5 John Calipari replacements Kentucky should target after coach leaves for Arkansas

It was a wild Sunday night for the Kentucky Wildcats with rumors of John Calipari talking to Arkansas about their open head coaching job spinning into a done deal sending him to Fayetteville in just a matter of hours.

Many Kentucky fans wanted Calipari replaced after another March Madness disappointment anyway. Now the Wildcats have no choice. It's time to start looking for a new head coach.

Let's look at some options...

5. TJ Otzelberger

The other candidates on this list have much deeper résumés than TJ Otzelberger but the biggest fish out there may not bite when the Wildcats drop their hook. If that's the case, then Kentucky will need to look at options from a lower tier of qualifications.

Otz has spent three years as the head coach of Iowa State, posting a 70-35 record. He's gone to the Sweet 16 twice in that span. The Cyclones had gone to the Sweet 16 two times in the previous two decades. He won the Big 12 tournament this year.

The turnaround with Iowa State alone was extremely impressive but he's sustained that success. He's done enough to get a step up the ladder.

To be fair, this would be a fall back option for Kentucky, but it would be a pretty solid one.

4. Scott Drew

There just aren't that many national title-winning head coaches floating around out there. Scott Drew is one of them and compared to someone like Bill Self, he's not at a blue blood.

Drew won his first championship in 2021. He hasn't made it past the second round in the three years since but he's turned Baylor into a legitimate basketball program over the last two years. He has made three trips to the Elite Eight and five to the Sweet 16

Does Drew believe he can win another title with the Bears? If not the Kentucky brand and resources could give him the platform he needs to get his second.

He's making half of what Calipari was being paid by Kentucky. Maybe a raise could convince him to leave Waco after all these years.

3. Nate Oats

Before Nate Oats took over Alabama basketball, the Crimson Tide had gone to the NCAA Tournament just twice in 13 years. They hadn't been better than a No. 10 seed since 2005. In the last four years, he's been a No. 6 seed or better. He went to the Sweet 16 in 2021 and 2023 and got to the Final Four this year. Along the way, he's produced four first-round NBA Draft picks, including No. 2 overall Brandon Miller.

Oats has built a great program in Tuscaloosa, but Alabama is a football school. Going to a blue blood like Kentucky would be a step up for him.

The biggest barrier to bringing in Oats (assuming he'd be interested) is his buyout. Oats signed an extension in March. The buyout on that extension is $18 million. That's a pretty penny.

Then again, Kentucky seemed to weigh firing Calipari and his buyout would have been even more than that. The biggest boosters in Big Blue Nation could certainly put together the cash to make this happen, right?

2. Dan Hurley

Dan Hurley is in his second consecutive national title game with UConn and seeking his second championship. Pulling him away from the Huskies would be absolutely stunning. Then again, Calipari leaving for Arkansas was stunning. Mitch Barnhart might as well ask the question.

Realistically, Hurley is an extremely unlikely target. He can win everything at UConn. He doesn't need to leave to take the next step. He certainly doesn't need a fresh start the way Calipari seems to.

But who knows? The worst he can do is say no. The appeal of Kentucky is its own unpredictable element.

1. Billy Donovan

As we've made plainly clear, Kentucky should be in a position to swing for the fences. It's go big or go home time.

Incredibly enough, the Billy Donovan call feels more likely to be answered than Hurley or Oats.

Calipari presumably picked up when Arkansas called because he could see the writing on the wall. It was toxic for him in Lexington and he was ready to get out. Donovan could be in a similar position with the Chicago Bulls.

The national title winner with Florida has been coaching in the NBA since 2015. He took over for the Bulls in 2020 and it hasn't been smooth sailing. He's made the playoffs once and frankly, the teams' prospects don't look great going forward even though they're Play-In Tournament-bound this year.

If, like Cal, Donovan isn't sure about his future at his current gig, Kentucky could be the perfect move for him. It would certainly be the perfect fit for the Wildcats.