How To Determine Who Should Coach Kentucky

deplion

Senior
Nov 6, 2007
122
822
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One thing I see on this board and all over social media are people only looking at "What have you done for me lately." Why it's valid to a degree, it's missing the mark. One must consider the bigger picture.

Kentucky is not a job you learn at. You are proven before you get the job. What does that mean?

Constant NCAA tourney success, constant sweet 16s, elite 8s over 10 year span. And/or at least 1 final four. Someone who can recruit high end players and develop tier 2 players who are just below the high end. Is competitive, and has a winning mindset. Unfortunately, for UK and a few other blue bloods you need to have a specific personality and temperament to handle the job. Also has to have a decent winning %.

There are many layers of variables one must consider for the coach.

Right now here are the Candidates that most want to replace Pope with, winning % wise.

Mark Pope | Overall: 227-132 | Winning: 63.2%
S16: 1
E8: 0
F4:


---

Bruce Pearl | Overall: 706-268 | Winning: 72.5%
S16: 4
E8: 2
F4: 2

Todd Golden | Overall: 185-75 | Winning: 67.8%
S16: 1
E8: 1
F4: 1
Title: 1

Dusty May | Overall: 181-81 | Winning: 69.1%
S16: 2
E8: 1
F4: 1

Nate Oats | Overall: 264-114 | Winning: 68.8%
S16: 3
E8: 2
F4: 1

Grant McCasland | Overall: 262-109 | Winning: 70.6%
S16: 1
E8: 1
F4: 0

T.J. Otzelberger | Overall: 218-114 | Winning: 65.7%
S16: 2
E8: 0
F4: 0

Mark Byington | Overall: 264-157 | Winning: 62.7%
S16: 0
E8: 0
F4: 0
Golden if we can get him.

If not, bring Pearl in to stabilize the program and return us to national prominence until he retires in a few years.

Once that happens, make our next marquee hire and bring in a guy capable of leading us for a decade or more.
 

dynastydreamuk

All-Conference
Nov 18, 2010
1,861
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I think Pearl is a Bridge coach. But he has to come here after this season or after next. I think he would do well for 5 years. He would keep us from becoming Indiana I think.
Yup, possible. Safe hire in my mind, just look at his win %
I actually think it's the opposite. I think a lot of our fans project themselves into the coaching picture and ask whether or not they would embrace the pressure. A lot of our fans would not, so they project onto other coaches.

And yet we see elite programs in football and basketball constantly upgrade with newer elite coaches. The best coaches want the pressure. They want to win at the highest levels.

It's like the author who could retire after his fifth best seller, but he continues to write books because he loves the pressure of continuing to be great. We see this in politics, or with military leaders, or with CEOs, or with incredible musical artists. They're different than us because they don't think like we dp. Most of us would take our first $3 million and go retire on a beach somewhere and live off the interest. Elite competitors don't think like that. It's part of the reason they've made it to where they have and we have not.

Kentucky is still to basketball what Alabama or Ohio State are to football. If you think that most elite coaches would shy away from that, why do you think the best programs consistently get the best coaches?
So many dumb poat all over this forum acting like we can't get ANYBODY. All trolls/ other schools fans praying we keep pope as long as possible and then do another risky no name hire.

When self retires next year I guarantee they make a home run hire and take one off the table we would want.

The ONLY reason we didnt get a good hire is Mitch Barnhart.

Some doofus on here said we were lucky when we hired Cal... Cal wanted to come in 08 after tubby but Dumb mitch and Co wouldn't pursue him then. All all the Memphis fed ex money couldn't convince him to stay in Memphis when we finally did come calling.

So yea. Hurley golden are long shots because they are already at BB powers that have won multiple titles and won themselves. But dont forget Roy Williams left Kansas for North Carolina and these kind of big moves happen in college football all the time.

So to re-hash...saying we can't hire a good coach is either a troll, a low iq statement or an actual fan with PTSD from Mitch Barnhart bad hires.
 

PacoGator

Heisman
Dec 17, 2021
6,340
11,572
113
Yup, possible. Safe hire in my mind, just look at his win %

So many dumb poat all over this forum acting like we can't get ANYBODY. All trolls/ other schools fans praying we keep pope as long as possible and then do another risky no name hire.

