Drew a candidate for the UK job??

142,500 Views | 1003 Replies | Last: 5 mo ago by wongobear
Fre3dombear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
TeamPlayer said:

whitetrash said:

boognish_bear said:


As a CBS analyst, perhaps he should have checked with the local CBS affiliate sports anchor before posting. But then again, finding his *ss with both hands has never been Seth's strong suit.
I think he's just having fun with it, same as Drew. It's for entertainment purposes only . . . no wagering please . . .


Can we wager on Drew taking the job?
EvilTroyAndAbed
How long do you want to ignore this user?
CarmelBear said:

Calipari had a .753 winning percentage at UK. He led them to a championship, two more final fours, 3 more elite eights and another sweet sixteen. And they wanted him gone for not advancing farther that the first weekend in the tourney since 2018-2019.

He had the number one recruiting class coming this year. Previous years (247):
2023: 1st
2022: 5th
2021: 2nd
2020: 1st
2019: 2nd
2018: 2nd
2017: 2nd
2016: 2nd
2015: 1st

Uh, I can see why Drew or any other successful coach might think twice about heading to Kentucky. I am very thankful Coach Drew is in Waco and hope that he says AS LONG AS HE WANTS. I hope the UK fans clamoring for Pearl (!) or Beard (!) are happy in a week or so.


What about Tubby before him? 76 percent winning percentage, 5 SEC Championships, 1 NC, and he beat the posse out of town and to Minnesota.

No coach besides Pitino has left Kentucky on their own terms in decades. If you want to say Cal left on his own terms, okay, but … not really.
BearlyNose
How long do you want to ignore this user?
One-Eyed Wheeler said:

Closer to his family in Valpo.
His father and mother live in the Phoenix Metro area, as does his brother. His kids are in school here. Don't know where his sister lives, what other family are you talking about?
Fre3dombear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
It'll end up Being Kentucky legend Pope, puff of white smoke
bear2be2
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Fre3dombear said:

It'll end up Being Kentucky legend Pope, puff of white smoke
I think Pope's a solid coach, but that would be a disastrous hire for Kentucky. If Scott Drew isn't good enough for that fan base, hiring Pope would cause a riot.
Fre3dombear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
bear2be2 said:

Fre3dombear said:

It'll end up Being Kentucky legend Pope, puff of white smoke
I think Pope's a solid coach, but that would be a disastrous hire for Kentucky. If Scott Drew isn't good enough for that fan base, hiring Pope would cause a riot.


Make it so
SicEmScootch
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Full time UK / part-time Baylor fan here. As someone who lives in Lexington, bleeds blue, and tracks all things UK men's bball, while simultaneously cheering for Baylor every chance I get, here's my take on a few things from "our side". Sorry it's so long, I'm on vacation in FL and have nothing else to do

TLDR: UK bball is a machine that's gotten rusty because Cal no longer cares about maintenance. Drew would at least grease the gears consistently. At best, he'd get rid of the machine completely and we'd all love Jesus together and forget about this silly game.

- To understand my perspective on Cal/Drew, you need some background. Lexington is a predominantly college-educated, liberal, artsy, horseracing and bourbon cash-rich city full of gen-x / millennial / gen z opinions. Those voices probably don't see Drew as a great fit because he isn't making what they'd consider a lateral or downward move to us. Outside of Lexington though, the state is largely Bible-believing, down-to-earth, hard-working, Republicans who recognize Drew's success and like what he personally stands for. That said, the booster money at UK is largely boomers. They are successful businessmen and horse industry giants who understand that building something great takes time and generally, lots of money. UK basketball is a business to them, so they won't be swayed by message boards and Twitter posts. That's who Mitch Barnhart listens to.

