Coaches

[bthaunert]

Joe B Hall did extremely well

I never count Joe B. In his only year at UK, he played 3 games first semester (0 points) and bolted and was playing for Sewanee the second semester the same year. He was actually on a different team when UK won the title in 1949....I never understood why they say he won a title as a player and a coach when he quite as a player.

[TrueblueCATfan]

I thought Kenny Payne was excellent at Louisville, personally.

Me too...They did not give hom a chance

[Pete Hogwallop]

I thought Kenny Payne was excellent at Louisville, personally.

[Cawood86]

Joe B Hall did extremely well

[bthaunert]

He was a good player for them.

I think if you look at the overall record of alumni head coaches, it can't be that good. Scheyer is a notable exception, obviously. Painter is a Purdue alum and so is Hoiberg. But then you have Penny, Ewing, Hubert (you'd have thought they'd learned their lesson after Doherty), etc.

Hoiberg is an Iowa State alum and was pretty good there. Jamie Dixon has done decent at TCU and you mentioned Scheyer and Painter and obviously Roy Williams at UNC.

The issue with alums is that schools reach for them a lot of times. They work out maybe 10%-15% of the time. The list of misses is looooong:

Kenny Payne at UL
Eddie Jordan at Rutgers
Ewing at Goetgetown
Mullins at St Johns
Lowe at NC State
Woodson at Indiana
Juwan Howard at Michigan (mixed success)
Shaheen Holloway at Seton Hall
Kevin Ollie at UConn (can't believe he won a title)
Drexler at Houston
Doherty at UNC

The list goes on and on

[UKHoops01]

He was a good player for them.

I think if you look at the overall record of alumni head coaches, it can't be that good. Scheyer is a notable exception, obviously. Painter is a Purdue alum and so is Hoiberg. But then you have Penny, Ewing, Hubert (you'd have thought they'd learned their lesson after Doherty), etc.

True. Scheyer and Painter are definitely looking like the exceptions, as of now. Everyone else falls into the disappointing (either somewhat or severely) category. I'll add a couple more names: Mike Woodson (Indiana) and Juwan Howard (Michigan), just to further the point.

[EKYCat]

Makes sense, he played for them and was an assistant previously. Nice homecoming for him.

He was a good player for them.

I think if you look at the overall record of alumni head coaches, it can't be that good. Scheyer is a notable exception, obviously. Painter is a Purdue alum and so is Hoiberg. But then you have Penny, Ewing, Hubert (you'd have thought they'd learned their lesson after Doherty), etc.

[Matt Dillon]

I hope other fan based aren't saying that about Kentucky a few years from now if/when (more likely when) Pope is released.

I don't think so. Another subpar season next season and I'd say coach Pope will be let go.

[UKHoops01]

I read Saturday that Siena Coach Jerry McNamara is headed to Syracuse

Makes sense, he played for them and was an assistant previously. Nice homecoming for him.

[TrueblueCATfan]

I read Saturday that Siena Coach Jerry McNamara is headed to Syracuse

[UKHoops01]

Not a big surprise. I'm surprised they kept him as long as they did.

I hope other fan based aren't saying that about Kentucky a few years from now if/when (more likely when) Pope is released.

[Cawood86]

Disappointed....was hoping he stayed there for years

[Matt Dillon]

Looking like North Carolina is going to get rid of Davis.

Not a big surprise. I'm surprised they kept him as long as they did.

[Tomcats1990]

Looking like North Carolina is going to get rid of Davis.

[UKHoops01]

Jai Lucas if you want a young up and coming Coach that can recruit. I think Pearl would crawl to KY and have us back year 1. Both could and would bring in some STAR POWER Kentucky desperately needs.

IF (big IF) somebody doesn't hire Lucas away from Miami this off-season.... and he's available at the end of next year and has had another really solid season at Miami while Pope has had a repeat or similar to this season, then he'd be very high on my wish list. The usual suspects of Golden, Lloyd, Oats, etc. (EDIT: and I'm going to add Ben McCollum to this list) would also be in serious consideration, but make no mistake, I'm ready to pull the trigger on making a change unless Pope can pull off a season where the Cats are ranked in the top 10 all year, have a record close to something like 31-7 and make a Final Four appearance.