Rival coaches finally admit the truth we've known all along about Kentucky

The Field of 68 has a series where they poll coaches anonymously and ask them to rank the head coaching positions available in each basketball conference. Yesterday it was the SEC's turn. Surprising no one, Kentucky came in at number one. But what was surprising was who thought it was number one.

All coaches polled believe Kentucky is the best job in the SEC maybe the 'country'

Not a single coach in the conference picked any other school as the best job available; all 16 of the coaches polled picked Kentucky. That’s right. Even the guys actively trying to beat Mark Pope had to admit the truth.

"It’s the best job in the league and maybe the best in the country," one anonymous coach said. "They have the resources, fan support and obviously the money. I’d take that job over any in college basketball."

Another coach broke it down even further, pointing out the difference between UK and the "football schools" trying to play catch-up:

"There are so many football schools in the league. Kentucky is really the only clear-cut basketball school. Plus, they had $20 million, their fans are always locked in, and the administration has no choice but to support basketball at the highest level."

With Will Stein, that basketball school moniker may drop, but it is clear that Kentucky has a different level of success and expectation to be elite.

No more excuses

So if Mark Pope fails, you all can miss me with that "who would want the job?" stuff. Kentucky is an elite program. They have all you need to succeed. Every coach in the conference agreed, no matter what staff they came from, that Kentucky is tops.

That may ruffle some feathers, to know a coach who is currently coaching at your school says Kentucky is the best job, but it’s just true.

The money Kentucky can spend, the fanbase, the NIL opportunities, the chance to play at Rupp Arena, and the legacy of BBN all add up to an elite job.

The rest of the field

Surprisingly, or maybe not surprisingly considering the amount of money available, Sean Miller's job at Texas was ranked at number 2.

"Money," one coach said simply. "I know it’s not a basketball school, but they still have the money to go get dudes. Chris Beard had that thing rolling, and Rick Barnes did it for a couple decades."

Arkansas came in third, with one coach noting: "They care about basketball, have an incredibly passionate fan base and have a ton of money."

Here is how the top 5 rounded out:

1. Kentucky (Unanimous)
2. Texas
3. Arkansas
4. Tennessee
5. Florida