Every head coach hire…who was your choice?

[KYNomad]

When each previous Kentucky head coach was being replaced and a new hire was made, was the guy hired your first choice? If not, who was? For me:

Hall - Can’t comment

Sutton - Can’t comment

Pitino - I was little and only started watching during Pitino’s first year

Tubs - I was a teenager. I watched most every game, but that was as far as my fandom went. Wasn’t thinking about coaching hires. I never liked the hire afterwards though. I think Tubby to Lexington after Pitino and Mike White to Florida after Donovan were equivalent hires.

Billy Clyde - Yes, first choice. I thought he was going to bring a more exciting version of the game back to Lexington. His tenure certainly was “exciting” alright.

Cal - Yes. Easy and obvious and only choice for me.

Pope - No. Was expecting more Tubby like years. Pretty good, not great. Happy now though. Golden was my top candidate. Llyod or Pearl were other favorites. Drew was at the bottom of my list.

Some of you old timers might remember the Rupp hire 😁

[Pete Hogwallop]

I wanted Pitino, Tubby and Cal. I don't recall who I wanted when we got Billy.

I was actually leaning toward the Baylor coach when we got Pope. But I was 100% fine with Pope. A warm body would have been better than what Cal had become at that point, so I wasn't real picky.

[capcat]

I wanted Pitino, Tubby and Cal. I don't recall who I wanted when we got Billy.

I was actually leaning toward the Baylor coach when we got Pope. But I was 100% fine with Pope. A warm body would have been better than what Cal had become at that point, so I wasn't real picky.

It got that way at the end of his tenure or before.

[BJD]

I wasn’t old enough to know who was in running when Hall was hired. But it worked out very well.

I thought Sutton was a great hire because he was a great coach. I thought our NC game was the game against him in the ‘78 FF.

I kinda wanted Lute Olson to replace Sutton. But I wasn’t against Pitino. I was against Carlisimo whom seemed to be hot at the time.

I wanted Clem Haskins over Tubby. Or really just about anyone other than Tubby.

I wanted Cal when Tubby left. But I wasn’t against Pitino so happy Tubby was gone they could have hired anyone and I was good with it.


They got it right hiring Cal after BCG.

I wanted Vogel to replace Cal. I didn’t want Drew, Oats, Hurley or Beard.

Like in the case of hiring Hall, UK seems to have gotten it right in hiring Pope.

We needed a “program first” coach after Cal. Pope is that in spades.

He has taken the first step in reuniting the fan base.

Now he needs to win. It looks like he will.

[CatsFan#9]

I guess I’m too old to remember who I personally wanted for each hire but I was too little to remember anything before Pitino. I like Tubby but didn’t love him, he was a good X and O coach but couldn’t recruit to keep up. I liked the BCG hire and thought he would kill it here, which he did, just not in the way that I thought.. lol Coach Cal was a great hire at the time and I was excited to get him. I didn’t even have Pope on the radar. I wanted Golden or unfortunately Hurley. When we hired Pope, I instantly started researching his playing style and previous performances. The more I dug, the more I got excited. Now, there’s not another coach in the nation that I would trade him for. We got the right guy and proved me to be just a dumb fan.

[Cats22]

I started watching in '04. I wanted Donovan instead of Gillespie. Cal was a no brainer at the time. Pope, I didn't want at first. Figured Hurley was a no so I thought let's just get Bruce Pearl and have a good 5 or 6 years. Wouldn't want anybody except Pope now.

[Supafuzz]

Started following UK Ricks 2nd year.. Should of been a fan going back to the end of Halls tenure because my family were die hard UK fans.. I just enjoyed hunting fishing and out in the hills from mid to end of the 80s way more..

Tubby was kinda thrown on us so don't even know of another coach UK was looking at.. But I was completely for the hire I think..

Wanted Donavon hands down over anyone after Tubs.. I had bad feelings on the Billy Clyde hire,, main thing everyone had for him was he beat UL once.. I didn't see much in him myself..

