The Kentucky Wildcats will probably be casting a wide net in searching for their next head coach to replace John Calipari. But that net will apparently not extend to the United Center in Chicago and the office of two-time national champion Billy Donovan.
According to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander and 247Sports’ Brad Crawford, Donovan is not a “primary focus” for the Wildcats during their ongoing head coaching search.
“As for the Kentucky opening, no stunner here, but: I’m not expecting Billy Donovan to be the top target/next coach. He’s very much locked in on the Bulls gig. There’s no telling how long that run might last, how long Kentucky could wait, or if he even wants to return to college,” Norlander wrote.
Donovan rose to national stardom as head coach of the Florida Gators from 1996 to 2015, leading the team to four of their five Final Four appearances and national title wins in 2006 and 2007.
He became head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015, leading the team to the Western Conference Finals in his first year before losing in the first round of their next four playoff trips and leaving in 2020. Since joining the Bulls, he’s made one playoff appearance so far but is hoping to increase that to two this year.
A team like Kentucky no doubt wants a proven commodity who has a track record of taking teams on deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. Though Donovan has the experience, he’s been away from the college game for an awfully long time.
The Wildcats will probably wind up going with someone who is closer to the current college game, either an up-and-coming assistant who won’t be following Calipari to Arkansas, or another experienced head coach.
Who do you think the Wildcats will hire? Will Billy Donovan ever return to college coaching?