When self retires next year I guarantee they make a home run hire and take one off the table we would want.

The ONLY reason we didnt get a good hire is Mitch Barnhart.

Some doofus on here said we were lucky when we hired Cal... Cal wanted to come in 08 after tubby but Dumb mitch and Co wouldn't pursue him then. All all the Memphis fed ex money couldn't convince him to stay in Memphis when we finally did come calling.

So yea. Hurley golden are long shots because they are already at BB powers that have won multiple titles and won themselves. But dont forget Roy Williams left Kansas for North Carolina and these kind of big moves happen in college football all the time.

So to re-hash...saying we can't hire a good coach is either a troll, a low iq statement or an actual fan with PTSD from Mitch Barnhart bad hires.
Ummm you realize that Roy Williams alma mater is UNC right?
 

dynastydreamuk

All-Conference
Nov 18, 2010
1,861
1,408
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Ummm you realize that Roy Williams alma mater is UNC right?
Yes I do realize that and it makes everything else i said false right 🫡

It was the most over exaggerated example of what i was saying is why I mentioned Roy.

In Football though you just saw Kiffin to LSU move, Kelly from ND to LSU and really so many to list. Doesn't happen as often in cbb only because the big jobs have been locked up for a while .. Kansas Duke etc. Tom Izzo said he considered a big move very hard ...and its implied that was 2009 Kentucky.

All this said...there's no reason we had to stoop as low as to hire a guy who had never won a ncaa tournament game. Never won his conference or conference tournament..
never won more than 25 games in a season,
never had better than a top 50 defense, and a win rate of like 60%
 

Bigbluegoo

Junior
Jan 6, 2024
77
213
33
We've had better than Coach Pope, We've had worse than Coach Pope.

Just be happy that we aren't in the talks strictly for the Not Invited Tourney.

When this team can focus on winning, they can. Often though this is not the case.
Dafuq comment is this? Just be happy we aren’t in the nit conversation? My guy this is Kentucky. We lead basically every statistical category in the sport. The bluest of bluebloods. Being in the conversation for a 4 seed is a disappointment, let alone the fn nit. And yeah pipe is the worst coach we have had. Yes worse than Billy g. I don’t get some of the people on here. We have more sec titles then the rest of the conference combined, we have or at least had more sec tourney titles then the rest combined, we have more national titles then the rest combined, s16, elite8 etc. Hell, we have more elite 8s then most of the conference has tourney wins in total. Kentucky being a mid sec team is absolutely inexcusable. I mean you have to be a special kind of bad to not be successful at Kentucky.
 

RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
28,574
68,188
113
Some of us are in for a rude awakening because we don’t understand this job isn’t as attractive to candidates as it is to fans, largely because of … fans.

No, I’m not blaming the fanbase for anything, but we certainly have a reputation and not all of it is good.

I would even be willing to bet any coach who has won a title where they are won’t do anything but use us for a huge raise. Up and comer until we get it right might be in our future. Either that or someone like Cal who really wants the gig but is stuck outside the P4. We got really lucky with him being the right guy at the right time.
Great point. That's why the OSU jobs, Michigan job, Cowboys job, Yankees, Red sox, Eagles, Steelers, Patriots, Giants, Dodgers, and Alabama jobs are always vacant. The fans are too mean. Lol, are we serious?
 

RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
28,574
68,188
113
Everyone seems to love Golden. Say he was hired here and after his first 2 years he didn't get past the Sweet Sixteen? How many would want to fire him?
Great point bro! Because he totally had 22 million in NIL year one. Oh, don't forget he was also taking over a program that just had 2 and 3 seed in the NCAAT! Lol "RationalFan", hilarious.
 
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RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
28,574
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The coaches you have listed are NOT candidates, they are your wish list. Not a single coach on your list would take a phone call from us. We are delusional to think we are a top job in toay's basketball world. We will struggle to gt anyone that has a top 25 team. Why would any established coach want the crap our fanbase puts on a coach? Every coach that we would like to have are already making more money than they can spend. Would you leave a job making $5 million and very little pressure for $8 million with KY pressure? There is your answer. No one wants more for our Cats than I do but no way in hell would I want to put up with our unrealistic fans. The first two game losing streak our fans want the coach fired.
I'm glad you called them on their personal phones and asked them for us. It's not everyday we get someone so close to these coaches. Well, glad that's out of the way.


