futurecoach

22 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

I think UK could sign him tomorrow if he wanted to. I think it’s more on his end not wanting to do anything until his season is over. Wouldn’t be the best look for him bailing on his team right before the play in game. Especially with him bailing on the Magic all those years ago too. So I think he is trying to do the right thing by his team. With that said, it doesn’t mean he may not be having his agent do some talking for him right now while he focuses on his current team. 
 

Which I also will add I think that is why Mark Pope’s name is brought up. Barnhardt might as well try to talk to some other people right now as he waits for Donovan. Doesn’t want to be sitting there left out if at the last minute Donovan backs out after the season is over. 

Well I was completely wrong on that. Reports are coming out that looks like they will hire Pope. 

7 minutes ago, Voice of Reason said:

But this is pro to college. No conflicts.

I think UK could sign him tomorrow if he wanted to. I think it’s more on his end not wanting to do anything until his season is over. Wouldn’t be the best look for him bailing on his team right before the play in game. Especially with him bailing on the Magic all those years ago too. So I think he is trying to do the right thing by his team. With that said, it doesn’t mean he may not be having his agent do some talking for him right now while he focuses on his current team. 
 

Which I also will add I think that is why Mark Pope’s name is brought up. Barnhardt might as well try to talk to some other people right now as he waits for Donovan. Doesn’t want to be sitting there left out if at the last minute Donovan backs out after the season is over. 

2 hours ago, 9068 said:

Donovan has been removed from the college game for several years. I asked one of his former assistants how he enjoyed coaching in the NBA when Donovan was at OKC. His exact words: "Well, there's no recruiting". I guess he's changed his mind? Seems like it would be worse than ever with NIL and the portal. But hey, you never know.

That’s the thing with how things are. He truly wouldn’t have to recruit as much as he use to in regards to travel. With the transfer portal, it is just more wait until the season is over and then go try to get the players that hit the portal. Basically free agency, which he has gotten to experience in the nba. 

2 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

I see him as more showman than coach. He is someone who I get bad vibes from. I feel like his level of success is not as good as people think it is. Twenty years as a D1 coach. Five times his teams didn't even qualify for March Madness. One fourth of his years he didn't even make the tournament. Of the 13 teams he was in the tourney, 4 round 1 losses, 4 round 2 losses, 3 sweet 16's, 1 elite 8. 1 final four. So most importantly to BBN, I question his ability to win a title.

You are the best person to pose this to. Why do you like Pearl? 

Honestly all your reasons there are very valid. My biggest reason for liking him is I do truly believe it takes a certain personality to be the coach at UK and I think he has that. Now he may not have the overall success that would be expected here at the UK coach. However, he also hasn’t really been at places known for basketball. Yet he has managed to still be successful at those schools and get excitement. Plus players seem to like him, and would probably do a good job with both fronts recruiting and transfers at getting players in.  I think if he were to be here at UK he would do very well. However, in regards to X and O’s I don’t think he would be much of an upgrade. 

11 minutes ago, 16thBBall Fan said:

I would not jump to go after a 2nd tier coach like Pope until after the Bulls are out of the playoffs which will be as soon as next Tuesday and more than likely by next Friday. I would rather wait a week and go after a coach of Donovan's ability and then if it doesn't work those 2nd tier coaches (Pope) will still be there and would still jump at the chance you would not really be wasting anything in my opinion.

You and I seem to be in agreement on things for once in regards to this UK coaching search. 😁

Well the guy I have said now for a couple of years every time a who replaces Cal thread came up seems to be the front runner now in Billy Donovan. I think he would do a great job here, and is worth waiting until next week now for. If he doesn’t come then Pearl, and Pitino would be my next two calls. If you can’t get any of those, then I do think you take a chance at finding the next up and up and coming coach like a Golden from Florida or Pope from BYU. I would rather have Golden than Pope though if we are going to take a chance on someone. 

2 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

I honestly would become more of a UL fan than UK fan if they hire Pearl.

You may have addressed this before, but I’m curious as to why? Pearl seems very similar to what Calipari was when UK hired him and the past he had. 

24 minutes ago, All State Baseball said:

I think the family had a lot to say about it….

 

on another note the Craft Family plane went north east this morning 

Apparently landed in New York, 40 minutes from where Hurley lives. With that said Pitino is also in New York. So if Hurley still says no, could make their way to Pitino. 