- UK fans take on Coach Cal: When Cal was first hired, most fans held him at arm's length, given that he was a used car salesman with sketchy situations at UMass and Memphis, as well as failed stints in the NBA. They didn't trust his freshman-heavy, one-and-done philosophy, but most eventually softened to it/him. From 2010-2019, he was VERY accessible to fans and media, and seemed to mesh well with admin. Post-Covid however, something changed. He was slow to embrace the transfer portal, and seemed progressively further away from media and fans. Much of his communication was generic coach-speak. Since '20-'21, we'd have a decent season, look promising, and then bomb out of the tournament. Each year, Cal would recycle the same excuses, citing some unique challenge or issue or freak performance from an opposing team, but after this year's quick exit, Cal was at odds with EVERYONE - fans, Mitch, media, boosters, and UK people related to the program. It was toxic all around and once again, instead of being humble and attempting to rectify things or even acknowledging that he needed help figuring it out, he doubled down on his coach-speak and Cal-isms. For most of us, we didn't want him gone solely because of the losses, it just felt like he was bored and apathetic and unwilling to change. Cal's philosophy of "We're developing players for the NBA, winning games is a natural by-product..." was great while those players were winning, but when you're losing repeatedly and your coach looks like he's always on his way to or from the golf course (both physically and mentally), it sounds more like, "Getting players to the NBA to make a bunch of money and drive fancy cars is more important than this program..." which is a really hard pill to swallow, while also losing games.

- UK fans take on Scott Drew: The above perspective on Coach Cal has given many fans a reason to like all that Scott Drew is about. I've read tons of posts on this board about how Drew's culture of joy wouldn't translate to UK. I disagree. I think it's exactly what we're looking for. Cal has created a distrustful, strenuous relationship with everyone, and I think Drew's positivity would be, quite literally, a God-send.

Scott Drew's pitch (as I understand it) is, "I develop the man over the program." If the team isn't winning, as a fan, it's much easier to be patient when you genuinely trust the coach's motives, and like the guy. Contrary to what many believe, most UK fans just want and expect to be competitive. We expect to enjoy games and be proud of the type of men, and players, our university is developing. And we want to make it out of the first weekend of the tourney more often than not! For the past few years, we've had some regular season successes, some big wins, and have pushed some pretty good players into the NBA. But those things feel pretty hollow when we have like 1 post-season win, and the roster is almost brand-new each season with very few proven, dependable pieces. There's nothing that offers confidence that each year won't just be the same pattern repeated.

On top of that, one of the biggest complaints about Cal is his inability or lack of desire to implement actual technical and strategic disciplines. Scripted inbounds plays? Yeah right! Zone defense? Ha! Never. Our players rarely adjust effectively to different strategies thrown at them mid-game, and we usually look completely unprepared for complex off/def movement. Cal's philosophy has always been, "If you have real athletes, high-quality basketball players, and give them the tools to win, they'll make enough of the right decisions at the end of games." Unfortunately, it just hasn't worked out like that. We need a coach that will coach.

- Professionally, I really like Scott Drew for all of the reasons listed above. As a Christian however, I'm more hopeful for what I believe is a necessary reminder to our university and state that life is more than basketball, and these players are just kids who need direction and love, they're not a business. I'm hopeful that Scott Drew would see this as an opportunity to share his joy on the biggest stage possible (while maybe winning some games). And hopefully, that culture would allow for the growth of high-quality young men who make great decisions in life, not just at the end of games.
Chuckroast
How long do you want to ignore this user?
IowaBear said:

Can you or someone confirm it's raining in Waco today lol kidding… sort of


I already checked the forecast . Apparently it did rain there mid morning
Chuckroast
How long do you want to ignore this user?
SicEmScootch said:

Full time UK / part-time Baylor fan here. As someone who lives in Lexington, bleeds blue, and tracks all things UK men's bball, while simultaneously cheering for Baylor every chance I get, here's my take on a few things from "our side". Sorry it's so long, I'm on vacation in FL and have nothing else to do

TLDR: UK bball is a machine that's gotten rusty because Cal no longer cares about maintenance. Drew would at least grease the gears consistently. At best, he'd get rid of the machine completely and we'd all love Jesus together and forget about this silly game.

