Kentucky’s coaching search gets desperate after Scott Drew rejection

Where does Kentucky go for a new men’s basketball coach after Scott Drew turns them down?

Kentucky men’s basketball is still looking for a head coach. Baylor’s Scott Drew turned down the Wildcats’ job offer on Thursday afternoon, which was first reported by Matt Norlander of CBS Sports. Drew just completed his 21st year at Baylor, taking over the program when it was at its lowest point following a 2003 murder scandal. He led the program to the national championship in 2021.

Here’s Drew’s official statement about staying at Baylor:

The Kentucky job has been open since Sunday after John Calipari’s stunning departure to Arkansas. Our initial list of the top-9 candidates for the Kentucky job had Drew at No. 2. Baylor’s official athletic department account sent out the following social media post after it was reported that Drew was staying in Waco.

Where does Kentucky go from here? It seems like UConn’s Danny Hurley is committed to staying where he is. Alabama’s Nate Oats has already issued a statement that he’s staying with the Tide. Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan didn’t explicitly say no when asked about Kentucky, but the timing of the NBA season makes a potential transition awkward. The Bulls will be in the NBA play-in tournament. Their season could be over Wednesday or Friday with a loss, but if they win two straight games, Chicago makes the 2024 NBA Playoffs, keeping Donovan locked up for nearly another two weeks.

Other names for Kentucky’s target list could include:

• BYU’s Mark Pope
• Illinois’ Brad Underwood
• McNeese State coach Will Wade
• Ole Miss coach Chris Beard
• St. John’s Rick Pitino.

Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd and Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger are other quality candidates that would require a big buyout. Why not hire South Carolina women’s basketball legend Dawn Staley?

It’s vital that Kentucky names a replacement as soon as possible. The Wildcats’ No. 2 overall recruiting class is already facing deflections with five-star center Jayden Quaintance and five-star wing Karter Knox ditching their commitments. Kentucky sophomore-to-be center Aaron Bradshaw has entered the transfer portal, and Rob Dillingham has entered the NBA Draft. The next coach of Kentucky is going to have serious work to do rebuilding the roster, and will need to do it quickly.

Kentucky is a premier job in men’s college basketball. The Wildcats’ head coach also faces an immense amount of pressure to win SEC championships and advance deep in March Madness. Calipari had been a consistent regular season winner in Lexington with four Final Four appearances and a 2012 national championship. Early tournament exits to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s and No. 14 seed Oakland over the last few years essentially pushed him out the door.

Kentucky’s coaching search will be the biggest story in college basketball until it’s resolved. When that happens is anyone’s guess after Drew turned down the offer.