3 hours ago, nikeman49 said:

I’m getting your point, but who’s to say Pitino couldn’t have continued with his fantastic run while here? Lots of if’s with those situations, just personally glad we are getting a new look with a different coach as we needed very badly.

That run he had was so good it was not sustainable. Many people assume if he stayed UK wins three or four more titles under him. Which easy to think that since he left on such a high note. However, if you told people after 2012 that Cal wouldn’t win another title here, people would say you were crazy. If you said 2015 would be the last final four Cal has here after being at four in five years. No way at that time could people have imagined that would be the last one under Cal.  People would have said you were crazy. Pitino left on that high note, so easy for people to assume great things would have kept on happening. He left before things eventually would have came down hill some, since that high level of success when he left wasn’t sustainable. 
 

With that said I do agree it was probably best for both parties to have went different directions. 10 years definitely seems to be the max for a coach here. 

12 hours ago, bugatti said:

You completely misread what I was saying. I was co-signing on your post in about 200 less words 🙂 People believe bringing back Rick will turn the program back into 1996.

Whoops definitely missed that one. 😂🤣

3 hours ago, bugatti said:

As you are alluding to, people do not want Pitino. They want the results and energy UK was having from ‘92-‘97.

No, never said people wouldn’t want Pitino. In fact I think majority of people would be happy to have him back, and so would I.
 

Go back and look at my previous post that he had responded to. Basically saying if Calipari had left for the UCLA job after 2019, many people would have felt the same way about Calipari as Pitino. Would have been mad at Calipari for leaving after 2019, but people would compare any coach to follow to that standard, like they did with Pitino.  So many people haven’t been able to move on from the Pitino years, because he left on the highest of notes. Calipari would be been looked at similar if he had left say after 2019 for the UCLA job which he has said he regrets not taking. Calipari would have left while basically everyone still loved him, and every coach after would be compared to him like they do Pitino still. Which all gets back to the UK coach job has about a 10 year max life, like Cal said during his first year, and we saw it with Cal. The rate Pitino was winning at, and the rate Calipari was winning at were both not sustainable. Pitino left before things could down trend, which they eventually would have, while Calipari waited to long to leave. Which we got to see that love affair change once Calipari couldn’t win at the same level he started at. 

1 hour ago, nikeman49 said:

Cal couldn’t have done any better at UCLA the last five seasons as he produced here! Would love to have Pitino back right now and many others feel the same.

You could be right, or completely wrong. We will never know. Once again though if Cal had left after that 2019 season. Many people would feel about him like they did about Pitino. Pitino left when he was still on top. Can guarantee people would have turned on Pitino eventually too, because he wouldn’t have even been able to keep at the same high level he was at those last couple of years. Yet fans would have expected him too. 
 

Which I would be perfectly fine if Pitino came back and gave us five more years before retiring. 

For those that subscribe to The Athletic. There is a really good article on there now about Calipari and more of what happened over the weekend to why he left. 
 

The biggest thing I took from the article is him privately admitting he regretted not taking the UCLA job after the 2019 season. Saying that was the time to leave the program. Which makes sense, because that would have been 10 years, and he even admitted when he first got the job that the max life span for a UK coach is 10 years. If he left after that 2019 season, many people would have been upset with him like they were with Pitino. However, at the same time the love affair with him would have been the same as with Pitino in regards to people not getting over the Pitino years. He would have left while still loved, and not giving fans a chance to turn. 

For those that subscribe to The Athletic. There is a really good article on there now about Calipari and more of what happened over the weekend to why he left. 
 

The biggest thing I took from the article is him privately admitting he regretted not taking the UCLA job after the 2019 season. Saying that was the time to leave the program. Which makes sense, because that would have been 10 years, and he even admitted when he first got the job that the max life span for a UK coach is 10 years. If he left after that 2019 season, many people would have been upset with him like they were with Pitino. However, at the same time the love affair with him would have been the same as with Pitino in regards to people not getting over the Pitino years. He would have left while still loved, and not giving fans a chance to turn. 

34 minutes ago, D1RTYBIRD said:

Miller is an intriguing candidate. I liked him at Arizona. He has that personality for the job too. Can recruit. I didn’t follow Xavier much but supposedly he revamped his offensive philosophy. 

He just finished 16 and 19 this year at Xavier. No thanks. 

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

I have no problem with Miller. He basically did stuff that is now legal and that other coaches (Bill Self e.g.) got nothing from the NCAA.

I have no problem with Miller in that regard. I just wouldn’t want him here at UK, because I don’t think he is a good enough coach for what is expected at UK. 

