

Something tells me in my gut that Donovan would accept if UK went after him. I dunno why I feel that way. For some reason though I think he would come here if given another shot.

I've been saying for about a year and a half that this might be our chance to snag Donovan. He's not really going anywhere in the NBA and that has to be blow to his ego. He also ran to the NBA because he was tired of recruiting against us (his own words). But one wonders if he really wants to get back into the craziness that college basketball has turned into?

But this time I think it's a chance for us to get him. He's lived the NBA dream and it's been middling at best. Come back to college where you have the chance (and a lot of years left) to build a more lasting coaching legacy.

 

[wildcat2243]

1. Eric Spoelstra
2. Michael Malone
3. Jay Wright
4. Billy Donovan

now the people that we could actually get.

1. Hold my nose while I type this: Mussleman
2. Bryce Drew - he is still young
3. Sean Miller
4. Pearl
5. Scott Drew
6. Pitino
7. Oates - he cost too much
8. Buzz Williams
9. Will Wade

Buzz is a really good coach

 

[TFCats11]

UK will have the pick of the litter💯 Just be patient 😁

 

[TriCountyCat]

Buzz is a really good coach

I love how he coaches being physical. His teams are tough as nails. If he could land some big name recruits to go with his style.

 

[wildcat2243]

I love how he coaches being physical. His teams are tough as nails. If he could land some big name recruits to go with his style.

Totally agree. Just imagine the hat he could have done with this group.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

None of those nba guys are gonna come here. Nurse coaches the 76ers he ain’t coming to college, same with bicksrstaff & brown, they aren’t leaving good nba teams to come coach Kentucky. Donavan probabaly isn’t either but he is atleast worth a shot

You have no clue if that's true.

Nurse is the only one on that list who makes anything comparable to Cal, so don't act like money won't be a factor for the others.

Bickerstaff doesn't even exceed $3 million a year.
Vogel makes $6 million.
Brown makes $5 million.

UK could double all of those salaries, with Nurse being the exception.

Money matters.

 

[ArtLaibsGhost]

1. Wright
2. Hurley
3. Pearl
4. Donovan

Anybody that thinks Barnhart will even consider Pearl is smoking Crack. Same with Pitino, NOT HAPPENING . This is just fantasy

 

[Bluegrass Steel]

Totally agree. Just imagine the hat he could have done with this group.

I have always liked, and respected Buzz as well! I think he could do great things here!

 

[ULisnotmyman]

Billy Donovan is probably tired of the NBA by now and hasn’t won/done shit there.

Jay Wright has been in the booth long enough/commentated enough games to possibly miss it.

just saying. I wouldn’t be so sure they’d “politely hang the phone up”.

 

[G-PIP]

For my money, Kelvin Sampson is the best coach in CBB. He also seems to have the energy of a guy 15 years younger. Now someone might come up with a multitude of reasons he wouldn't be a good coach for UK. But, as I said, if the question is just who's the best coach to win games, I think it's Sampson.

Personally, I also like Buzz Williams. But I wonder if the best coach for UK isn't someone we haven't even heard of yet. An up and comer who can really motivate and has some good ideas about how to best handle NIL and the transfer portal.

 

[gamecockcat]

If we're gonna pay Cal several million a year NOT to coach, why would we try to sign another coach who would command the huge salary? I'd much rather get a younger guy who knows his X and Os, who will recruit like a boss with all the advantages UKBB has (still) and pay him reasonably good salary but load that contract up with bonuses for SEC regular season, SECT, NCAA wins so he can make $5m or more if we get to the FF or finals. It's insane to keep doing the same dumb things re: UKBB coach. Give a younger guy who is still hungry his dream job and he's never gonna leave.

Plenty of really good coaches out there who'd do well here, would crawl over broken glass to get here and wouldn't cost us $8M per year. And we'd win at least as much as we are now.