I keep seeing people say we should have hired him. I could have sworn Billy told us he wasn’t interested several times. Like when we hired our previous 3 coaches. Am I making stuff up or has he never been interested in the UK head coach position?
Question about Donovan
- Thread starter BigBlue_83
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My guess is he doesn't want the job or to live in Lexington.,
He said that he wanted to focused on getting the Bulls to the playoffs and that any discussion would have to be after the season. The Bulls were in play in game and MB didn’t want to wait. Billy D probably would’ve still said no because MB is a horrible recruiter just like Pope lol
That’s what I was thinking. I feel like he was interviewed when Tubby was hired and he declined. Then said he wasn’t interested when we hired Gillespie and Cal.
I remember that part. Not sure he would have came but you make a guy like that say no.
There’s zero indication that he’s interested in coaching CBB again. He seems fine collecting paychecks in obscurity with a half assed team.
That's the politically correct thing to say for the record.
He and Jay Wright both have turned down the gig multiple times.
They don’t want to deal with the circus that is this fan base.
Folks tread carefully with all the firing talk. An unproven relatively new HC from BYU and a Big 12 coach currently about .500 were who we got interest from last time.
The later couldn’t leave Lexington fast enough, and we only got Pope because he played here.
They don’t want to deal with the circus that is this fan base.
Folks tread carefully with all the firing talk. An unproven relatively new HC from BYU and a Big 12 coach currently about .500 were who we got interest from last time.
The later couldn’t leave Lexington fast enough, and we only got Pope because he played here.
All the speculation is just that. I would start bugging the ear of Will Wade. Dude is young and can flat out coach and recruit.
I’m not sure how old Donovan is. Early 60’s? He might consider UK as the final act of his career. But he nor any other great coach is gonna answer to a dumbass like Mitch Barnhart.
There’s no way he would’ve turned it down, if offered before Tubby. He was at Marshall at the time. The players wanted and requested him, because they liked him and he ran a style closer to Pitino. Tubby was at Georgia and more experienced (both had been Pitino assistants). C.M. Newton went with Tubby. Florida hired Donovan and the rest is history
Is that you, Mitch?
I also heard Donovan say, in an interview that he was never really offered the UK job before Cal or before Pope. So there’s that.
I do wonder if Donovan would be as goood of a college coach these days as he was back then. The game has changed quite a bit with NIL and all
I do wonder if Donovan would be as goood of a college coach these days as he was back then. The game has changed quite a bit with NIL and all
I can’t remember how everything went down but I for some reason I feel like he told us he wasn’t interested before interviews or anything ever began. I could just be making things up at this point. I was just curious if anyone else recalls that
It’s been so long ago, I can’t recall exactly what happened or when. I felt like Tubby was a quick hire. Maybe Donovan wasn’t offered then. I just have this memory of when we were looking for a coach he said wasn’t interested in it at all.
Your use of the words “should have” falsely implies that we “could have.”
Donovan does not want to be the UK coach. He has made that eminently clear by rejecting our offers in multiple prior searches. Not sure why it’s so hard for some folks to get that.
That’s what I’m saying. I don’t think he was ever interested. Just trying to recall past conversations where he told us no thanks before he was even offered an interview. People are acting like he was an option when he told us no before
Like I said in another thread.
Hiring a coach is about timing. He came off I think 2 titles at the time, so he loyalty to Florida made sense. However, that happened decades ago and things could have change. He should be in the pool of consideration even if he says no a third time.
It's also reasonable for anyone to consider he would say no again because he did turn us down twice. Secondly, its also reasonable to say that we should still see if he's willing.
To me, coach that is old like Donovan or Pearl, would be excellent 5 year Bridge Coaches. Their job is to sustain the program until that better long term, younger coach is ready to take the job next.
I don’t get it either. This board’s endless obsession with Donovan has always baffled me. He’s made it clear he doesn’t want us, but for some bizarre reason, some UK fans can’t just accept that and move on.
He didn’t reject if he was never officially offered. Mitch called to gauge interest. He stated something to the effect of he was happy at his current position, but waiting for some kind of offer and Mitch never followed up with any offer. I could be wrong but that’s the way I see it from info that I’ve gathered
But he absolutely WAS officially offered at least twice …in both 07 and 09.
