Why Scott Drew didn’t leave Baylor for Kentucky

The Kentucky basketball job is undoubtedly a coveted spot. Sure, it comes with its pressures, but John Calipari held it for the last 15 seasons and became one of the most famous figures in all of sports because of it.

That pressure ultimately did him in and chased him away to Arkansas, but there’s little doubt that Calipari benefited from Kentucky basketball’s brand.

As such, it would have made plenty of sense for Baylor head coach Scott Drew to leave Texas for Kentucky, and reports coming out of Lexington at the time were that Drew was Kentucky’s top target as soon as Coach Cal left. 

That part made sense, too. Drew has built a powerhouse of his own at Baylor, having won 446 games compared to 244 losses since 2003 with multiple March Madness appearances and a championship win under his belt.

Drew would have been home-run hire for Kentucky, but the match wasn’t mutual. He didn’t want to leave Baylor.

“First and foremost, Waco is my home,” Drew recently said, according to On3, explaining his decision to remain with the Bears. “All three children born and raised here. Everyone loves it here. I know, spiritually, I’ve been able to grow over the last 20+ seasons at Baylor. One of the things, in life, you got to do what God wants you to do as you spiritually grow. The easy thing is always staying in Waco because that’s comfortable and that’s home and we love it here.”

Drew knew that he didn’t just want to make an easy decision, but he also wanted to make the right decision. In the NIL and transfer portal era, that’s a decision many players have found themselves having to make on a season-to-season basis as well.

For Drew, it comes down to the culture, and the fit he has with the Bears is hard to beat.

“It’s nice because our players each and every year are faced with tough decisions,” Drew said. “Stay here, transfer, go pro. We have a culture — Joy, Jesus, others, yourself. If you have the right priorities in making decisions, I don’t think you can go wrong if you’re at the center of God’s will.”