They are supposed to be dream jobs. But when the head-coaching positions for the Kentucky men’s and Tennessee women’s college basketball programs recently came open, several potential candidates apparently passed on the opportunities.
The programs have each won eight NCAA titles and have large fan bases. In contrast to many other leagues, the SEC is as stable as any conference in college sports.
These should have been destination jobs many coaches might desire. So why did it seem as if they weren’t?
Kentucky hired former Wildcats player and 1996 national champion Mark Pope, who spent the past five seasons at BYU. His ties to the program and experience as a head coach didn’t prevent the initial wave of skepticism from Wildcats fans, in part because the school didn’t lure coaches to Lexington with national championships elsewhere. Since then, it seems as if Big Blue Nation is willing to welcome him, but expectations remain sky-high.
Tennessee, by contrast, went for an unexpected hire: Kim Caldwell, who had one year of head-coaching experience at the Division I level at Marshall before taking over the Lady Vols. Athletic director Danny White, who fired Tennessee alum Kellie Harper after five seasons, called the search for her…
