Kentucky WBB Potential Coaching Candidates

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On Monday morning Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart made the tough decision to remove Head Coach Kyra Elzy. Just two years after winning the schools second ever SEC Tournament Championship, Elzy struggled to a 24-39 record the last two season with losing records in each season.

While I understand that it needed to be done, I hate to see Kyra Elzy go.

She should be fondly remembered for being an awesome person but also for the 2022 SEC Tournament Championship. Only the second ever in program history and first in 40 years. pic.twitter.com/EiHo0ppcKV
— Phoenix Stevens (@PStevensKSR) March 12, 2024

Barnhart said by Tuesday, that he has already had several calls with coaches reaching out with interest in the coaching job. The school released a statement that they would be active in a national search for their next head coach.

Potential Coaching Candidates

Juli Fulks – Transylvania – In her tenth year at Division III school Fulks is the best women’s basketball coach in Kentucky. She just finished her third straight regular season undefeated. The reigning 2023 National Champion coach is currently on the longest active win streak in NCAA basketball at 64 straight games. This past Saturday Transylvania advanced to the Final Four and plays this Thursday in the DIII semifinal game.

The 🐐

Congratulations to our leader @Juli_Fulks on win number 4️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ pic.twitter.com/hhIwpuABOq
— Transylvania WBX (@TUWBX) March 10, 2024

The only question about Fulks is if she can recruit at an SEC level. Her coaching and defense is at a stellar level. For two straight years her team have a 20 plus win margin per victory and gives up less than 50 points per game. Transylvania is located in Lexington, Kentucky and for Fulks the move up could happen rather easy. With no top-level experience or NCAA Tournament experience she could be a long shot but one cannot count out her local presence in Kentucky and Lexington.

Molly Miller – Grand Canyon – In her Fourth season at the DI school she has the Antelopes 24-7 and in second place in the WAC. She is 73-30 overall as a D1 coach. She began her coaching career at her alma-mater, Drury. 2020 she led her team to a 32-0 record and was the top DII school before the season was cancelled because of Covid. Miller has an overall coaching record of 253-47.

It may be time… pic.twitter.com/M9BhtLyEHy
— Barstool Kentucky (@BarstoolUK) March 7, 2024

Molly is a young (37) budding star in the coaching ranks. She is a two-time WBCA Division II coach of the year and was the 2023 WAC coach of the year as well. If not Kentucky, another power school is soon going to give Miller her chance to prove herself at the top women’s college basketball level.

Kim Stephens – Marshall – In her first season with the Thundering Herd she has led them to a 26-6 and a Sun Belt Tournament Championship. They await the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Stephens first stop was at DII Glenville State, where her overall coaching record was an astounding 191-24. She made the DII NCAA Tournament in each of her seven seasons as coach and was the 2022 National Champion.

Congratulations to Coach Kim Stephens and her Marshall basketball team on their Sun Belt regular season and tournament championship in her 1st year as the head ball coach. https://t.co/6pJgQWgET9
— Aaron (@Aaron_Staats) March 11, 2024

Carly Thibault-DuDonnis – Fairfield – This season Fairfield is 28-1 with their only loss being a 3-point loss at Vanderbilt. She has them raked 25th in the AP poll and is a candidate for the Mid-Major Coach of the year. The Stags have one of the NCAA’s most high-powered offenses averaging 9 made 3 pointers a game ranking 12th in the country. She is also known for her defensive tenacity.

#Gophers WBB top assistant Carly Thibault-Dudonis has been hired to be the next HC of @StagsWBball.

It marks the second consecutive season Whalen has had one of her assistants leave for a HC position (Danielle O'Banion to Loyola Maryland last season). pic.twitter.com/peRmfBd0fV
— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) April 11, 2022

Before taking the job at Fairfield Thibault-DuDonnis was an as assistant and recruiting coordinator for Miss State and Minnesota. She has recruited one WNBA draft pick and many other top players in the SEC and Big 10. She was part of two Final Four runs at Miss State. She is known as a top recruiter in women’s college basketball and

Karl Smesko – Florida Gulf Coast – Aaron Gerhson of TheCatsPause first reported that Smesko is an official candidate for UK. FGCU has been absolutely dominant in the ASUN Conference with Smesko leading the program. The Eagles have won the ASUN 13 times total and six times in a row. In total, he has a 581-104 record down in Fort Myers and is 449-83 since FCGU foiled the DI ranks in 2007. This season the Eagles are 27-4 (16-0 ASUN).

A source tells TCP that Florida Gulf Coast's Karl Smesko will be a candidate for the Kentucky Women's Basketball head coach opening.

Smesko and FGCU swept a home and home from Kentucky the last two seasons.

He is 449–83 at FGCU since the program moved to D1 in 2007.
— Aaron Gershon (@agershon99) March 11, 2024

Smesko also won both games of a home and home against the Cats over the last 2 seasons. He has taken the Eagles to the NCAA Tournament 9 times and has won games in the last two consecutive appearances. At 53 years old he has a long and successful Division 1 career that could be something Kentucky would want as their next coach.

Matthew Mitchell – Retired – Mitchell was the former Kentucky Women’s Basketball coach. At the helm of the Cats, he had arguably the best run ever as head coach in women’s basketball history at Kentucky. He is the programs all-time winningest coach with a 281-125 record. He won the regular season SEC title in 2012 and finished second three other times as well.

Kentucky has fired Women's Basketball Head Coach Kyra Elzy.

Rumored return of Matthew Mitchell is an option for the Cats. pic.twitter.com/820kBnI9Lj
— Sidelines – SEC (@SSN_SEC) March 11, 2024

Mitchell is a two-time SEC coach of the year and reached the Elite 8 three times as coach of the Cats. He also recruited and coached multiple WNBA first round draft picks including 2022 number one pick Rhyne Howard. Mitchell retired in November of 2020 due to health concerns though is back healthy again and still around the Kentucky program.

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