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

Shaka Smart

When Kentucky’s job opened up last time, Smart was only just getting his own career started. He had been an assistant under Billy Donovan at Florida but has now been a collegiate head coach for the last 15 years. We’re not sure if there will be mutual interest, but Smart is certainly one of the more prominent coaches in the game.

Many remember how Smart made major waves at VCU, taking the Rams from the First Four to the Final Four way back in 2011. He was profound with the Rams before a rocky 6-year stretch leading Texas. Any goodwill that he lost in Austin has been reclaimed back in his home state, as he’s been at Marquette since 2021. His Golden Eagles were Big East champions last season before advancing to the Sweet Sixteen this season, with Smart certainly having this program on a great trajectory.

We’re not saying there won’t be or couldn’t be mutual interest here, but would Smart leave the comforts of Marquette? While it’s true that Texas and Kentucky are not equal landing spots, they both come with heightened expectations and Smart learned from his time with the Longhorns. That being said, Smart is not likely to be in the first few tiers of candidates and should safely be back at Marquette next season.