Your take is ignorant. He’s a solid B-Tier guy as I started out saying. He won one title albeit during the covid year. But taking 18 years of mostly first weekend exits or missing the tournament before doing anything of note is zero meaningful turnaround power.
Drew to UK?
- Thread starter RunninRichie
- Start date
Situations are totally different. I don’t believe Drew would shy away from the spotlight the same ways Gillispie did. And he doesn’t have a drinking problem. That only makes sense if you leave those variables out.
In this situation it’s almost assuredly to be a bump and a very big one at that. You can’t win a title at Baylor, the worst p5 job in basketball, and can’t at UK.
That's mostly uninformed fans that cant respond rationally. Drew is solid.
Drew will realistically be the best we can do. That pisses people off. But I think it’s true. It’s fun to predict Donovan, wright, Hurley and all these types of guys but it’s a fantasy.
Our top tier candidates realistically are Drew and oats. Oats had apparently passed on it. So that leaves Drew. I prefer Pearl myself but I doubt Mitch would do that. You guys had to have known that this was a big risk and a big challenge whenever we replaced cal. If Drew says no then you better prepare yourselves. It could get weird.
Our top tier candidates realistically are Drew and oats. Oats had apparently passed on it. So that leaves Drew. I prefer Pearl myself but I doubt Mitch would do that. You guys had to have known that this was a big risk and a big challenge whenever we replaced cal. If Drew says no then you better prepare yourselves. It could get weird.
We don't even disagree that he's a B tier guy. Name a coach that turned around a worse program than Drew.
I know where he is....I know where he is. Not my first choice either. Recent Cal 2.0
That is a bit misleading. The guy took over a program that was on probation and wasn’t even allowed to play non conference games after one of the players murdered another and the coach was paying guys out of his pocket. It was the worst job in the country at the time and he didn’t have the transfer portal to turn things around quickly, was a young coach, and at an historically bad program with terrible facilities. Hes not my first choice, but what he has done at Baylor is really impressive.
I just don't think the "well he's better than Cal" is really a great argument or ringing endorsement here. The bar is kind of low there given the past five years lol.
That being said, if it is Drew, time to get on board and be excited about October.
That being said, if it is Drew, time to get on board and be excited about October.
Meanwhile I'm watching Hurley's team up double digits on probably the second best team in the nation.
Not just two titles but all games won by double digits in the tournament. That's dominant. That's what I'd like to see here at UK.
Not just two titles but all games won by double digits in the tournament. That's dominant. That's what I'd like to see here at UK.
Cal was horrible. He was running a G league and using UK. He won a title accidentally because AD came out of nowhere. He had the most talented teams ever 7-8 years and couldn’t win. The last 4 were the worst in UK history. Get over it. He didn’t get fired he didn’t want to be here
I see Scott Drew being on the same path as Cal has been on. Reached the top and from now on will be down hill. But MB sees him being a safer hire that will get him into retirement before fans totally turn on him. The problem is BBN wants to get excited again for their team. Scott Drew will not bring that excitement back. Even an upcoming young coach with an excellent record in the mid majors could bring excitement but an uninspiring coach on his way down will not. MB is just kicking the can down the road with a safe hire until he retires.
lol the “fans” on here. Do you honestly expect a top notch coach to come here? No. We’ll get a good coach , sure. Not a great coach. Great coaches don’t want to leave a good thing for a pressure filled place where fans will want you fired within 3 years if you’re not a top team.
So if it’s Drew, be happy. He’s a good, not great coach
So if it’s Drew, be happy. He’s a good, not great coach
I wouldn’t give a flip if Drew turned Vandy into Golden State if it took him 20 years. And I’m not so sure Drew did turn them around. Clean them up out of the bottom of the gutter, sure. But they won that one title and no one before or since is thinking oh no we have to face BAYLOR. He’s a good guy. I don’t want to bash him too much. But offering him now with a big contract on the same fricking day Cal left when obviously there’s been no room to even talk to any of the A-list guys is the kind of horrible, totally pansy, outright-worship-your-negotiating-peer nonsense that only Mitch would be milksop enough to do and that got us into the trouble with the broken Cal contract in the first place. If it was only about turnaround offer feaking Pitino who will work here a lot cheaper than Drew, will settle for a short term contract, and has already proven he can turn Kentucky around.