How many more times do y’all wanna give this guy the chance to reject us? I’d like to think UK has more pride than that.
this is so dumb, I'm sorry to be frank.
But you literally think that?
Like others have said, Will Wade ... you think will wade would say no to coach Kentucky... of course he wouldn't, he would come in a heart beat. That's the point, there are a bunch of coaches that had more success than pope that would take the job, but Mitch was the problem.
I'm not saying Will Wade is who I want but I definitely would have taken him over Pope, heck he could have recruited like a juggernaut here probably.
You know who else we could have asked I bet would have came for a 3 year contract... Pitino, and even in his 70s would have been a way safer bet than Pope, The pope hire was a huge dumb gamble I still don't understand
The story was, Board of trustees wouldn't even let UK pursue Pearl or Oats.
Yea jay wright isn't coming back to college and neither is Donovan.
Some act like the stalker ex that just can’t let it go.
Why not? What's your reason? He purposely retired so he could give his son a chance at coaching Auburn.
Also, maybe looking more into it, but Pearl has been wearing Kentucky blue A LOT this year.
Misinformation.
Here is the truth: Mitch prefers a choir boy he can control, someone whose religion he is comfortable with. Top choice (and a bad one!) = Drew. Second choice = Pope. Mitch sold fanbase on his second but clearly not qualified choice.
All the noise about Oates and others not being interested was fabricated to give Mitch cover for ignoring good choices that he couldn’t control.
Get rid of Mitch and we will get a real coach here (Oates, Billy D, Golden, Pearl, etc) with proven success.
It’s not complicated.
Please, if you’re a fan make some noise to get rid of Mitch. He’s holding the program hostage, ruining it.
The fact that he didn't flatly say no and that he would think about it, but at the conclusion of the Bulls' season because he was being professional to his current job tells me we had a legit shot.
People are dumb. People thought Mike D'Antoni and Brad Stevens would leave the NBA to coach at Kentucky. These people should be ignored because they're too dumb
Do you have proof he was offered? Because if not, I’ll take his word that he wasn’t
https://wgntv.com/sports/bulls/repo...-nba-hasnt-been-contacted-about-kentucky-job/
“I have not been contacted by anybody. I haven’t spoken to anybody,” Donovan told reporters with regards to the open Kentucky job after the Bulls lost to the New York Knicks in Chicago’s regular-season home finale Tuesday night.
According to reports, Donovan also said his answer would remain the same if Kentucky did contact him.
Donovan has never been offered the UK job. He would have taken it in a second when Pitino left.
CM was going to hire a black coach. No matter what. He did no search. He had decided on Tubby.
Pitino lobbied CM to hire Williard.
No one was going to sway CM from hiring Tubby.
2 years ago there was no search. Barney thought he had Drew ready and waiting.
When Drew backed out Mitch had no idea what to do. He made one call. He knew Pope would jump all over the job.
UK could have had their choice of qualified coaches. Just like Cal let it be known he wanted to coach here, so did others.
I agree with you that he thought he had Drew locked up. I believe he did talk to Hurley and make an offer just to appease some people. I doubt the reported figure of 15 mil per year though. After that, I wouldn’t doubt that he didn’t call anyone else but Mark Pope
Donovan has never interviewed for the UK job. Pitino told CM that Billy wasn't ready and basically handpicked Tubby as his successor. When BCG was hired Donovan was coming off back to back titles and was not interested in the UK job. I'm pretty sure it was Calipari all the way and his job to take or refuse at that point. I noticed mention of Willard above. Ralph had just gone 38-50 in 3 seasons at Pitt so that was not a realistic hire at the time.
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Member of fellowship of Christian Athletes, mentions God a fair amount ("aided by God's grace" during kidney transplant; said his alcohol recovery inspired by a "greater being"), and so on. Being from small town TX, Billy G knew how to talk God to suck up to Mitch. The choir boy preference has grown stronger following Billy G, largely motivated by the experience of Billy G. So, yeah...
btw, are you the real Paul Calhoun? If so, you remember Dave Jennings, NYG all pro? Used to play ball with him for a few years back before Parkinson's got him. Tremendous guy.