Kentucky losing men’s basketball coach John Calipari to Arkansas created a massive void in one of the sport’s true legacy programs.
The Wildcats haven’t looked for a basketball coach since 2009, when Calipari was hired from Memphis to coach at Kentucky.
To make matters a bit more challenging for the Wildcats, four top coaching candidates have now denied having any interest in the possibility of heading to Lexington to replace Calipari.
Former Villanova coach Jay Wright waved off the idea of him taking the Kentucky job on Monday night, as did Alabama’s 2024 Final Four coach Nate Oats on Twitter (X).
Hot candidates like Baylor’s Scott Drew and UConn’s Dan Hurley have also reportedly told Kentucky they’re not leaving their respective teams for Lexington.
With those top candidates out, who else might be on Kentucky’s radar?
Billy Donovan
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Donovan returning to the college ranks for the first time since 2015 would be a surprise, but the Kentucky job is one of the most coveted in the sport. He hasn’t quite enjoyed the same success in the NBA as he had at Florida, so returning to the SEC with all the resources he’d be afforded at Kentucky might be appealing to Donovan. We’re sure Kentucky fans would be happy with this.
Lamont Paris
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Paris is a rising star in the profession who built a winner at Chattanooga before excelling in his first season at South Carolina. While he doesn’t have the title-winning credentials of the two people above him on this list, Kentucky might be wise to go ahead and get in on one of the game’s real ascending coaches. He might be the school’s problem in the SEC for years to come if he’s not the coach and keeps thriving at South Carolina.
T. J. Otzelberger
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Otzelberger has built a consistent winner at Iowa State, and he knows how to build a program after successful stints at South Dakota State and UNLV. His work with the Cyclones could earn him a prestigious job like Kentucky, where he’d have to win over the fans with on-court results but could be a stealthy great hire if he’s able to replicate what works for him at Iowa State.
Tony Bennett
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If Kentucky wants someone who has won a national title in the last half decade, it could always turn to Bennett, who won with the Cavaliers in 2019. While Virginia has been on the losing end of some difficult NCAA tournament losses, he does know how to bring home the hardware. It’s very possible he could reach back into what worked for him in the past and win again with a fresh start.
Kevin Ollie
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Ollie defeated John Calipari and Kentucky with UConn in 2014 for the national title, but he ran into some trouble later in his college coaching career via alleged NCAA violations. He was fired by UConn in 2018, but the school was found to have improperly let him go by an arbitrator.
Ollie is currently the interim head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, but it’s entirely possible Kentucky remembers the UConn team that topped them in the national title game and feels that he is deserving of another major college job. He’d be a splashy hire that has title-winning experience.