Anyway, "no way in hell would I want to put up with our unrealistic fans". You wouldn't. So you think these elite coaches who thrive on that pressure, wouldn't. Stop it. They don't think like you. Or else they'd be like Mark Pope.
 
Aug 4, 2025
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Like Pearl but not sure if he’s the guy. He’s done great for every program he’s coached at but never really transitioned from great coach to what this fan base clearly wants/expects immediately without bumps in the road.

He’s kind of like Eddie Sutton. Great HOF coach. Won at 2-3 programs before Kentucky, won at 2-3 programs after Kentucky…didn’t win at Kentucky and had some issues.

All those other characters are just as likely to fold.

Right now you have to error on the side of giving Pope at least the length of his contract to get something going.

Otherwise you risk becoming a program that gets stuck in a cycle of changing coaches. No good coach wants to come into a place that will just get cranky, throw a tantrum and move him out in 2-4 years.

Already have seen that with the past couple cycles.

Tubby was very good well liked coach. Did everything right. The way that ended put a little red flag up to where we were essentially black balled and had to make a desperate hire.

Same could be said for Cal. Another title winning HOF coach getting bounced! Those MFers are crazy stay away!

Only got Pope because he played here…had he not, can you imagine who’d we have right now?!
 
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RationalFan

Redshirt
Mar 9, 2026
14
14
3
Great point bro! Because he totally had 22 million in NIL year one. Oh, don't forget he was also taking over a program that just had 2 and 3 seed in the NCAAT! Lol "RationalFan", hilarious.
lol, If we hired him Golden and he did only go to a sweet sixteen his first 2 years you would be leading the charge for him to be fired. You are one of those fans that want instant success. Yes that happens sometimes but it is rare.
 
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RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
28,574
68,188
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lol, If we hired him Golden and he did only go to a sweet sixteen his first 2 years you would be leading the charge for him to be fired. You are one of those fans that want instant success. Yes that happens sometimes but it is rare.
If he showed improvement year over year, recruiting was rolling, and hired a good staff. I would not.
 
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Artlaibesghost

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Nov 30, 2022
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My criterion is the best coach that " will take the job" . UK has managed to hire its first choice 2 times in my lifetime. J B Hall because Rupp insisted and Tubby Smith . That's it. Pitino wasn't a first choice nor was Sutton, Cal and Gilespie and Pope. UK fans have ALWAYS had a vastly overinflated perception of the attractiveness of this job. Our top choices are always highly successful and already entrenched in comfortable well paid situations. Why come here and risk that for the insane pressure cauldron at UK. Dont run " We are a blue blood" at me either. That hasn't meant what it used to in quite some time. UK IS an attractive job still but its more so to a hungry guy looking to make his mark. The absolute top guys not so much. The trick is picking the RIGHT up and comer. Pope doesn't appear to be it. By the way Tod Golden ain't walking through that door just like Donovan didnt. Offer guys like that sure but they aren't coming.
 

DraftCat

Heisman
Moderator
Nov 5, 2011
13,126
14,691
113
I didn't read the entire thread but for me it's really simple.

Take a proven head coach (Not Pope or Billy G) and UK will elevate the rest.

Fun fact UK never hired a coach who already had a NCAA Title. That wouldn't stop me from getting Golden though.
 
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CarbonLib

Redshirt
Aug 6, 2025
18
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3
i posted this in the Cal thread, but, why didn't UK go after Scheyer? he was already crushing Cal on recruiting.....winning from day 1 as HC.....
 
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DraftCat

Heisman
Moderator
Nov 5, 2011
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i posted this in the Cal thread, but, why didn't UK go after Scheyer? he was already crushing Cal on recruiting.....winning from day 1 as HC.....

Duke would have NEVER let those talks get close to happening. Scheyer would be the highest paid coach soon as those talks are sniffed out.
 