29 minutes ago, MJAlltheWay24 said:

Gonna try and sell myself a little more on Scott Drew.

Only 7 current coaches have a NCAA title (8 if ya count Donovan).

Calipari - Not an Option
Izzo - Not an Option
Self - Not an Option
Hurley - Please Sweet Baby Jesus
Donovan - Bad Timing
Pitino - Idk what to say
Bennett - Barf
Scott Drew

Tom Izzo not an option? Did I miss something and he has said he wouldn’t couldn’t UK if contacted?

If UK doesn’t get one of the four main targets talked about in Hurley, Oats, Drew, and Donovan. Then I think Izzo would be one of the next group of coaches contacted. He is very similar to Drew in how they both have been at one place a long time, and both won a title. Only difference is obviously Drew’s is much more recent, however Izzo has much more tournament success. So unless Izzo has already came out and said no, I think he very well could be a serious option if UK wanted to go that route. 
 

As for Donovan I don’t think the timing is that bad. The NBA season ends Sunday, and his season most likely will end no later than next Wednesday. 

40 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

 

 

Great final message. As I have said before I hope he gets the standing ovation he deserves his first game here as Arkansas coach. Before then it becoming a loud crazy environment rooting for the Cats to destroy his Arkansas team lol. 
 

His name will be up in the rafters one day once his career is over. 

2 hours ago, gchs_uk9 said:

Same. No way is Barnhart going to hire a "big personality"-type that will be bigger than the program. From all indications his relationship with Cal wasn't good. I think a more down-to-earth type of coach like Scott Drew is way more in line with Mitch's way of thinking.

Which would continue with the normal history of UK hires after legends leave. Hall after Rupp, Tubby after Pitino. The next coach is going to be a good coach, that may even win a title. However is a coach the whole fan base truly never gets behind. Then we will get the alcoholic coach after that. Then they will go for the big personality again that the whole fan base gets behind for the first ten years at least. 

3 hours ago, D1RTYBIRD said:

I think Donovan will be our guy. If Mitch gets Drew I think a lot of fans would revolt (I.e. Schiano to Tennessee). IF Donovan says no you would have to pivot to a tier of coaches like Sean Miller, Will Wade, or T.J. Otzelberger because more than likely UConn throws a bag and Hurley says no. 

I definitely want Donovan over Drew. However, I think fans would much rather have Drew over the other names you mentioned like Miller, Wade, etc. 

16 hours ago, FrankNicodemus said:

I wonder if we will ever have a Cal Day at Rupp and put his banner in the rafters.

Would we do it during a UK v Arkansas game, like we did with Tubby when he brought High Point to town.

His banner will be in the rafters, but it probably will come after he retires. I don’t see them doing it when he is coaching a conference opponent. 
 

I do think Cal should get a standing ovation the first time he gets announced as Arkansas coach when he returns to Rupp. The last few years hasn’t been great, but he deserves to re recognized by us fans his first time back. Then cheer like crazy with the craziest home environment ever to try to destroy his Arkansas team. 

If Purdue could have won this game. Then I think UK would have had an outside shot of getting Hurley. Now with them about to be back to back champs. No way he leaves. He may use UK to get a big pay raise, but no way he leaves now. 

2 hours ago, Kentucky Windage said:

What I meant moreso was that Cal wasn't willing to adjust with NIL in conjuction with the open transferring. He could never build an experienced roster because he was still too focused on doing it his way. 

that's the thing. The two previous years before this year he did have older experienced rosters, yet failed. This was the first year he went back to the more of a young loaded freshman team approach, since the COVID season. 

10 hours ago, Kentucky Windage said:

It was time. Cal had a good run. It's clear he wasn't willing to adjust to the NIL, transfer at will, and building experience on a roster.  I'm happy for the time he gave us, but the collegiate game has changed. It's time to focus on someone who can bring that change to Lexington. 

Not willing to adjust to NIL? He is someone that was pushing for players to get paid before NIL ever came around. Now the thing out of his control was how much UK would help in regards to NIL.

1 hour ago, MaddenCurse44 said:

Thank goodness UK is out of the Calipari contract. Hire a coach that can develop players and make UK great again!

Always interesting when people try to say Calipari doesn’t develop players. The majority of players that stayed more than one year got much better every year under him. Then even players that weren’t suppose to be one and done, ended up becoming first round picks and even lottery picks under him. While Calipari may have not always been the best X and O coach. He actually did do a good job developing players.