Who Will Succeed Tubby Smith at Kentucky? Pt. I

The Tubby Smith era, for all intents and purposes, certainly appears to be over in Lexington. While the details of who, how, when and why have yet to be worked out, the question of who will succeed Smith now takes prominence in the local and national eye.

Here are some of the likely candidates for the Kentucky job. We'll start with Top Drawer, continue with Mid-Shelf, and then finish with Scrapin' the Barrel. This is a three-part series.

Top Drawer Name #1: Billy Donovan, Florida

That's the first name out of every Kentucky fan's mouth and has been for some time. Donovan has created a basketball dynasty in Gainesville, and is widely considered one of (if not the) top coaches in college basketball today. While Donovan has steadfastly insisted that he has no desire to test the pro waters or take on the challenge of building up another program, it is reasonable to wonder whether the football first, basketball second mentality at the University of Florida ever grates on Donovan. However, he has the ultimate job security: he put Florida basketball on the map. He is revered at Florida. It would take ten years of N.I.T. appearances before he'd even feel the hint of heat on his hindquarters. His young family has been raised in Gainesville and are actively part of the local community.

His Interest Level: Given his status and self-made legacy at Florida, it seems quite likely that Billy Donovan would not accept the job. Even if he is interested, he won't even listen to the first overture until his season is over. Right now the Gators are on an NCAA championship run, so any inquiries will be instantly dismissed for now.

Likelihood of Getting Him: Slim; 2 out of 10. Rick Pitino, Donovan's mentor and close friend, would no doubt urge Donovan to stay put.

Top Drawer Name #2: Billy Gillispie, Texas A&M


Apparently if your first name is "Billy," you're in like Flynn in Lexington. Gillespie's name is now well known thanks to his rapid turnaround of Texas A&M, who were picked to finish last in the Big 12 in 2005 before the 47-year old head coach led them to a 21-10 record. In 2006, Gillespie's Aggies advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Final Four-bound LSU. And in 2007, Gillespie has done one better; A&M is in the Sweet 16 with a 3-seed and 27-6 overall record. Gillespie is clearly one of the nation's best coaches and it doesn't seem likely that football-oriented Texas A&M will be able to retain his services forever.

His Interest Level: We're forecasting it as "Willing to Listen."

Likelihood of Getting Him: Medium; call it 5 out of 10. Gillespie may be interested, but like Donovan, won't have a word to say about the situation until his team's season has concluded. Gillespie may be a few seasons away from having a home for life at Texas A&M, so luring him away now isn't necessarily the slam dunk that Kentucky fans might think it is.

Top Drawer Name #3: John Calipari, Memphis

John Calipari has been a coach on the rise since his days in the Atlantic 10 conference at UMass. Calipari was the Naismith National Coach of the Year in 1996, when he took UMass on a 35-2 whirlwind run to the NCAA Final Four. After a short and unsuccessful fling with the New Jersey Nets, Calipari arrived at Memphis and made an immediate impact. In his first year coaching the Tigers, Memphis played in the NIT Final Four. In '02 they won an NIT championship. In '03 the Tigers made it into the NCAAs but departed quickly. In '04 they made the second round, but in '05 they fell short of a return to the Big Dance. In '06, the Tigers went 33-4 and made the Elite Eight.

His Interest Level: Lexington is only about a six-hour drive from Memphis, so the move itself shouldn't be a problem. Kentucky is one of the highest profile coaching jobs in the land and plays in the ultra-competitive Southeastern Conference. Would Calipari be interested in leaving his beloved mid-major school for that? He'd be nuts if he wasn't.

Likelihood of Getting Him: Calipari has many ties to the Memphis community and is considered responsbile for re-energizing the city's "love affair" with Memphis basketball. Still, his team shares an arena with the Memphis Grizzlies and has to schedule top non-con competition every year to stay competitive. Calipari might be the most likely of the "Top Drawer" names to be successfully lured to Kentucky. We'll call it a 7 out of 10.

Next: Mid-Shelf Names