Good Morning, Illini Nation: About that job in Lexington

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Apr. 10—The search for the next Kentucky basketball coach is still in its “throw names at a wall and see what sticks” phase. What we do know is John Calipari is leaving Lexington, Ky., which he officially announced in two videos posted to social media Tuesday afternoon. The same clip, actually, but just once with watchable video quality. Next stop? Arkansas.

Who replaces Calipari is the big question. Alabama coach Nate Oats has already come forward and said he won’t. Connecticut coach Dan Hurley shot down that possibility in the wake of winning a second straight national title.

So can Kentucky lure Billy Donovan from the NBA? Get Baylor’s Scott Drew to say yes to the Wildcats after he said no to Louisville? Or will it be somebody else?

Several names have been bandied about. Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd. Auburn’s Bruce Pearl. Texas A&M’s Buzz Williams.

And Illinois’ Brad Underwood.

“Great for John,” Underwood said when asked about Calipari’s departure for Arkansas. It’s what he repeated when also asked if anyone from the Bluegrass State had reached out yet about a certain coach opening.

Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman has two basketball coaches that some other program might try and poach. Underwood has put the Illini men back on the college basketball map the past five seasons. Shauna Green is doing things with the Illini women’s program that haven’t been done in decades.

“I think it’s incumbent on me as the athletic director to make sure that they both understand they have a path to success,” Whitman said. “In talking with high-level competitors, which both Brad and Shauna are, the thing that matters the most to them is, ‘Do we have a chance here to do what our ultimate goals are?’

“Which is to win Big Ten and national championships. My job is to make sure we’re providing them with the resources — with the opportunity — to know that the opportunity exists here. It doesn’t mean we’re always going to go out and do it, but we need to know the road is here, that we’ve got the…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/good-morning-illini-nation-job-144800616.html

Author : The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.

Publish date : 2024-04-10 14:48:00

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