Kentucky Basketball: 20 candidates to replace John Calipari as Head Coach

T. J. Otzelberger

There’s no question that Otzelberger is one of the hottest names in the coaching world following what he’s done at Iowa State, but let’s take a few steps back. The man who’s never worked in the SEC and has no connections to Kentucky has a great thing going with the Cyclones, so why would he flee for Lexington?

Otzelberger was born in Milwaukee, playing and coaching early in his career in the state of Wisconsin. He was an assistant at Iowa State for three different coaches before his collegiate head coaching career began at South Dakota State. After solid work with both those Jackrabbits and briefly at UNLV, he returned to Iowa State as head coach in 2021. Inheriting a Cyclones squad that won just two games, he engineered quite the turnaround, including Sweet Sixteen appearances twice already.

He’s a name on the rise, but does Otzelberger bolt Iowa State after just three years? He just won a Big 12 Tournament title and has proven that the Cyclones can be a power in this sport. It’ll depend on his interest because Kentucky can certainly outspend Iowa State. There would certainly be a ton of success in the future if Otzelberger is the guy for the Wildcats, though there may be a few other names that fit a little better for both sides.