- To understand my perspective on Cal/Drew, you need some background. Lexington is a predominantly college-educated, liberal, artsy, horseracing and bourbon cash-rich city full of gen-x / millennial / gen z opinions. Those voices probably don't see Drew as a great fit because he isn't making what they'd consider a lateral or downward move to us. Outside of Lexington though, the state is largely Bible-believing, down-to-earth, hard-working, Republicans who recognize Drew's success and like what he personally stands for. That said, the booster money at UK is largely boomers. They are successful businessmen and horse industry giants who understand that building something great takes time and generally, lots of money. UK basketball is a business to them, so they won't be swayed by message boards and Twitter posts. That's who Mitch Barnhart listens to.

- UK fans take on Coach Cal: When Cal was first hired, most fans held him at arm's length, given that he was a used car salesman with sketchy situations at UMass and Memphis, as well as failed stints in the NBA. They didn't trust his freshman-heavy, one-and-done philosophy, but most eventually softened to it/him. From 2010-2019, he was VERY accessible to fans and media, and seemed to mesh well with admin. Post-Covid however, something changed. He was slow to embrace the transfer portal, and seemed progressively further away from media and fans. Much of his communication was generic coach-speak. Since '20-'21, we'd have a decent season, look promising, and then bomb out of the tournament. Each year, Cal would recycle the same excuses, citing some unique challenge or issue or freak performance from an opposing team, but after this year's quick exit, Cal was at odds with EVERYONE - fans, Mitch, media, boosters, and UK people related to the program. It was toxic all around and once again, instead of being humble and attempting to rectify things or even acknowledging that he needed help figuring it out, he doubled down on his coach-speak and Cal-isms. For most of us, we didn't want him gone solely because of the losses, it just felt like he was bored and apathetic and unwilling to change. Cal's philosophy of "We're developing players for the NBA, winning games is a natural by-product..." was great while those players were winning, but when you're losing repeatedly and your coach looks like he's always on his way to or from the golf course (both physically and mentally), it sounds more like, "Getting players to the NBA to make a bunch of money and drive fancy cars is more important than this program..." which is a really hard pill to swallow, while also losing games.

- UK fans take on Scott Drew: The above perspective on Coach Cal has given many fans a reason to like all that Scott Drew is about. I've read tons of posts on this board about how Drew's culture of joy wouldn't translate to UK. I disagree. I think it's exactly what we're looking for. Cal has created a distrustful, strenuous relationship with everyone, and I think Drew's positivity would be, quite literally, a God-send.

Scott Drew's pitch (as I understand it) is, "I develop the man over the program." If the team isn't winning, as a fan, it's much easier to be patient when you genuinely trust the coach's motives, and like the guy. Contrary to what many believe, most UK fans just want and expect to be competitive. We expect to enjoy games and be proud of the type of men, and players, our university is developing. And we want to make it out of the first weekend of the tourney more often than not! For the past few years, we've had some regular season successes, some big wins, and have pushed some pretty good players into the NBA. But those things feel pretty hollow when we have like 1 post-season win, and the roster is almost brand-new each season with very few proven, dependable pieces. There's nothing that offers confidence that each year won't just be the same pattern repeated.

On top of that, one of the biggest complaints about Cal is his inability or lack of desire to implement actual technical and strategic disciplines. Scripted inbounds plays? Yeah right! Zone defense? Ha! Never. Our players rarely adjust effectively to different strategies thrown at them mid-game, and we usually look completely unprepared for complex off/def movement. Cal's philosophy has always been, "If you have real athletes, high-quality basketball players, and give them the tools to win, they'll make enough of the right decisions at the end of games." Unfortunately, it just hasn't worked out like that. We need a coach that will coach.

- Professionally, I really like Scott Drew for all of the reasons listed above. As a Christian however, I'm more hopeful for what I believe is a necessary reminder to our university and state that life is more than basketball, and these players are just kids who need direction and love, they're not a business. I'm hopeful that Scott Drew would see this as an opportunity to share his joy on the biggest stage possible (while maybe winning some games). And hopefully, that culture would allow for the growth of high-quality young men who make great decisions in life, not just at the end of games.



