Potential Replacements for John Calipari at Kentucky

While John Calipari has been announced to return as head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats in 2025, his future is still in question as he is undoubtedly on the hot seat at a school that has higher expectations than first round NCAA Tournament exits. Speculating the eventual exit of Calipari in Lexington, I theorize on some potential coaching replacements to take the throne after the departure.

Ohio State v Gonzaga / Kevin C. Cox/GettyImages

2 of 4

Nate Oats (Alabama)

After a mediocre season by his standards with the University of Alabama, Oats thrived in the post-season once again with the Crimson Tide, leading them to the schools first final four appearance in their history.

After the Crimson Tide only made the tournament twice between 2007 and 2020, Oats has then led the Tide to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. And given his track record, it does not appear he will be slowing down any time soon.

Before arriving in Tuscaloosa, Oats coached the University of Buffalo to three NCAA Tournament appearances in four seasons, including a 32-4 season in 2019 which propelled him to the job at Alabama.

His overall record is 213-97. And keep in mind this is at two programs where he had to rebuild. At Kentucky, he would be able to hit the ground running. And that would be at a school in a conference he is already familiar with that also has a plethora of resources. And that is a scary thought for the rest of the SEC and country.

Home/SEC Basketball