Kentucky’s men’s basketball job isn’t even formally open yet.
And the nos are piling up.
But there’s a “home run hire” lurking in the wings — who also isn’t officially a free agent yet.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is considered the “home run hire” and “aspirational” candidate for the Wildcats’ opening, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
“There’s one name that looms over all and that’s Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan, who was obviously there under Rick Pitino as an assistant,” Thamel said before UConn’s win over Purdue in Monday’s national title game. “He is the Hail Mary hire, he is the home-run hire. He is who Kentucky is going to make say no.”
Other top dream candidates like UConn coach Dan Hurley, Alabama coach Nate Oats and former Villanova coach Jay Wright, now a CBS broadcaster, have all publicly said they will not be leaving their respective roles.
The Kentucky gig is one of the premier jobs in the sport and that comes with grand expectations.
John Calipari won plenty at Kentucky but not enough in the NCAA Tournament, and he started to feel unwanted at the school as fans soured on him after another early tournament exit.
Throw in a close relationship with John H. Tyson, the chairman of Tyson Foods, and Calipari decided to leave the Bluegrass State to head to Arkansas.
Kentucky rightfully feels it can lure a top candidate, but that doesn’t mean everyone and anyone will leave their current positions.
Oats recently signed an extension with Alabama and is opting to stay put, while Hurley, a Jersey City native, made it clear that his wife, Andrea, would prefer living in Connecticut than Lexington.
Wright, who left Villanova prior to the rise of NIL, has a comfy television job and said Monday night he would not be a candidate.
That leaves Donovan as a potential top option — provided he wants to return to the college ranks and the Bulls let him out of his contract early.
Donovan is under contract for two more years with the Bulls, according to NBC.
But with the Bulls (37-41) headed toward a third losing season in four years, it’s not unreasonable to think a split would be best for all parties involved.
But the caveat is the Bulls have qualified for the Play-In Tournament, where they will face the Hawks in the 9-10 game.
While betting on the Bulls would be foolish, they technically have a shot to win the title.
The Play-In Tournament begins April 16, meaning Kentucky would have to wait at least one week before potentially moving forward with Donovan.
Donovan enjoyed tremendous success at the collegiate level, owning the last back-to-back championship run in Florida in 2006-07 until Hurley and the Huskies did so Monday night.
“I think you have to start with an aspiration candidate list, and the top of that would be Billy Donovan, who is the Bulls coach,” Thamel said in a separate segment prior to the Huskies’ 75-60 triumph. “The early read there is the answer from Donovan is expected to be the same it has been for the last half-dozen years or so when college jobs have called and Billy has said, ‘No, thanks, I’m happy in the NBA. The timing for Donovan doesn’t work well, the Bulls are in the play-in game, to get in the NBA playoffs … That’s a long time from today if you’re going to wait to talk to Billy Donovan.”
Thamel added that if Kentucky can’t land Donovan, Baylor’s Scott Drew may be the “most realistic” option due to his affordable buyout.
Drew is an excellent recruiter and won the 2021 national championship with the Bears.