Baylor head coach Scott Drew REVEALS what it's like to rebuild a roster on the fly

Summary

Podcast Summary

Eye On College Basketball

Episode: Baylor head coach Scott Drew REVEALS what it's like to rebuild a roster on the fly
Date: October 24, 2025
Host: Gary Parrish
Guest: Scott Drew (Baylor head coach, NCAA Champion)

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Episode Overview

This episode features a wide-ranging conversation between host Gary Parrish and Baylor head coach Scott Drew, exploring Drew’s storied career, his approach to sustaining excellence at Baylor amid massive changes in college basketball, and the realities of rebuilding a roster from scratch. The discussion is candid, insightful, and laced with good-natured humor between two industry veterans.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Baylor Journey: From Rock Bottom to Perennial Contender

• [02:55] Gary Parrish: Opens by marveling at Scott Drew’s 20+ year turnaround at Baylor, turning an infamously troubled program into a national powerhouse.

• [03:34] Scott Drew:

  “It’s been an honor knowing you for all those years and listening to your great advice of having better players than the teams you’re playing.”
  Drew credits lessons from his father and a “culture of joy” (Jesus, Others, Yourself) as foundations for Baylor’s culture.

• Player Development & Talent Acquisition
  Drew highlights how they moved from walk-ons to attracting high-level talent, marking a shift that elevated the program.

  “Now we’re the only program in the last five years to have a top 19 pick. Us, Gonzaga, and Houston, the only programs to win a game [every year].” [03:34]

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Consistency in an Inconsistent Era

• [04:37] Gary Parrish:
  Notes how the rules and systems of college basketball have shifted dramatically since Drew’s early years, yet Baylor has remained at the sport’s top.

  “The sport… has changed dramatically… And yet your program has consistently stayed at the tip-top. How?” [04:37]

• [05:13] Scott Drew:
  Stresses the importance of both acquiring talent and finding players who fit the team’s culture.

  “With our program success… we’ve been able to attract more and more players, and that allows us to even be choosier.”
  Also describes tactical adaptability—shifting defensive schemes as the game evolves.

• [06:14] Gary Parrish & Scott Drew:
  Share personal anecdotes about how their jobs have changed due to technology and industry trends.

  “We had landlines.” —Scott Drew [06:33]

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The Realities of Roster Rebuilds

• [06:37] Gary Parrish:
  Brings up Drew’s challenge this off-season: essentially starting over with a whole new roster, a situation detailed in C.J. Moore’s reporting.

• [07:05] Scott Drew:

  “It’s hard when your season ends and then you have such a short period… In two, three, four weeks, your team is formed.”
  Drew emphasizes the role of their general manager, analytics, and rapid background checks to ensure fit. He recognizes both the stress and the opportunity of molding so many new student-athletes:
  “The great thing about having a new team: you get to impact a lot more people.” [07:05]

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Changing Nature of Recruiting

• [08:02] Gary Parrish:
  Observes how the proliferation of analytics and speed of the transfer portal have replaced the older, more personal recruiting approach.

• [08:30] Scott Drew:
  Expresses nostalgia for the days of long-term relationships but adopts a pragmatic view:

  “There’s nothing better than recruiting someone for three years. They come, spend four years with you… now those days aren’t as prevalent… we have to make quicker decisions.”
  Notes the importance of system fit and rapid information processing in the new era.

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NBA Prospects and Staff Evolution

• [09:21] Gary Parrish:
  Discusses Baylor’s success in producing NBA talent, mentioning incoming five-star guard Tundi Eskafo.

• [09:36] Scott Drew:

  “He’s California’s all-time leading scorer... won the McDonald’s slam dunk contest... loves to play defense. Probably more scouts are excited about his ability to be a lockdown defender.”
  Emphasizes two-way players make coaches better.

• [09:58] Gary Parrish:
  Notes Drew’s hiring of Ron Sanchez (former Tony Bennett assistant), asking about the future of Baylor’s defense.

• [10:25] Scott Drew:

  “Oh, you definitely could. You definitely will [see pack line principles].”
  Affirms willingness to adapt defensive schemes to personnel and staff strengths.

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The Uncertain Landscape: G-League Recruiting & NCAA Rules

• [10:53] Gary Parrish:
  Brings up the unexpected news that Louisville recruited a G-League player, highlighting widespread confusion among coaches about NCAA recruiting rules.

• [11:17] Scott Drew:
  Admits uncertainty around ever-shifting rules:

  “If you polled 365 coaches… if 99% didn’t know you couldn’t recruit G-League, I’d be highly surprised.”
  Calls for greater regulatory clarity and predicts that only congressional action (not just NCAA changes) can bring stability:
  “Collective bargaining is probably going to end up being the only way to get that done. But no one wants to make student-athletes employees… you need some congressional help.” [11:17]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [02:46] Scott Drew: “We had these conversations when both of us had hair. Yours is thinned a little and mine is completely gone.”
• [03:34] Scott Drew: “We run a culture of joy: Jesus, others, yourself. If you’re going to put others before yourself, you can be successful in life.”
• [07:05] Scott Drew: “One bad apple spoils the bunch. You’ve got to have a team that works together. And you like coaching, you like going to work every day.”
• [08:30] Scott Drew: “There’s nothing better than recruiting someone for three years… those days aren’t as prevalent.”
• [09:36] Scott Drew: “He’s California’s all-time leading scorer... but also won the McDonald’s slam dunk contest… Probably more scouts are impressed about his ability to be a lockdown defender.”
• [10:25] Scott Drew: “Oh, you definitely could. You definitely will [see pack line defense].”
• [11:17] Scott Drew: “If you polled 365 coaches that are in the KenPom Division 1, if 99% didn’t know you couldn’t recruit G League, I’d be highly surprised.”
• [11:35] Scott Drew: “While I have a couple hairs left, rules, being able to enforce them… collective bargaining is probably going to end up being the only way to get that done.”

