BYU basketball's new head coach to be announced by the end of the week

With BYU players leaking into the transfer portal following the departure of Mark Pope, BYU is rushing to evaluate coaching candidates to re-establish some stability in the program. BYU doesn't often rush to make decisions of this magnitude, but with the ever-changing landscape of college athletics, the sooner BYU moves on to its next coach the better.

Well, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief as CBS Sports reported that, "BYU will pick Pope's successor as early as Wednesday and no later than the end of this week, sources told CBS Sports."

But who will be the one to fill BYU's coaching vacancy? By all accounts, Cal's Mark Madsen is likely out of the picture and committed to building his team in Berkeley. The frontrunners to be Pope's successors are Utah assistant and former BYU assistant Chris Burgess and former Texas Tech assistant and Portland State head coach, Barret Peery.

Burgess is the apparent frontrunner, with many expecting him to be a BYU lifer; expected to commit to the team for the long haul if hired. Still unproven as a D1 head coach, he'd need some time to settle into the position but shows promise that excites many BYU fans.

Peery is a highly respected coach in college athletics, and knows how to get the best out of his team. He also has some experience in BYU's new conference, the Big 12, and would bring valuable insight on how to succeed in this league from his days as an associate head coach for Texas Tech.

Long shots Alex Jensen and Kevin Young are standing firmly in their positions on NBA coaching staffs, and Young in particular is currently a finalist to become the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. While never impossible, don't get your hopes up for either of them to dive into the amorphous world of college basketball.

While unexpected bumps in the road are nearly the only thing we can be certain of at this moment, all signs point to BYU closing in on their next head coach. Expect to hear more news on BYU's decision in the coming days.

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