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Realistic coaching replacements for Cal

Feb 18, 2024
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I’m bargaining on the fact that he gets fired or resigned but who are actually some plausible replacements for cal. People like hurly, brad steven’s and billy donovan would be great to have but it’s not happening. so who are some realistic replacements for cal
 
Probably the top of who we can actually get...
Drew
Pearl

Then a bunch of others...
Beard
May
Kelsey
Smart
This list could go on forever

And here's the big takeaway, you should be happy with any of them. Why? Because they aren't the fat poser we have now.
 
Realistically we probably can't get a huge name to coach here. We are no longer anything special. We don't have anything to offer that any power 5 can't match. In this century we have 1 title.

We will need to look at some promising mid major coach or go the Duke/UNC route and hire someone that was connected to the program at some point.
 
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A lot of coaches these days want the least amount of pressure but the most amount money. Watching Alabama football, which is probably the hottest job in any college sport, have to settle for at least that we know of the fourth or fifth guy on the list worries me a little bit.

Then again, what do we have to lose?
 
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You make big names tell you no and turn down big money. Donovan (even though I hate to ask him a third time), Stevens, Vogel, Wright.

Next group is Drew, Oats, Pearl and some others and one of them will take it. Pearly would definitely take it for a chance to finish his career here. He knows what it means to succeed at UK. Same with Oats.

I am more and more in the Todd Golden fan club though. He would be cheaper and is younger and could grow in to a legend
 
Dan Hurley is the hot name right now obviously. Beyond him it’s a logjam of coaches that are fine but don’t appear to be guaranteed to be anything special.

Parsing through all the contracts isn’t something I’ll do until Cal is gone(if he is). But the buyout at the other school’s will be important as well given we’ll pay Cal a lot to not coach here and presumably pay a new coach very handsomely as well.
 
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I actually think it would be easy to get Beard but not sure Barney would do it.
He'd be the easy choice if it weren't for what happened at Texas, but then again, he wouldn't be an option if not for what happened at Texas.

He's what this university needs. A real, actual, basketball coach. He'll recruit enough, simply because it's UK. But he's a REALLY DAMNED GOOD COACH. He's not some used car salesman or some PR machine. The notion that's what UK needs is exhausting.
 
Every fanbase thinks they can get one of Stevens, Donovan, or Wright. None of those guys are coming back to college to deal with nil and the portal.

I don’t have an answer, but give me a young, hungry coach who wants to use the resources here to win a title.
 
A lot of coaches these days want the least amount of pressure but the most amount money. Watching Alabama football, which is probably the hottest job in any college sport, have to settle for at least that we know of the fourth or fifth guy on the list worries me a little bit.

Then again, what do we have to lose?
Alabama didn't settle for DeBoer. He was in their top 2 choices all along. Also if you can hire a guy with DeBoer's background and coming off a National Championship game appearance a few weeks prior to leaving....and he beat the last team to beat Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa (Texas) twice in year--both in bowl games. DeBoer is 112-14 as a HC in his lifetime with 3 National Championships at a lower level. He coached 2 yrs at the Power 5 and was 25-3 at Washington with a Pac 12 Championship and College Football Playoff National Championship Appearance.

This would be equivalent of hiring John Calipari after Rick Pitino stepped down in '97.
 
Probably the top of who we can actually get...
Drew
Pearl

Then a bunch of others...
Beard
May
Kelsey
Smart
This list could go on forever

And here's the big takeaway, you should be happy with any of them. Why? Because they aren't the fat poser we have now.
I said it on Twitter last night, but I think a lot of us might be using the wrong mindset here. Everyone states the obvious "homerun hire" - but is that really the route we need to take?

