I know that there are many people that would love to be the new head coach of the University of Kentucky basketball team. However, odds are that none of those people will be a major splash.
Why would any elite coach take on this job? Florida's Billy Donovan already has said no which is the smartest move he could make. When the job was open two years ago, Donovan took his time dispelling the rumors that he could be heading to Kentucky. This time, he said he wasn't interested about the exact same time that Billy Gillispie was fired.
Why would Donovan want to be at Kentucky? He was an assistant there? He's a legend at Florida right now and is that program. Kentucky fans freaked out when their team missed the NCAA Tournament this year. Donovan's Gators have missed the last two ... but you don't hear anything about it.
Donovan has a better program in the same conference (hell, same division). Sure, basketball isn't the lifeblood of Gator Nation like it is in Lexington, but that can be a good thing sometimes.
The chatter now has moved to three other major names. There is rumblings here in Kentucky that the school will see about bringing Rick Pitino back. Why would he want to come back? He already helms a legendary program in Louisville, plays in a much superior conference, can get recruits to come there and is having success. Why leave? If he went back to Kentucky, he'd be fighting against his other tenure at the school. Remember Joe Gibbs, Rick!
John Calipari? Why would that man leave Memphis for anything? Recruits flock to his program, they are guaranteed 16 wins a year since they play in Conference USA, there is a huge following of the program with none of the pressure.
Tom Izzo? I don't think so. He has an outstanding thing going at Michigan State. He has a title, been to several Final Fours (may be on his way to another) and has no problems recruiting to East Lansing. He's already at home.
I don't see any other big-time coach jumping ship either. Now you are down to the "stepping-stone" guys. Ya know, the coaches who bounce from a small school, to a lesser known BCS school, to an elite job. Kind of like what Gillispie did.
The top name on that list is Travis Ford, a former Kentucky player who is an up-and-comer at Oklahoma State. Ford is a good coach, but is he really ready to handle Kentucky? He played there, but this is something totally different. Still, Ford may be the new head man.
It could be somebody else, but whomever it is will find that this job is unlike any other.
Why would any elite coach take on this job? Florida's Billy Donovan already has said no which is the smartest move he could make. When the job was open two years ago, Donovan took his time dispelling the rumors that he could be heading to Kentucky. This time, he said he wasn't interested about the exact same time that Billy Gillispie was fired.
Why would Donovan want to be at Kentucky? He was an assistant there? He's a legend at Florida right now and is that program. Kentucky fans freaked out when their team missed the NCAA Tournament this year. Donovan's Gators have missed the last two ... but you don't hear anything about it.
Donovan has a better program in the same conference (hell, same division). Sure, basketball isn't the lifeblood of Gator Nation like it is in Lexington, but that can be a good thing sometimes.
The chatter now has moved to three other major names. There is rumblings here in Kentucky that the school will see about bringing Rick Pitino back. Why would he want to come back? He already helms a legendary program in Louisville, plays in a much superior conference, can get recruits to come there and is having success. Why leave? If he went back to Kentucky, he'd be fighting against his other tenure at the school. Remember Joe Gibbs, Rick!
John Calipari? Why would that man leave Memphis for anything? Recruits flock to his program, they are guaranteed 16 wins a year since they play in Conference USA, there is a huge following of the program with none of the pressure.
Tom Izzo? I don't think so. He has an outstanding thing going at Michigan State. He has a title, been to several Final Fours (may be on his way to another) and has no problems recruiting to East Lansing. He's already at home.
I don't see any other big-time coach jumping ship either. Now you are down to the "stepping-stone" guys. Ya know, the coaches who bounce from a small school, to a lesser known BCS school, to an elite job. Kind of like what Gillispie did.
The top name on that list is Travis Ford, a former Kentucky player who is an up-and-comer at Oklahoma State. Ford is a good coach, but is he really ready to handle Kentucky? He played there, but this is something totally different. Still, Ford may be the new head man.
It could be somebody else, but whomever it is will find that this job is unlike any other.
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