Posted by alblack56 on 3/29/2013 10:01:00 AM (view original):
From ESPN.com: Brad Stevens, Billy Donovan, and Rick Pitino are at the top of UCLA's wish list.
Oher coaches could draw interest for the opening, a list that includes Tad Boyle, Randy Bennett, and Mick Cronin
seems to me, if billy d turned down kentucky BOTH times (especially when the rumors have always been billyg was fired with billyd as the replacement, but he changed his mind), he would turn down UCLA, too. same expectations without the level of fan support, and without the ties hes got at kentucky, seems like a long shot at best.
i think pitino might be egotistical enough to take the job. but he keeps telling billyd and other guys he mentors to keep their jobs, and that he is staying at louisville - which probably means as usual, hes saying "do as i say, not as i do", and i could see him bolt. but hes getting up there, and it seemed to me he was possibly trying for an NBA job, with all the rumors that kept coming out about him and NBA jobs when the NBA programs didnt seem interested (making me think the rumors came from somewhere in the pitino camp). so im sort of thinking pitino is retiring from louisville, or going back to the NBA - and he gets so much control over at louisville, playing in a new arena, hes really helped guide them to becoming a big, big time program, and i dont think hed walk away easily.
i dont know about brad stevens... seems like hes turned down some big jobs, and loves the state of indiana (said only job he will leave for is indiana), but who knows. none of the big big programs have been open for him yet, although its questionable where UCLA stands in the pecking order at this point, they arent duke or kentucky, they arent even selling their basketball tickets and pro teams are obviously the big men on campus over there. but are they still in that top tier? or one step down? two? does stevens have any connections out west?
also, does this mean everyone is giving up on shaka smart? taking his contract extension seriously? i thought he was supposed to be top of the heap for MN and UCLA, although honestly these guys listed here seem to all be a cut above smart.
3/29/2013 11:38 AM (edited)