Drew says no at opportunity to coach Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (KT) -- Kentucky's search for a new basketball coach hit a snag on Thursday morning when top target Scott Drew took his name out of the running, declining the offer to coach the Wildcats and instead remain at Baylor University.

"In our program, we strive to put Jesus first, then others and then ourselves," Drew said. "We truly believe God has called my family and I to continue our work here at Baylor, surrounded by the best people and community anyone could be blessed to have. ... We look forward to working together to bring more championships to Waco."

Connecticut coach Danny Hurley, a longshot candidate, and current Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan, a former UK assistant, appear to be the next choices.

Drew's family visited Lexington on Wednesday and he had been offered the position Tuesday night, a reliable source told Kentucky Today. Family and prayer were paramount as he considered the move.

Drew compiled a 446-244 record in 21 seasons at Baylor and guided the Bears to a national championship in 2021. He began his head coaching career at Valparaiso. He has reportedly been on Kentucky's radar since John Calipari stepped down on Tuesday.

Former Villanova coach Jay Wright also has been mentioned as a possible successor to Calipari. Wright has been out of coaching since 2022 and currently serves as an analyst for CBS Sports. He guided the Wildcats to NCAA titles in 2016 and 2018.

Donovan, who led Florida to back-to-back titles in 2006-07, said as of Tuesday night, he had not been contacted by Kentucky officials about the opening. Donovan has been out of college coaching since 2015 when he took over at Oklahoma City. He has been with the Bulls since the 2020-21 season.

Hurley, who just guided the Huskies to a second straight championship on Monday night, has been speculated as a potential target, but Hurley appears to be a longshot based on his connections in the Northeast.

A chance to win three straight championships is intriguing to Hurley. "That's what I'm thinking about," he said.

Other names mentioned are former Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, St. John's coach Rick Pitino and BYU''s Mark Pope.