Hurley was at Providence, not some P5 powerhouse.
Self was at Illinois.
Tommy Lloyd was an assistant at Gonzaga.
Scott Drew was a HC for one single year at Valpo.
Kelvin Sampson, at least before Houston, was an assistant in the NBA for previous 6 years
Iowa St's coach came from South Dakota St and UNLV
McDermott was UNI and Iowa St
Brad Underwood was Stephen F. Austin
Lamont Paris, hot name right now, from Chatanooga before SC

Anyhow, the point being - even though it's more challenging and requires more of a search, do we need to think a little more outside the box than Hurley, Donavan, Shaka...
 
Drew will be the next head coach
Him and Barney are super close
Will be weird to have a humble gentleman on the sidelines
The thing that I'm hearing more fans come around to-not letting Mitch Barnhart make any decisions on who the next coach is as he too should be fired. That's what needs to take place.

Also any talk of guy who left for DePaul is down the toilet after that hire of Chris Holtmann.
 
Billy Donovan has turned down UK in the past at least twice I think. Now at this stage in his life, is he happy in Chicago and the NBA? Would his wife like a change or scenery? Does he have a desire to coach college again with NIL, transfer portal, etc.?

Brad Stevens seems content to be out of coaching, being more of an admin. Does he still have that itch to scratch to coach again in D1? Would be worth a call though.

Jay Wright retired and got out of the game a few years ago. I think he decided he didn't want to deal with NIL and the portal, won his two nattys and called it a day. I'd love to see him at UK but don't think it would happen.

Sean Miller was a hot name years ago. Still just 55 years old. Had some NCAA/FBI issues at Arizona as we all know, but if it wasn't for Whisky and Kaminski he makes it to back to back F4. Solid Xs and Os coach. Would his previous indiscretions keep him out of the running or is that far enough in the rear view mirror?

Scott Drew just signed an extension if I remember correctly, not sure what the buyout is but definitely worth considering.

Dan Hurley isn't leaving UConn in my opinion. He's got going there, seems like a great fit so I don't see it happening.

Bruce Pearl would kill it I think but would his previous NCAA indiscretions at two different D1 schools knock him out of consideration.

Nate "Wrong Place Wrong Time" Oats just signed a big extension with a pretty large buyout. So between buying out Cal (assuming a deal is worked out) and Oats buyout don't think this is a possibility.

Kelvin Sampson can flat out coach but he's had his NCAA issues too and getting up there in age (68 years old) a bit.

These are the few that I immediately thought of. First things first, something has to happen for UK to be in the market for a new head coach.
 
I said it on Twitter last night, but I think a lot of us might be using the wrong mindset here. Everyone states the obvious "homerun hire" - but is that really the route we need to take?

Hurley was at Providence, not some P5 powerhouse.
Self was at Illinois.
Tommy Lloyd was an assistant at Gonzaga.
Scott Drew was a HC for one single year at Valpo.
Kelvin Sampson, at least before Houston, was an assistant in the NBA for previous 6 years
Iowa St's coach came from South Dakota St and UNLV
McDermott was UNI and Iowa St
Brad Underwood was Stephen F. Austin
Lamont Paris, hot name right now, from Chatanooga before SC

Anyhow, the point being - even though it's more challenging and requires more of a search, do we need to think a little more outside the box than Hurley, Donavan, Shaka...
Lamont Paris is giving off Tony Bennett vibes to me. No thanks.
 
Every fanbase thinks they can get one of Stevens, Donovan, or Wright. None of those guys are coming back to college to deal with nil and the portal.

I don’t have an answer, but give me a young, hungry coach who wants to use the resources here to win a title.
The options are never as good as fans think. That said I would still start with those two (forget Stevens). Donovan makes $6m and the Bulls will be gutted soon.
 
It’s not going to happen because of our great Athletic Director. Calipari has the power to call all the shots because of his Contract. He’s not going to leave that type of money on the table. Our fan base will be held hostage for years due to that. Calipari the Great Excuse Maker!
 
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This board ripped Pearl a new A$$ with all of his issues at UT and AU, but now you want him? I guess desperate times call for desperate measures. My first choice would be Iowa St coach TJ Otzelberger!
 
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