Nice post. If Drew could bring that culture of joy to UK and have it embraced, that would be something to behold. What a platform he would have, and as a Christian, that would be exciting. That being said, I am doubtful that a secular university like Kentucky would truly embrace that aspect of his program. It's looking like he may stay put. As a Baylor fan, I would be happy to have him another 20 years if this is where he is called to be.
PartyBear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
The conventional wisdom and twittersphere was saying last night we would all know today.

Perhaps we do.
hodedofome
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Chuckroast said:

IowaBear said:

Can you or someone confirm it's raining in Waco today lol kidding… sort of


I already checked the forecast . Apparently it did rain there mid morning


It rained pretty good (even hail) for most of the day today.
IowaBear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Kentucky fans claiming there's another plane on its way to Waco. What a whirlwind this has been. Hopefully it's over tomm
caseylatham
How long do you want to ignore this user?
There is. It landed in Temple though for 30 minutes, then took off again. Looks like a decoy.
boognish_bear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
gobears20
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Staff
Did they ever figure out who got off that first plane? Apparently they said they had media there. There fan base is like that crazy ex lol
OntheRecord
How long do you want to ignore this user?
boognish_bear said:

Where are people getting that Drew's buyout is 4.5 million?

As a private school that information is not disclosed.

If you look at the top 15 coaches here most of their buyouts are somewhere between $15 to $20 million. I would assume Drew is in that ballpark.

https://sports.usatoday.com/ncaa/salaries/mens-basketball/coach
From Baylor's 2022 990 accessible via guidestar.org:

(59) Scott Drew
Head Men's Basketball Coach
Reportable compensation from the organization: 5,087,221
Estimated amount of other compensation from the organization and related organizations: 45,600
2Bears
How long do you want to ignore this user?
If you go to their BB board, they believe Drew's wife was on the plane and supposedly that was "confirmed" for them. All of the speculation is hilarious, but I am ready for him to put it to rest one way or another.
whitetrash
How long do you want to ignore this user?
2Bears said:

If you go to their BB board, they believe Drew's wife was on the plane and supposedly that was "confirmed" for them. All of the speculation is hilarious, but I am ready for him to put it to rest one way or another.
Are they the same ones who swore they saw Nick Saban's wife coming out of a realtor's office in Westlake Hills in 2016?
Killing Floor
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Kentucky isn't going to handcuff his recruiting and you know they have NIL figured out.

I hope he just plain wants to stay in Waco because I can't think of any advantage unless we just buried him in money. Which Kentucky will try to do because they value wins above all else.

Please stay
ImABearToo
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Hopefully Mack is fleecing the BMD's as we write.
BUCANDOIT82
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Fre3dombear said:

TeamPlayer said:

whitetrash said:

boognish_bear said:


As a CBS analyst, perhaps he should have checked with the local CBS affiliate sports anchor before posting. But then again, finding his *ss with both hands has never been Seth's strong suit.
I think he's just having fun with it, same as Drew. It's for entertainment purposes only . . . no wagering please . . .


Can we wager on Drew taking the job?


My Maximum bet is $5….I'm willing to wager all 5 dollars he is Kentucky's next coach.
gobears20
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Staff
OkieBear12
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Here's their board's discussion solely on the second plane. They're convinced it was Drew's wife getting the tour of the city.

https://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/threads/plane-headed-back-to-waco.412400/

What blows my mind is that their fan base is at such a diehard level that people will camp out at airports in the middle of the day to get info. I mean who has time for that? I've already spent too much time caring about this today and all I did was check message boards throughout the day.

BUCANDOIT82
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Drew is not taking a very public interview to turn them down. He's just letting them know he's not desperate and he needs XY & Z.
boognish_bear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
gobears20 said:




Welp....the roller coaster continues

IowaBear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
He's gone. I was definitely being naive thinking his post today meant he was staying. Wish him luck. But he's going to regret that decision in a hurry.
boognish_bear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
IowaBear said:

He's gone. I was definitely being naive thinking his post today meant he was staying. Wish him luck. But he's going to regret that decision in a hurry.


