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Kentucky basketball: 10 potential replacements for John Calipari

By Brad Berreman

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - JANUARY 12: John Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats gives instructions to his team against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Rupp Arena on January 12, 2021 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - JANUARY 12: John Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats gives instructions to his team against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Rupp Arena on January 12, 2021 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

8. Chris Mack, Louisville head coach

Mack’s inclusion here is mostly for fun, as Louisville is a chief rival for Kentucky and he’s surely not looking to leave. He stoked the rivalry by responding to Calipari’s assertion that the Cardinals didn’t want to play the Wildcats this year with a detailing of a scheduling back-and-forth that ultimately landed the annual rivalry game on Dec. 26 (a 62-59 win for the Cardinals).

“I keep getting asked, ‘Coach, are we playing the game? Are you scared? Are you a chicken? You won’t play Kentucky?'” Mack said in a video loaded with sarcasm. “As for the UK series, here’s the thing: I want to do what’s most convenient for John and his program.”

Leaving Louisville would not be on Mack’s radar, but Kentucky could try to pursue him if the situation with Calipari leads to his departure.

7. Chris Holtmann, Ohio State head coach

The 21st-ranked, 11-3 Buckeyes have beaten two top-15 teams in their last three games (Rutgers, Illinois), ahead of a season-defining upcoming four-game stretch that has Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Iowa on the schedule.

Holtmann won Big Ten Coach of the Year in his first year at Ohio State, and he’s got a 77-37 record now into his fourth season as Buckeyes’ coach. In three seasons at Butler prior to that, he had a 70-31 record.

Ohio State might be the proverbial destination job for Holtmann. But he did grow up in Nicholasville, Kentucky, which is approximately 80 miles from Lexington. So maybe, if Kentucky is looking to replace Calipari, there’d be mutual interest.