Dan Hurley needs to be Kentucky's first phone call

The college basketball world was overtaken by a seismic shockwave as John Calipari will be Arkansas's next head basketball coach, leaving Kentucky needing a new face to lead the program.

Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart needs to hit this hire out of the ballpark as the basketball program has been underachieving for a few years, and it's time to get it back to the top.

One coach who could get that job done is one who will be playing for back-to-back National Championships this evening. Dan Hurley has taken over as one of the best coaches in college basketball, and he should be Barnhart's first call.

Kentucky can likely give Hurley a raise that could pull him away from UConn if the price is right.

Last college basketball season, Hurley took an underrated team into the NCAA Tournament and made a run all the way to win a National Championship. This season, he has taken the best team in college basketball to the natty and is one win away from back-to-back NCAA Tournament Championships.

Hurley has proven that he can recruit, develop, and use the portal to help during his time at UConn. He is also incredible with the X's and O's and is an elite motivator.

If Kentucky was able to bring in Hurley, the Bluegrass State would be overtaken with joy for the future.

There are a bunch of names already associated with the Kentucky job, but none would bring Big Blue Nation more excitement than Hurley. It will be an interesting few days in Lexington as the athletic department looks to replace Calipari.