The Louisville basketball program moved on from Kenny Payne after a rough tenure with the Cardinals. Suddenly, they are in another search for a head coach. Baylor coach Scott Drew immediately emerged as a top choice for the job, but with the Bears preparing for the NCAA Tournament, the Cardinals would need to wait.
While there are a lot of candidates that would be interested in the Louisville job, waiting until after March Madness might be the best decision given that names such as Drew and Dusty May are in the Field of 68. But, the latest rumblings about Drew potentially going to Louisville got hit with a harsh reality check as he is reportedly nearing a contract extension with Baylor, per Eric Crawford of WDRB.
‘Starting to hear more indicators of a Scott Drew extension and/or raise, with additional perks, at Baylor (I know others, like @HoopsWeiss were hearing that last night) but I’m just getting it today. Don’t know when something like this is “official.”'
Another report came from Dick Weiss on Tuesday night about Drew staying: ‘Scott Drew of Baylor turns down overtures from Louisville to stay at Baylor. next up: Dusty May of FAU? can we at least wait until after the tournament.'
The latest indications are that Baylor and Drew are working towards an extension to keep the longtime Bears head coach in town, meaning Louisville would need to head elsewhere in its search for a new head coach. There are also reports of Louisville offering Drew as much as $8.5 million, per Dick Weiss, so returning to Baylor for a raise would be a big move.
‘got to give Ville credit for swinging for the fences. Hearing they reportedly offered Scott Drew $8.5 million. That's a lot of dough.'
UPDATE: Scott Drew will remain at Baylor despite the Louisville rumors, according to Jeff Goodman.
Where does Louisville after Scott Drew miss?
There is almost no doubt that Drew was the leading candidate for Louisville. After the disastrous years of Kenny Payne, the Cardinals need to hire a coach who can change the culture back to its winning ways.
Florida Atlantic coach Dusty May, who led the Owls to a Final Four last year, is a target. UCLA coach Mick Cronin is another, although his lofty buyout might prevent the Cardinals from making that move. Indiana State's Josh Schertz, whose team got snubbed from the NCAA Tournament, was another name on the list. However, Schertz and Saint Louis have been in talks about the Billikens head coaching job, so things are starting to spin quickly in the coaching carousel.
All in all, with Scott Drew staying at Baylor, Louisville will need to either wait a little bit or hire a coach not in the Big Dance.
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