Kentucky basketball: 10 potential replacements for John Calipari

2. Chris Beard, Texas Tech head coach

Texas Tech has four losses this season, with three of them to top-25 teams (Houston, Kansas, Baylor) and the other was an overtime loss to Oklahoma State. Kansas and Baylor were top-5 teams at the time. As has become their calling card, the Red Raiders are ranked third in adjusted defensive efficiency by KenPom.

On the proverbial coattails of a run to the 2019 Final Four, Beard has all the job security he could want in Lubbock. He is 105-48 in five seasons at Texas Tech, where he also spent 10 years (2001-2011) as an assistant under Bobby Knight and Pat Knight. He had taken the job at UNLV in 2016, then pivoted to Texas Tech when Tubby Smith was let go.

If Kentucky winds up looking to replace Calipari, big names will on their radar. Beard will surely have to turn down an overture in that situation, which he might do.

1. Scott Drew, Baylor head coach

Baylor kept their undefeated season going with a 68-60 win over Texas Tech on Saturday. Staying unblemished will be a challenge, with Kansas (twice), Auburn, Texas, Texas Tech (again) and West Virginia (twice) left on the schedule.

Drew has a .626 winning percentage (356-213 record) in 18 seasons at Baylor. Take out his first four seasons, as he took the program out of scandal, and he’s 320-144 since (.690 winning percentage). If a Big 12 title comes this year, that would fill a void on his resume.

Drew may simply not want to leave Baylor. But Kentucky will swim in a big fish pond if they’re replacing Calipari, and pursuing Drew is easy to see in that scenario.

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