DePaul Basketball: 8 candidates to watch for potential HC opening

Bryce Drew

It’s important to leave no stone unturned, which may not have exactly happened during some of these previous head coaching hires. It’s easy to scratch your head at the last few hires, which kind of came out of nowhere. This next name had actually been rumored as a candidate for DePaul when Leitao was rehired in 2015 and has certainly put himself back in position to be on these kinds of lists.

Drew starred at Valparaiso, hitting a memorable NCAA Tournament buzzer beater back in 1998, and would later succeed his father as head coach after six seasons in the NBA. After roaring success with the then-Crusaders, Drew spent a few seasons at Vanderbilt before washing out. Grand Canyon brought him aboard in 2020 and became the third program he’s led to the Big Dance. Could he get the itch to return to familiar settings in the Chicagoland area after all those years in northwest Indiana?

Drew left that familiarity and was rudely awakened when Vanderbilt sent him packing after three seasons. He’s now led the Antelopes to two trips to the NCAA Tournament in three seasons and has that program buzzing at last. Why would he leave that success, even in the WAC, for a thankless DePaul job that could spit him out in just a few seasons? Bringing Drew to DePaul would be a fantastic addition, but you have to wonder what it would take to motivate him to leave Grand Canyon for a second taste of the power conference level.