I've always said Drew is the new age Tubby Smith who can recruit better. The Drew hire is not exciting. Won't unite the fan base.
I don't think I have ever read as much NONSENSE as I have read on this thread. Drew took over a program where one player had just murdered another with at least 2 other players knowing about beforehand and the coach trying to cover it up. To say he built the program from scratch is an understatement. He won a National Championship there for God's sake. What is wrong with you people, name another guy we have hired in the last 50 years that can say that. He is always competitive in the toughest conference in the country year in year out. He works very hard, doesn't cause controversy and recruits very well. Blather on in your FANTASY world about Hurley and Donovan all you want they aren't coming here. Drew is a solid hire and has zPROVEN he can win big at a place like Baylor.
I am actually fine with Drew being the hire. Excellent recruiter that will only be better with UK as the destination for recruits he targets. He's a solid X's and O's guy so, that would certainly be a step up.
He's not going to be a huge personality or think he is bigger than the program. Both of those things are a positive for me.
Remember, Barnhart's legacy is on the line with this hire so, he has to make it a good one.
He's not going to be a huge personality or think he is bigger than the program. Both of those things are a positive for me.
Remember, Barnhart's legacy is on the line with this hire so, he has to make it a good one.
I know this, his teams know how to really play man defense, not just try.

Jeff Goodman
I asked 4 SEC head coaches to anonymously rank the following 6 Kentucky candidates:
“Who do you fear the most?”
Here are the results:
1. Scott Drew
2. Bruce Pearl
3. Nate Oats
4. Billy Donovan
5. Sean Miller
6. Chris Beard

Jeff Goodman
I asked 4 SEC head coaches to anonymously rank the following 6 Kentucky candidates:
“Who do you fear the most?”
Here are the results:
1. Scott Drew
2. Bruce Pearl
3. Nate Oats
4. Billy Donovan
5. Sean Miller
6. Chris Beard
No thanks. He’s 6-7 down the list for me. Don’t even know if he would really be on my list.
Calipari made a HUGE splash when he was hired. Even people who talked trash about him before being hire were excited. That’s what has to happen here too. If not, we may struggle for a few years.
Calipari made a HUGE splash when he was hired. Even people who talked trash about him before being hire were excited. That’s what has to happen here too. If not, we may struggle for a few years.
You can’t make people say yes MD. What’s delusional is our fan base thinking some of the “big names” would leave the good jobs they already have to come here. They can win there and without the added pressure and scrutiny. And they’re all already rich. We’re still Kentucky but that doesn’t go anywhere near what it used to 20 years ago. Mitch has to work with who would come here not who we dream might.
No it wasn't. It was year after covid. But the covid year Baylor was stacked and he might have won back to back. They was like 26-3.
When Kentucky can’t hire the basketball coach away from Alabama you know you’re in a new world.
It was the covid shortened season. UK only played 25 games that year. He's the most boring possible hire we could have but maybe he'll win big here, who knows?
Of course not but you keep touting his career coaching record at Baylor at 54% which is incorrect as it actually 64.6% but beside the point. Baylor was never a powerhouse to begin with but I don’t have to re state the condition of the program when he took over. His first 4 years they were 33 games under .500. His record since is 410-175 or 70%. Again this is at Baylor. Drew’s not my first choice but he has the potential to do well here.
The standard is not just better than Cal though. If we hire Drew and get out of the first weekend 20% of the time for the next decade would you be happy?
There's no evidence we've made anyone say no. I think you guys are confusing people that are skeptical about leaping at Drew as your first choice and hoping we can at least entertain a few options before bedding down first thing.
Nearly every insider says we've focused on Drew and it's obvious there's a connection there with Mitch.
If Oats, Wright, Donovan, Hurley and every other pipe dream said no, fine move on. But from the outside looking in, it looks like none of them have said anything other than coach speak.
For anybody that has Twitter there is a space by a guy named Nate and these guys are trying to convince themselves that Hurley is coming here. It’s some of most delusional stuff I have heard from people in our fanbase