I truly think UK fans are going to be surprised at what happens with their coaching search. While I don't debate UK is a blue blood in college basketball, with NIL I really think UK and the other blue bloods have lost a significant amount of the advantage and prestige they previously had.

With NIL the gap has been narrowed significantly and if a school devotes enough money and resources they can be a power in college basketball. It's flat out easier to ascend in college basketball than college football. Look at UConn. UConn was nothing as recently as the mid 1990's. Now look at them, if they win the National Title tonight I genuinely push them above UK, Kansas and Duke and put them just behind UNC in terms of blue blood programs.

Here's why each big name coach UK is going to consider at first won't go to UK:

Brad Stevens: He's set in the NBA, will never return to college basketball.
Jay Wright: Has too good of a gig as an analyst. Will never coach in college basketball again.
Billy Donovan: How quickly UK fans forget he turned them down to stay at Florida, a football school. He's not leaving the NBA for UK. He's not coming back to college basketball unless he was fired from the Bulls and couldn't get another NBA job.
Dan Hurley: Has absolutely no reason to leave UConn. UConn is the better job now compared to UK.
Nate Oats: He isn't a Southern guy at heart. He's waiting for the NBA or Michigan State. How bad would the meltdown be for UK fans if Oats went there for a few years only to dump UK for Michigan State.

And it would happen. Everyone who knows Oats knows his dream job in college is Michigan State.

The more realistic options:

Will Wade: Would go to UK but it seems he's blacklisted essentially from the SEC for now.
Chris Beard: The one above all other that concerns me. Chris Beard would bring a title to UK. Like others have said though just not sure Mitch Barnhardt is okay with the baggage.

The most likely group:

Bruce Pearl: Will give Big Blue Nation the worship they demand. But he won't bring them a title.
Scott Drew: Identical to Bruce Pearl. I don't know why but Scott Drew at UK just doesn't scare me and I don't think will scare most of the SEC like UK fans think it would.
Travis Ford: UK job really is above him but he'll get considered and would instantly take it if offered.

At the end of the day UK fans look at the other Blue Bloods in college basketball who have hired coaches lately. There aren't many huge names out there like there used to be and the few huge names there are aren't coming back to college basketball or aren't coming to UK. Look at UNC, Duke and UCLA in recent years. They either hired assistants or mediocre coaches. Look at Syracuse, again an assistant.

Nothing points to UK getting the huge big name coach they want. It just hasn't happened in recent years.

This post was edited on 4/8/24 at 10:53 am