NEWSLETTER
The Billy Donovan rumors slowed down on Wednesday, but they are about to merge back onto the highway.
Baylor head coach Scott Drew began to have his name tied heavily to the Kentucky opening. Not only was he being considered as one of the three top candidates, but The Field of 68 reported that he had serious discussions with the program about taking over the position. Nevertheless, Drew has released a statement confirming that he has no plans to leave the University of Baylor.
“In our program, we strive to put Jesus first, then other, then ourselves,” Drew said in his statement shared on social media. “We truly believe God has called my family and I to continue our work here at Baylor, surrounded by the best people and community anyone could be blessed to have. We are grateful for the support of Mack Rhoades, President Livingstone and the entire Baylor Family, and we look forward to working together to bring more championships to Waco #JOY”
Drew’s consideration for John Calipari’s former job comes as no surprise. He’s turned the Baylor Bears into one of the most consistently dominant forces in college basketball over his 22 years with the program. He carried a 446-244 record with the school all-time, and he’s only four seasons removed from winning his first NCAA Championship.
The fact Drew turned down a chance to join one of the more prestigious names in the sport certainly comes as a surprise. As for Dan Hurley? Eh, not so much.
The UConn head coach is coming off back-to-back national titles. Pulling him away from the culture he is building at a program that has now won six championships in 25 years was never going to be easy. Matt Norlander of CBS Sports reported on Thursday afternoon that there is a “0 percent chance” Hurley leaves for the Kentucky job. He also stated that a big new payday is coming his way.
Drew and Hurley were thought to be two of the top three names on Kentucky’s wishlist. So now all eyes turn back to arguably the biggest name out there.
Where Does Billy Donovan Stand?
Billy Donovan had a chance to address the Kentucky rumors earlier this week. He told reporters on Tuesday that he had not heard from the University thus far and that he remains committed to the Chicago Bulls.
While much of his response felt rather cookie-cutter, at least some of what Donovan had to say felt like it could open the door for more drama. First of all, he seemed to focus his commitment on this current group of players as opposed to the organization as a whole. Does this make sense with the Play-In Tournament a week away? Absolutely, but it does make you question how committed he might be once the offseason strikes.
More noteworthy, however, was how much praise Donovan had for the University of Kentucky. He started his head coaching career there as an assistant under Rick Pitino, and he proceeded to gush about their standing within the college ranks. Look, this might have been nothing more than Donovan feeling a bit nostalgic. But the fact he comes off as honored to be under consideration could tell us something about how he might approach a phone call.
Indeed, Donovan had every chance to flat-out say that he would not accept the Kentucky job and that he wasn’t interested in returning to college basketball. He didn’t. Does this mean we should expect Donovan to be on his way out? No. I genuinely believe – for now – that he prefers to stay in the NBA and with the Chicago Bulls. But I also believe that conversations could still happen behind the scenes, and all it could take is a godfather offer to make Donovan rethink things.