Guess I'll wait to see how this all plays out...but that tweet definitely feels like a false step with the fans he's built a relationship with for 20 years.

He had to know how we would all receive something like that....then knowing the whole time his family was up in Lexington. Doesn't sit right. He should have just stayed silent.
Big12Fan2024
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I really hope Tang doesn't feel some sort of allegiance to Kansas State after saying no to Arkansas or that McCasland doesn't think he owes Tech much more time since he's only been there a year.
IvanBear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Big12Fan2024 said:

I really hope Tang doesn't feel some sort of allegiance to Kansas State after saying no to Arkansas or that McCasland doesn't think he owes Tech much more time since he's only been there a year.


I really don't think we'll be able to pry either of them away.

Going after Jakus may be easier
OurOurs
How long do you want to ignore this user?
If I'm Drew, I'm also thinking about legacy at this point. While it would be tempting to have a change of scenery and a bigger stage, the reality is his name will never have the same weight in Lexington as he has here.

I have a feeling that if he leaves, it's unlikely that we will see his statue on campus. Similar to Mulkey a great, successful, longtime coach, but not an "immortal."

If he stays, we will see his statue before he retires. He will go down as Baylor's greatest sports coach of all-time. He will be a legend here forever. There is still a lot to accomplish at Baylor, and we need his JOY more than ever as a tentpole for the athletics programs and the university as a whole.

I think if he does leave, then he will have some buyer's remorse when he looks back at the end.
DallasBear9902
How long do you want to ignore this user?
IowaBear said:

He's gone. I was definitely being naive thinking his post today meant he was staying. Wish him luck. But he's going to regret that decision in a hurry.


Kentucky will regret it in a hurry, too. Those fans will go off the walls the first time he loses a game like we lost at BYU last season.

I wish him the best. I understand the alpha dog mentality that he can make it work. But man is he walking away from a perfect fit and tremendous legacy in Waco.
Big12Fan2024
How long do you want to ignore this user?
OurOurs said:

If I'm Drew, I'm also thinking about legacy at this point. While it would be tempting to have a change of scenery and a bigger stage, the reality is his name will never have the same weight in Lexington as he has here.

I have a feeling that if he leaves, it's unlikely that we will see his statue on campus. Similar to Mulkey a great, successful, longtime coach, but not an "immortal."

If he stays, we will see his statue before he retires. He will go down as Baylor's greatest sports coach of all-time. He will be a legend here forever. There is still a lot to accomplish at Baylor, and we need his JOY more than ever as a tentpole for the athletics programs and the university as a whole.

I think if he does leave, then he will have some buyer's remorse when he looks back at the end.

I think that's the way you and I and others may think, but I don't think Scott Drew thinks that way. Anyone who has ever been around him says he is positive and goofy all the time. He probably doesn't see any of the dangers at Kentucky because he doesn't think of those things. A positive person like him sees 10 or more consecutive National Championships at arguably the highest visibility school in college basketball. I don't think any of the negative stuff crosses his mind.
DallasBear9902
How long do you want to ignore this user?
IvanBear said:

Big12Fan2024 said:

I really hope Tang doesn't feel some sort of allegiance to Kansas State after saying no to Arkansas or that McCasland doesn't think he owes Tech much more time since he's only been there a year.


I really don't think we'll be able to pry either of them away.

Going after Jakus may be easier


Drew built a pretty robust coaching tree. The facilities, location, and history will make us relevant in the next hire. Just gotta nail it.
Fre3dombear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
The destruction of baylor athletics is near complete. Just a few more grains of sand

Briles treatment by the BoR toppled the entire thing.

EvilTroyAndAbed
How long do you want to ignore this user?
IowaBear said:

He's gone. I was definitely being naive thinking his post today meant he was staying. Wish him luck. But he's going to regret that decision in a hurry.
I'm shocked by that tweet now. What did he think he was doing sharing that out today? What did it accomplish other than trolling his fans? I thought it was a gesture for us to calm down and not worry. It's kind of like he was laughing at us? I'm flabbergasted.
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.