Kentucky needs a new head basketball coach but its search has not gone well thus far. Three of the Wildcats’ top candidates have said no at this point and they are less than four days into the process.
As a result, athletic director Mitch Barnhart is expected to make Dan Hurley say no to a historic offer.
Hurley, who just won his second-straight national title at UConn, already made it clear that he does not plan to leave Storrs for Lexington. He actually has done so a few times since the national championship on Monday night.
Baylor head coach Scott Drew and Alabama head coach Nate Oats also said no. People are starting to take note of how poorly this has gone for Kentucky, including Division I coaches.
Even though Hurley has said no during multiple press conferences and media appearances, the Wildcats are going to give it a more formal go. They are still going to pursue him until he says no to their face.
The university’s private jet flew to New York City on Thursday morning. We don’t know for sure that it’s associated to the coaching search, but it was the same plane that was in Texas to meet with Drew on Wednesday so you can draw your own conclusions.
Regardless of when, where or how the two parties meet, people with knowledge of the situation would be shocked if Barnhart and Hurley don’t talk about the opening. And according to Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio, the money involved in that conversation will be on an unprecedented level.
He expects Kentucky to offer Dan Hurley an annual salary north of $10 million, in the range of $11-12 per year. That number would make him the highest paid coach in college sports— not just basketball.