Baylor head coach Scott Drew is reportedly on Kentucky’s wish list to replace John Calipari after the 2012 national champion spurned the Wildcats for SEC rival Arkansas earlier this week. Apparently, he’s on Kentucky fans’ wish list too.
At least portion of the passionate fan base of the “blue-blood” college basketball program, known as “Big Blue Nation,” seems all in on recruiting Drew, who led the Bears to a national title in 2021 to culminate a nearly 20-year program rebuild that is regarded among the best in college basketball history. Baylor has been to 12 NCAA tournaments and three Elite Eights under Drew after reaching just one tournament berth in the modern era before him.
Amid reports Kentucky planned to meet with Drew on Wednesday afternoon, Drew posted a picture of himself eating lunch with a Baylor donor on X, formerly known as Twitter. He did not name the restauraunt in the post, but a menu bearing the establishment’s name, Mi Casita, is clearly visible. That prompted one fan to call the restaurant in an attempt to talk to Drew and personally recruit him, and according to the fan’s claim in a next message to longtime Wildcats reporter and KentuckySportsRadio.com founder Matt Jones, the attempt actually worked.
As a thanks for the restaurant’s incredible (non-)customer service, Kentucky fans then spammed its google page with positive five-star reviews. “Perfect place to share one last meal with a friend before moving 968 miles for a new job,” one review read. Lexington, Ky. and Waco, Tx. are 968 miles apart.
“No better way to celebrate a 5 million a year raise than with a $10 burrito you’ll have digested before a flight to Lexington,” another review said.
But some of Baylor’s most famous fans seem like they will not let Drew leave without a fight. Chip Gaines, who hosts a popular Waco-based home restoration reality television show with his wife Joanna, had some jokes when to a post telling him and Joanna to stay away from Drew for the next few days.
The residents of Baylor’s live bear habitat also had a message Wednesday, one meant specifically for Drew.
It is unknown how much interest Drew actually has in leaving Baylor for Kentucky. One report out of Lexington indicated that Drew has been offered the Wildcats head coaching job, while a report out of Waco indicated he was seriously considering moving on from Baylor.
Drew has three children who have all grown up in Waco, one of whom attends Baylor while the other two attend high school in the area. Much like UConn coach and current defending national champion Dan Hurley has done this week when downplaying the possibility he would take the Kentucky job, Drew has previously indicated his family would be a major factor in whatever decision he would make about his future at Baylor.
[Related: Dan Hurley: Potential UConn three-peat ‘only thing on anyone’s mind here’]
Speaking of Hurley, Gaines had jokes about him too.
Regardless, only one man truly knows how the coming days will play out for Kentucky and Baylor, and so far, Scott Drew’s decision — or whether he has even made one — has not been publicized.
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