The Kentucky basketball program is in search of a new head coach. John Calipari officially left the program and took the job with the Arkansas Razorbacks in a stunning turn of events after the college basketball season ended. A list of candidates circulated immediately with this news breaking, and now Kentucky is bringing in Baylor head coach Scott Drew for a meeting, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.
‘Sources: Kentucky plans to officially meet with Baylor's Scott Drew regarding its head coaching vacancy in the near future.'
As soon as Calipari to Arkansas news came out, Scott Drew's name was a favorite among the list of candidates. All of Nate Oats, Jay Wright, and now Billy Donovan have given strong takes on not showing interest in the job. UConn coach Dan Hurley, who just won another national title with the Huskies, also didn't sound like he has any interest in leaving Storrs for Lexington.
Now, Drew meeting with Kentucky could turn this into a reality if the two sides can agree to get a deal done.
A look inside Scott Drew's resume
What Scott Drew brings to the table is a championship pedigree. He spent one year as head coach at Valparaiso, posting a 20-11 record and an NIT appearance. He then went to Baylor, where he has been since the 2003-2004 season.
Drew has put together an impressive 446–244 record, which includes 12 NCAA Tournament appearances. Among those, Baylor has finished in the Sweet 16 twice, Elite Eight twice, and the national title in 2021. Drew has also won an NIT title and an NIT runner-up at Baylor, so his postseason success has been a big boost.
For Kentucky, their recent postseason struggles have been evident as they have failed to get past the second round in the past four years. This year, Calipari's team fell to 14-seed Oakland in the Round of 64 in another stunning first-round upset.
On the flip side, since Baylor won the national title, they have also failed to reach the Sweet 16 and have lost in the Round of 32 in each of the past three seasons. Still, Drew going to Kentucky would be a big raise for him from Baylor and would give the Wildcats a decent name to replace Calipari.
Kentucky needs to act quickly
The Kentucky basketball program has already seen a number of departures on the heels of Calipari's move. Aaron Bradshaw entered the transfer portal and Rob Dillingham declared for the NBA Draft (which was expected). The talented recruiting class for Kentucky is among the best for the 2024 season, so they need to work quickly to bring in a new head coach and try to salvage whatever is left.
Drew passing up on the Kentucky job, especially if the money is there, would be a huge surprise. But, if he does, they need to turn elsewhere, and it remains to be seen which direction they will decide to go in. Nonetheless, Scott Drew meeting with Kentucky is something to keep an eye on as the coaching carousel continues to spin.
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