Kentucky insider weighs in on head coach search following Scott Drew decision

Baylor’s Scott Drew has reportedly passed on the head coaching job at Kentucky. Now, per Kentucky Sports Radio’s Matt Jones, the search will shift to their remaining two options from their top three.

Jones shared the update on Twitter following the news of Drew remaining with the Bears in Waco rather than replacing John Calipari. He said he thinks the program will now likely turn their attention to their remaining leading options, which is expected to be UConn’s Dan Hurley and Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls, in the coming days.

Kentucky has always had same list of coaches. The same 3 were at top of it. Drew has now said he isn’t interested

They will continue to pursue the other two. One of those is the focus of today/tomorrow. The other would be next week

If they get none, it goes to another group

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) April 11, 2024

“Kentucky has always had same list of coaches. The same 3 were at top of it. Drew has now said he isn’t interested,” wrote Jones. “They will continue to pursue the other two. One of those is the focus of today/tomorrow. The other would be next week. If they get none, it goes to another group.”

Drew was long been viewed as a supposed top option for AD Mitch Barnhart. However, after interest between the two in the past few days, he has elected to return for his 22nd season at Baylor instead.

Now, based on Jones’ timeline, the option that will get the attention for the next few days is Hurley. He has been celebrating the past few days, while also denying interest in leaving the Huskies, after winning a second consecutive national title. That includes a parade this weekend in Hartford to honor the sport’s first back-to-back champion in 18 years.

However, with Drew off the table, the expectation is that the Wildcats will attempt to do what they can to secure Hurley, even if it does continue to lead in a definite no.

After that, the attention then goes to Donovan up in the Windy City. The reason why he appears as the third of the three is due to his position in the NBA Playoffs. The Bulls’ season won’t end until at least next week in the Play-In Tournament. If Chicago were to make the actual field, though, he would then be unavailable for a while longer because of a playoff series. That kind of timeline is something that Kentucky’s process may just not be able to wait on.

Donovan, also like Drew, has long-time connections to Lexington. He was an assistant for five years on the staff of Rick Pitino back in the 90s. He later took over in Gainesville where he’d lead Florida for nearly two decades. That tenure included a 467-186 (.715) record and consecutive national championships in 2006 and 2007. From there, Donovan went to the pros where he has spent the past nine years in Oklahoma City and Chicago.

Drew’s refusal has sent the coaching carousel back to spinning in the bluegrass. The question now, per Jones, is whether it will potentially be Hurley, Donovan, or another name over the next few days.