BBNinSCar

All-Conference
Apr 23, 2013
1,375
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My criterion is the best coach that " will take the job" . UK has managed to hire its first choice 2 times in my lifetime. J B Hall because Rupp insisted and Tubby Smith . That's it. Pitino wasn't a first choice nor was Sutton, Cal and Gilespie and Pope. UK fans have ALWAYS had a vastly overinflated perception of the attractiveness of this job. Our top choices are always highly successful and already entrenched in comfortable well paid situations. Why come here and risk that for the insane pressure cauldron at UK. Dont run " We are a blue blood" at me either. That hasn't meant what it used to in quite some time. UK IS an attractive job still but its more so to a hungry guy looking to make his mark. The absolute top guys not so much. The trick is picking the RIGHT up and comer. Pope doesn't appear to be it. By the way Tod Golden ain't walking through that door just like Donovan didnt. Offer guys like that sure but they aren't coming.
I think we’re kidding ourselves as a fanbase if we believe Golden would crawl to Lexington. Florida will pay as much as Kentucky and have all the same resources. Florida didn’t rush to judgement on firing Golden when he was stalking coeds and he probably feels some loyalty to their admin.
Oats is more obtainable because at Alabama a Final Four makes less of an impact than their spring football game. If he got some help coaching defense, he might be the guy.
 

RationalFan

Redshirt
Mar 9, 2026
14
14
3
If he showed improvement year over year, recruiting was rolling, and hired a good staff. I would not.
So your expectations are for a coach to improve year over year? Never have a down year? What happens when the coach you want improves year over year and gets to 40-0? There is no more improvement after that, do we fire him and start over?
 

#1 cat fan

Sophomore
May 7, 2009
180
165
43
You're also leaving out the huge fact, a lot of people dont want this job. Why deal with the insane ppl that want 40-0 every year.

Also, if Golden wins again this year, what's the appeal of UK? Thats the problem with fans and this board, they think coaches view UK the same way they do.

Also, you guys would want pearl fired...could hardly ever beat Calipari, outside those 2 final fours he never went past the 2nd rd at auburn...youre telling me youre all of a sudden gonna be okay doing that 4 or 5 years in a row before making another ff? I dont think so. Not like he didnt get blue chip players at auburn

Nate oats has already been on record hes not interested in a UK type job
Posts like this make us look more like Indiana than anything I've seen on a basketball floor. They too had fans only wanting the top hires for about 25 years and being let down every time.
 
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GoBIG BLUE

Junior
Apr 1, 2023
416
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So your expectations are for a coach to improve year over year? Never have a down year? What happens when the coach you want improves year over year and gets to 40-0? There is no more improvement after that, do we fire him and start over?
Really? I'd assume sarcasm but.... shew. Did you win the argument in hour own head?
 
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RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
28,574
68,188
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So your expectations are for a coach to improve year over year? Never have a down year? What happens when the coach you want improves year over year and gets to 40-0? There is no more improvement after that, do we fire him and start over?
Serious question, are you mentally challenged?
 
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RationalFan

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Mar 9, 2026
14
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Serious question, are you mentally challenged?
Are you? You said you wanted a coach that showed improvement year over year. Personally I think any fan that wants a coach that in year one took the job with no players and had to scramble to put together a team and that team despite injuries tied the all-time college basketball record for the most wins against AP Top 15 opponents in a single season with 8 victories. Then took that injury plagued team to a Sweet Sixteen, and then before the second season is over wants that coach fired is mentally challenged. This year he did a poor job of roster construction, at least allow the guy 1 chance to fix that. Is a 3rd year for a coach to much to ask?
 

MichaelGray

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One thing I see on this board and all over social media are people only looking at "What have you done for me lately." Why it's valid to a degree, it's missing the mark. One must consider the bigger picture.

Kentucky is not a job you learn at. You are proven before you get the job. What does that mean?

Constant NCAA tourney success, constant sweet 16s, elite 8s over 10 year span. And/or at least 1 final four. Someone who can recruit high end players and develop tier 2 players who are just below the high end. Is competitive, and has a winning mindset. Unfortunately, for UK and a few other blue bloods you need to have a specific personality and temperament to handle the job. Also has to have a decent winning %.

There are many layers of variables one must consider for the coach.

