LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Baylor basketball coach Scott Drew, who had been identified as a top target of the Kentucky men's basketball coaching search and whose family flew to Lexington for a visit on Wednesday, will remain at Baylor, according to multiple reports.
Drew had long been viewed as a potential successor to John Calipari, the Hall of Fame coach who left Lexington for Arkansas after a fourth straight first-weekend exit from the NCAA Tournament this past season. In part, that was because of his close relationship with UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart. Both are men of deep faith, and that faith has been a visible cornerstone of Drew’s tenure at Baylor.
Talks were advanced enough for Drew's wife and children to visit Lexington, but after family discussions, Drew reportedly made the decision to stay at Baylor, where he has been coach for 21 years, early Thursday.
Barnhart will pivot to other targets quickly. Dan Hurley, who just won a second straight national championship at UConn, likely will get a call. He has expressed multiple times that he doesn't see himself leaving Storrs, Conn., but has not explicitly ruled out the Kentucky job.
Kentucky also could pursue Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan, but his team will have a game in the NBA's play-in tournament and he likely wouldn't turn his attention away from his current job until then.
Among coaches in the next group after those could be Chris Beard of Ole Miss and Sean Miller at Xavier.
In 21 seasons at Baylor, Drew has compiled a record of 446-244, a winning percentage of 64.6. In the Big 12, his teams have gone 189-173 (.522), but over the past decade have gone 124-70 (.639) in what has been viewed as one of the toughest conferences in college basketball.
Drew’s Baylor teams have had 13 players selected in the NBA Draft, six of them in the first round.
He's a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, and three times has led Baylor to No. 1 rankings in The Associated Press poll.
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