As Dusty May has turned down UNC, everyone is reporting that Mark Byington of Vanderbilt is under consideration to be the next coach of the Tar Heels. Of course, that would be a disaster for Vanderbilt, although their Athletic Director has shown serious talent in hiring new coaches. I don't think it matters that much for UK, because the Cats will be losing to both Vandy and UNC for some time to come.
The last great coach at Vandy was Eddie Fogler, who won the SEC Regular Season title in 1993. But he was immediately poached by South Carolina. If the Commodores lose Byington after only two seasons, that will be extremely frustrating.
But these are two very different situations. Fogler left for South Carolina in large part because Vandy didn't make much of an effort to keep him. That decision effectively killed Vandy's basketball program for the next 15 years. Byington just signed a new contract with Vandy, and the Administration has made clear that they intend to build a winning basketball program. If he leaves, it won't be because Vandy didn't do its best, but because UNC represents a unique opportunity. It will still hurt for Vandy fans, but at least they won't blame their own administration.
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