CBS Sports college basketball insiders Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander spent a month surveying 100-plus Division I men’s basketball coaches for our annual Candid Coaches series. They polled across the sport’s landscape: some of the biggest names in college basketball, but also small-school assistants in low-major leagues. Coaches agreed to share unfiltered opinions in exchange for anonymity. We asked 10 questions and have been posting the results over a three-week span.
It’s uncommon to see rivals make a coaching change in the same cycle. But for Kentucky and Louisville to do it? The last time Louisville and Kentucky had coaching changes in men’s basketball in the same year was 1930 — the year Kentucky hired a 28-year-old named Adolph Rupp.
But for these schools to make coaching changes under the circumstances we just witnessed? What an anomaly. Surely we’re never getting this again. Louisville is trying to emerge from the sludge of the program’s nadir after a horrid two-year experiment under Kenny Payne. The Cardinals tried to land Scott Drew, then thought they were getting Dusty May, but ultimately were forced to pivot to and pluck Pat Kelsey from Charleston.
A week after Kelsey got to Louisville, John Calipari — still soiled in the aftermath of his latest disaster, a first round NCAA loss to Oakland — found an escape hatch to Fayetteville, Arkansas, and vacated his post in Lexington after 15 years. Kentucky tried, but failed, just like Louisville, to convince Drew to leave Baylor. Dan Hurley did the same. So, just like Louisville, Kentucky found itself forced into digging deeper to find its next coach. Enter: Mark Pope.
In the months since, both fan bases have been significantly boosted by their new coaches. The vibes are outstanding right about now. A fierce rivalry gets a reset, with new stakes, and the years to come will be a lot of fun thanks to Kelsey and Pope’s…
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