Kal was the only option for me.. Just wish he hadn't been so stubborn..

I did not want anything to do with Drew.. He just did not look like a coach UK needed.. Wanted Hurley or Oats baaaaad.. The next list was Pearl,, Donavon,, and T.J. Otzelberger.. Pope was not really on my want list when his name first came out but I was open to the idea.. I really wanted Pope in about 2-3 more years but knew that would never happen.. I'd been following him a few years already up until he was hired.. Soon as news broke I was 100% fully in on him.. Only small turn off was he was still kinda young in the coaching ranks but knew he'd get there where he needs to be way faster at a place like Kentucky.. Now win #9!!

[Spiritof96]

Tubby=Tubby
BCG=Mark Few
Cal=Mark Few
Pope=Todd Golden

Three of the 4 worked out (so far).

I actively always opposed Billy Donovan. (Still do)

[SportsFan]

The first coach I was old enough to remember when there was a search for the replacement was for Coach Joe B. Hall. I remember thinking, at the time, that Sutton would be a good choice and I was happy with that pick.

Next was Pitino, and he was exactly who I was hoping for at the time. Very happy with that choice.

Next up was Tubby, and I remember thinking at the time that the options weren't the best. I was OK with Tubby and thought he was probably a "good" hire but maybe not great. He wound up being an excellent hire when all was said and done.

Next was when they hired Gillespie, and he wasn't even in my top 3. Hindsight has proven I was right for not having him there.

I know I've been dogging Cal a lot lately, and he's deserved every bit of it....but initially I was a HUGE fan of John Calipari. So much so, that after UMASS beat UK early in the '95-'96 season, I said that if Rick Pitino ever left, Cal was the guy that I wanted to coach Kentucky. Unfortunately Cal left the college ranks a year before Pitino, and we got Tubby, which was fine but I still wanted Calipari. Even after Donovan had won back-to-back titles at Florida and everybody wanted him (see the posts above), I wanted Calipari....but we got Gillespie instead.

Eventually we got Cal and I was thrilled, but eventually that ran it's coarse and when Cal finally left (about 5 years too late) last year, I was fine with Mitch's first choice (Scott Drew) but also liked Nate Oats and Dan Hurley (initially. Now I'm thankful either one, especially Hurley, didn't come). I remember a friend telling me that Thursday night that Pope was the hire and initially I was pissed. I went to bed angry ...but for some unknown reason, woke up Friday with a bit of a calm feeling...like, it's going to be alright, just give it a chance. I think initially I was upset that we "weren't getting the perfect coach"....but maybe we were. I was just glad that the page was being turned from the Calipari years.

[Cawood86]

Too young for Hall
was good with Sutton
Was good with Pitino
Wanted Tubby
Wanted Cal when they hired BCG
Wanted Cal
Wanted Oats....glad to be wrong on that one

[Supafuzz]

Tubby=Tubby
BCG=Mark Few
Cal=Mark Few
Pope=Todd Golden

Three of the 4 worked out (so far).

I actively always opposed Billy Donovan. (Still do)

Aah to be fair,, long as you're not a drunk at UK you'll win a championship.. 😁

[Pobilly]

I remember just a tid bit of Rupp.
Hall, i was young but more than anything I remember my dad hated the hire. He thought UK should go outside the program and get a newer offensive mind. He knew Hall was a good assistant but did not enjoy the Hall Ball Era.
Sutton I wanted PJ Carlesimo.
Pitino again my first choice was PJ Carlesimo​
Tubby my first choice was Lute Olson
BCG my first choice was PJ Carlesimo​
Cal my first choice was Billy Donavon
Pope my first choice was Billy Donavon but loved the Pope hire.

​

[KCKUKFan]

BCG = Donovan
Cal = Cal
Pope = Oats

[UK Cat in FL]

Always wanted Pat Riley each time there was a vacancy.

[BJD]

Always wanted Pat Riley each time there was a vacancy.

Yeah, that’s always been the dream. I didn’t include him because it was never a real option.