John Calipari got a lot of heat towards the end of his Kentucky Wildcats tenure for his inability to guide the team deep into March Madness. As justified as that might've been, his replacement, Mark Pope, hasn't had much more luck. The Wildcats were able to make it to the Sweet 16 in Pope's first season at the helm, but were just knocked out in the Round of 32 by No. 2-seeded Iowa State.
I don't necessarily blame Kentucky for losing to a very formidable Iowa State team, but this program failing to get to the second weekend of the tournament is pretty inexcusable, and could result in Kentucky looking for a change, even with Pope's somewhat expensive buyout in mind.
Possible Mark Pope replacement candidates for Kentucky
TJ Otzelberger (Iowa State head coach)
Why not start with the head coach who just beat Pope's Wildcats in the Round of 32, TJ Otzelberger? The 48-year-old Wisconsin native has turned the Cyclones into legitimate national title contenders, and that was on full display on Sunday.
His team could not make a shot in the first half, yet they led by a point heading into halftime. In the second half, the Cyclones had more luck from the field, and wound up winning the game by 19 points despite Joshua Jefferson's absence. Otzelberger has always been a defensive mastermind, but his ability to get the most out of this offense has taken Iowa State up another level.
It might be strange for Otzelberger to leave this program that's in as good a place as it's been in quite some time, but the draw Kentucky has could be too enticing. If he's able to build a team this good with Iowa State, imagine what he could do with Kentucky.
Scott Drew (Baylor head coach)
Now, this one might ruffle some feathers since Scott Drew turned the Wildcats down in their last head coaching search to remain with the Baylor Bears. While that might seem as if Drew wouldn't ever have interest in abandoning Baylor, at least for Kentucky, it isn't 2024 anymore.
In 2024, Baylor was just three years removed from a national title and had consistently been in the NCAA Tournament. Yes, they had trouble getting past the Round of 32 since winning the title, but so had Kentucky. There was reason to believe he'd be able to get Baylor back on top.
Unfortunately, it's all been downhill for Drew and Baylor since winning the national title. They've lost in the Round of 32 in four straight years after their NCAA Tournament win, and they failed to even qualify for the tourney this season after an underwhelming 16-16 season. Drew is still a good coach, but the reality of the NIL lives we live in now is that a program like Baylor just isn't going to compete with a school like Kentucky financially.
The circumstances now are vastly different from those when Calipari left Kentucky. Drew might turn the Wildcats down again, but it feels more likely that he'd be seriously interested this time around.
Unlikely Mark Pope replacement candidates for the Wildcats
Nate Oats (Alabama head coach)
Alabama is known more for its football prowess than basketball, but its basketball program is as good as it's been really ever, and Nate Oats has a lot to do with that. The Crimson Tide have made the tournament in six straight years and six of seven years in Oats' tenure. They haven't been one-and-done either; they've advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond in all but one of those years (pending Sunday's result).
To put into perspective how impressive Oats has been, Alabama basketball had been a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament just four times before Oats took over. This year was the fifth time Alabama was a top-four seed under Oats, and again, he hasn't even been in town that long.
Oats might choose to stay with Alabama, but if he's able to build a program this consistently great with Alabama's NIL budget for basketball, imagine what he can do with more cash to work with in Kentucky. If he wants to establish himself as one of the best coaches of his generation, a move to Kentucky could give him that kind of recognition.
Todd Golden (Florida head coach)
Todd Golden just led the Florida Gators to a national championship last season and with the team as a No. 1 seed, he has them in position to win it all again. For that simple reason alone, it's certainly unlikely he'll leave Florida, and nobody should blame him for that reality.
Golden has had tons of success at Florida, but as an SEC school, the priority is usually football, as is the case with Oats and Alabama. Knowing this, there's reason to believe a basketball-first school like Kentucky can throw tons of money and its championship banners in Golden's direction to try and lure him over.
Golden might be the best candidate on this list, given his track record and his age (40). It's unlikely he'd ditch Florida at this point, but it doesn't feel completely impossible.
Utterly ridiculous Mark Pope replacement candidates
Dusty May (Michigan head coach)
Dusty May might be the most popular name among Kentucky fans, and for obvious reasons. The Michigan Wolverines went 8-24 the year before May was hired. He then led the team to the Sweet 16 in his first season with Michigan and the No. 1 seed in this year's tournament. The Wolverines have already punched their ticket back to the Sweet 16 and could easily win the national title.
Why, when he's accomplished all he has and has already received an extension from Michigan, would May leave? I get all the allure the Kentucky program has to offer, but it's not as if Michigan is an SEC school. The Big Ten is as good as it gets basketball-wise, and Michigan has a ton of resources for May to work with. This feels like too big a long shot to be taken seriously.
Brad Stevens (Boston Celtics president of basketball operations)
Speaking of long shots that are too big to be taken seriously, Brad Stevens certainly fits into that boat. I get why Kentucky would want him — Stevens led a pretty irrelevant program in Butler to a national championship appearance. The Bulldogs lost that game, but getting there was quite the feat, and that's what got him to the NBA.
Stevens was a head coach for the Boston Celtics and is now their president of basketball operations. He might miss coaching to an extent, but the odds of him ditching a Celtics team that's perennially in title contention to coach in college basketball feel impossibly slim, if not none.
Stevens is the kind of delusional option fans dream of but never actually comes to fruition. Maybe Kentucky could be appealing enough for him, but I have my serious doubts.