Right now here are the Candidates that most want to replace Pope with, winning % wise.

Mark Pope | Overall: 227-132 | Winning: 63.2%
S16: 1
E8: 0
F4:


---

Bruce Pearl | Overall: 706-268 | Winning: 72.5%
S16: 4
E8: 2
F4: 2

Todd Golden | Overall: 185-75 | Winning: 67.8%
S16: 1
E8: 1
F4: 1
Title: 1

Dusty May | Overall: 181-81 | Winning: 69.1%
S16: 2
E8: 1
F4: 1

Nate Oats | Overall: 264-114 | Winning: 68.8%
S16: 3
E8: 2
F4: 1

Grant McCasland | Overall: 262-109 | Winning: 70.6%
S16: 1
E8: 1
F4: 0

T.J. Otzelberger | Overall: 218-114 | Winning: 65.7%
S16: 2
E8: 0
F4: 0

Mark Byington | Overall: 264-157 | Winning: 62.7%
S16: 0
E8: 0
F4: 0
Age should be factored in also, that should knock Pearl down the list but I do think he'd kill it here.
 

MichaelGray

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Likely I'm ready way into things, but I had the feeling in the Florida game that Golden was taking it easy on Pope. Some of his demeanor gave me vibes that he knew things could be a lot better here.
Well if he is really thinking about one day maybe coming here, he'd better rethink mouthing at fans while exiting Rupp. I read that he was doing that last Saturday.
 

MichaelGray

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Pearl should be the coach right now and then after his 6-7 yrs or longer depending on his success, then Pope may have been seasoned enough to take this job. But for the situation we are in, Golden has to get the first call and then the 2nd as well. He is in a better position at Fla right now but football will always be #1 at Fla so maybe you could pry him away. If uk drops the ball on this and he ends up at KU like dykes mentioned during the game, then maybe you go after Oats or the Iowa st guy.

Idc if golden is a jerk or whatever, heck Pitino was a dbag here but he won and now wishes he was back here. I think golden sees potential career implication to do it somewhere like a Ky and I just hope that ship hasn’t sailed. You can’t blame him if he stays at Fla or jumps to the nba but the man is on top and the hot name at the moment.
Well if we want Golden it had better happen fairly soon because Self ain't lasting much longer at Kansss. Honesty, if you think about it, that job would be a blue blood where he doesn't have to go back to Florida & get booed.
 

RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
28,574
68,188
113
Are you? You said you wanted a coach that showed improvement year over year. Personally I think any fan that wants a coach that in year one took the job with no players and had to scramble to put together a team and that team despite injuries tied the all-time college basketball record for the most wins against AP Top 15 opponents in a single season with 8 victories. Then took that injury plagued team to a Sweet Sixteen, and then before the second season is over wants that coach fired is mentally challenged. This year he did a poor job of roster construction, at least allow the guy 1 chance to fix that. Is a 3rd year for a coach to much to ask?
Look at recruiting, look at the way we are losing, what makes you think, a year 3 is gonna magically fix all the problems?
 

UKAlum84

All-Conference
Aug 4, 2022
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Maybe the problems are just normal circumstances in college ball.

We expect too much every season.

I do miss being #1 in the conference.

It's odd to me, that we've beat several of the double bye teams this season and yet it just doesn't matter in seeding in the conf tourney.
 

Ukbrassowtipin

Heisman
Aug 12, 2011
82,230
90,155
113
Posts like this make us look more like Indiana than anything I've seen on a basketball floor. They too had fans only wanting the top hires for about 25 years and being let down every time.
What lies did I tell?

The days of the 90s are over...you guys just can't accept it.

Just the same as none of you can tell me with a straight face you wouldn't have fired Dan hurley after his first 4 years, even tho uconn has been the most successful program of the last 25 years. Tell me why you wouldn't, im interested

I dont know if pope can get it done, im skeptical, but your fanhood and what a coach is ate two different things
 

BBNinSCar

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Well if we want Golden it had better happen fairly soon because Self ain't lasting much longer at Kansss. Honesty, if you think about it, that job would be a blue blood where he doesn't have to go back to Florida & get booed.
Golden will not leave Florida for Kansas or Kentucky.