Gilbert Search Firm: Replacing John Calipari

After watching a monumental historic women’s basketball final. I figured the news on the men’s side would remain anticlimactic. Another UCONN win followed by Jerome Tang taking the Arkansas job. The coaching carousel would spin one last time. Then the focus would shift squarely towards the transfer portal.

John Calipari blew up that notion in one fell swoop. The biggest remaining name still coaching in college basketball decided he had enough of the pressure cooker that is Lexington. So let’s fire up the search firm machine once again. This one will be a little different. I’m going to spend more time on the names that will NOT take the job. That will help us arrive at the narrow pool of candidates quicker. As always we will start by looking at the quality of the job.

the Job

Is Kentucky a good job? I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that question. It is arguably the best job in college basketball. That being said, Big Blue Nation cannot ignore this fact. A highly compensated 65 year old just decided to make a lateral (at best) move within the conference. The demands of this fan base are both tricky and taxing.

Kentucky needs a big name who will embrace and thrive under both booster and fan pressure. That makes the list candidates much shorter than you would think. An important factor to cross off is “championship pedigree”. It’s simply not needed. It comes included with the package that is the Kentucky brand. Cal didn’t necessarily have it. Neither did Tubby Smith. They still raised banners. Big Blue Nation needs a big and bold personality who can also win games. This is not a Tony Bennett/Matt Painter type job. Win big with healthy dose of flash and personality.

the Non-Candidates

Rick Pitino- Let’s get this out the way first. I did not write that last sentence above to setup the return of “Slick Rick”. Oh it would be fun. They would probably win and boy would it be a story. However he is 71 years old and comes with a ton of baggage. Ultimately at his age. I don’t think he will want to recruit in the manner Kentucky fans are used to.

Dan Hurley– You have to make the call. You can’t ignore the current success. However beneath that success has been an abrasiveness that either you love or hate. It works when you are winning. When you are not. It will look a lot like what Kentucky has just endured. He won’t want to leave UCONN when he has it rolling like this.

Scott Drew– This is one I could see working. Has what the job needs. I don’t think he would leave. Has a big buyout, just opened a new arena, and is the king of Waco (sorry Chip and Joanna). Is already winning and out recruiting Kentucky.

Billy Donovan– It is easy to connect the Kentucky/SEC resume dots and championship experience. However I can’t see it. Has turned down Kentucky before. He already has a job that he might keep beyond this year. If he really wanted to return to college. I think he would have been a factor at Louisville and other places previously. The college game has changed a lot since he left. He is in the Jay Wright camp. He has multiple championship banners and nothing left to prove in the college game.

Bruce Pearl- Like Pitino, I would love to see it. Also like Pitino, he is old (64) and comes with NCAA baggage. I doubt Kentucky cares about the baggage. However I would be surprised if Pearl wants to leave his spot in conference. When he is arguably winning at a higher clip already.

Nate Oats- We’ll just stay in the state while we’re at it. Oh how a Final Four run can change perception. Only one year removed from one of the more salacious non-NCAA off court stories in recent memory. Oats is now riding high in Tuscaloosa. With Nick Saban retired, why would he leave now? His buyout is HUGE. Dealing with NCAA is one thing (Kentucky lives in that space) I don’t think they want to deal with what Oats navigated last year. I have a feeling Oats might hold out to replace Tom Izzo at Michigan St.

The Final Two

Only two realistic candidates meet the criteria and might actually leave their jobs. I’ll give you why I think they would work, and more importantly why I think they would leave.

Tommy Lloyd

Why: Kentucky fans repeatedly say they just want to win. Simply put, if you count his run as an assistant— NO ONE has a better two decade resume. Rejuvenated Arizona the second he got there and hasn’t let up. You have heard of a three level scorer. Lloyd is a three level recruiter. Has done it through both the traditional high school route and the transfer portal (Bryce Love) More importantly though, he kills it internationally. He runs innovative and interesting sets on both sides of the ball. He is young (49) and comes without scandal.

Would he leave: While he just signed a new deal. There are some indicators that say he might. He had arguably the top job in the PAC 12. He was at the clear top school in the conference at Gonzaga. With Arizona entering the Big 12 he will never have that distinction again. It will always be Kansas at the top of the pecking order. Possibly Houston as well when you consider the size of its metropolitan area. He can slide back into the top spot by going to Kentucky.

About that new deal. It is completely funded by boosters because Arizona’s finances are a mess. That is why they started the exodus from the PAC 12. On top of the finances he now has a new athletic director. He won’t have to worry about finances in the SEC. About those boosters. With Bob Sarver and company. Arizona is a low key booster minefield. Lloyd has clearly handled them well and will not intimidated by the the pressure in Lexington. This would be a home run hire.

If Lloyd were to stay, and that’s entirely possible. There is one candidate who I think would walk to Lexington for the job.

Mark Pope

Why- The name doesn’t jump off the page. However he checks a lot of the boxes. He played and won a championship at Kentucky. Parlayed that into six year NBA career. The first part matters to the fan base. The second part matters more to recruits. Is geographically diverse. Has coached in the SEC (Georgia assistant), the ACC (Wake Forest assistant), and most recently the Big 12 (BYU).

The only demerit is that he has not won big in Provo. However do not overlook the challenge that BYU poses. He has recruited well at a school with a strict honor code. Made the challenging jump from the West Coast Conference to the Big 12 and his team got better. He can coach and more importantly recruit. Now about the pressure cooker that is Lexington.

I am not member of the Church of Latter Day Saints. That being said I know enough to have a grasp on the gravity Pope’s position holds. Having a few message boards mad at you would pale in comparison to being one of the prominent faces of an international religion. The Marriot Center seats 19,000 people. Rupp Arena was built to surpass BYU’s hold as the largest college basketball arena. The Cougars have a rabid and passionate fan base. From his biography to coaching experiences. Pope would not be intimidated by Kentucky at all.

Would he leave- A much more straightforward case than Tommy Lloyd. The answer is yes. The pull of his faith might make it difficult. But he would ultimately make the jump. Jobs like this don’t open often.

Conclusion

The fact that the firm settled on two west coast coaches is immaterial. Kentucky is a national brand. Call Tommy Lloyd first. If he balks or asks for too much (not sure that is possible) Move onto Pope. They are both young enough and successful enough to win over Lexington. It will also look and feel different than the Calipari era. Accordingly this newness could breed a little more patience from the fanbase (I can’t believe I just wrote that) Everyone from the top group would be expected to win right away. I’m not sure that is what Kentucky needs right now,