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Segment Timestamps

• [02:35] — Interview begins: Introduction and reflections on Drew’s Baylor tenure
• [03:34] — Drew’s journey & program culture
• [04:37] — Consistency through sport-wide upheaval
• [06:37] — The challenge of rebuilding a roster
• [08:02] — The changing nature of recruiting, analytics & relationships
• [09:21] — NBA prospects and staff changes
• [10:53] — NCAA rule confusion and future of college recruiting

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Tone and Atmosphere

Warm, insightful, and often self-deprecating, the episode balances deep basketball talk with the mutual respect and humor between the host and Drew. Drew remains relentlessly positive about the challenges ahead, drawing from his faith and experience, while also expressing a coach’s pragmatic need for adaptability as college basketball continues to evolve.

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For Listeners

This episode is essential for understanding how elite college basketball programs navigate roster challenges, cultural continuity, the shifting landscape of regulations, and the personal philosophies of one of the sport’s most successful coaches. Even if you haven’t followed Baylor closely, Drew’s transparent inside look at modern coaching makes for engaging listening.

Transcript

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[Gary Parish]

Gary Parish, CBS Sports I own college basketball podcast here with Baylor head coach national champion Scott Drew. Just we've had these conversations a million times.

[Scott Drew]

I always say we had these conversations when both of us had hair. You know, that's how well you're yours is thinned a little and mine is completely gone. Mine's definitely retreating.

[Gary Parish]

But I never want to not start here because the story is an amazing story. You're hired in August 2003 to be the head coach at Baylor at a very young age. Predictably, it got off to a rough start. You had the sport stacked against you. Now here we are in October 2025. You're a future Naismith Memorial hall of Famer. You've won a national championship. You are running one of the most consistently successful programs in America. Looking back there more than two decades ago, could you have ever even imagined all of this? I know you had dreams, but these are big things that you've accomplished.

[Scott Drew]

Well, first and foremost, it's been an honor knowing you for all those years and listening to your great advice of have better players than the team teams you're playing. And we worked hard to get that done. But I can tell you that coming from Valparaiso and my dad court named after him college sports hall of Fame coach, he ran a program and what we've done is take that and just run it at Baylor University. And we run a culture of joy, Jesus, others, yourself, basically, if you're going to put others before yourself, you can be successful in life, serve each other and like you said all along, since we've ever known each other and you've been around some great basketball and great players the first couple years when we had all those walk ons, you said they're great kids but you need more talent. I agree. So it took some time, but we got in some really talented players and now we're the only program in the last five years to have a top 19 pick. And us, Gonzaga and Houston, the only program, only programs to win a game.

[Gary Parish]

In the tournament since 2019 and six straight NCAA tournament appearances, advancing each time, you've also made 10 of the past 11. Let me stop here, because the sport from the first of those 10 of 11 and the most recent one has changed dramatically. The things your athletic director used to tell you you could never do are now things you have to go out and do. And yet your program has consistently stayed at the tip top of the sport. How, how have you been able to to find consistency in a time where the Sport is inconsistent.

[Scott Drew]

Well, I think first and foremost, we all know you have to have talent, but you have to have people that fit your culture. And with our program success, the great thing is in the track record of development, we've been able to attract more and more players, and that allows us to even be Choosier, to make sure we get people that fit our culture and what we're about. Just like you, you've had to adjust a lot in your career as technology improves and changes. We've done the exact same thing. The style of the game. Hopefully this year we're better defensively because we have more size and length, and we've changed our defenses when they changed the verticality rule, and we used to be a no metal, take a bunch of charges, couldn't do that anymore. So you're constantly evolving. You change what you do based on your personnel. And hopefully this year, at the end of the day, we're in the NCAA tournament. If you make the tournament, anything can happen. And so that's why you got to get there.

[Gary Parish]

I think that's interesting perspective because we do spend much time talking about how much your job has changed. But, like, you have a job long enough, it's going to change. When I got hired here in 2006, my job in the contract was to write three columns a week. Podcasts did not exist. And so now look, you know, so everybody's job does change.

[Scott Drew]

We had landlines.

[Gary Parish]

We go way back, different, a different time. You've faced incredible challenges throughout your career. This is kind of a new one. You have an entirely new roster. And I know it's not what you prefer, but there was a really interesting story by C.J. moore, who sort of detailed how you and your general manager, Jason Smith, went about remaking this roster. If you could just explain the challenges of starting from scratch, particularly in a league like this.

[Scott Drew]

Well, definitely it's hard when your season ends and then you have such a short period of time because that portal opens and people are going and making decisions. And really, in two, three, four weeks, your team is formed. So our GM did a great job getting us names of people to look at, and then from there, our staff getting the background information to make sure that they fit. Because at the end of the day, one bad apple spoils the bunch. And that that's exactly what you got, to have, a team that works together. And you like coaching, you like going to work every day. And we've been really blessed so far. Now we haven't lost a game, but we, the players we have and it is exciting. My dad's real positive by nature. I'm a glass half full kind of guy. The great thing about having a new team, you get to impact a lot more people. Hopefully you're good. So.

[Gary Parish]

You. The way I understand it is a lot of it is like analytics. You just to identify, just to get players on your radar at different positions and then you got to dig in and learn about the person, but you know the name before you know the person. And I know having watched your career for years, you're somebody who liked being in the living room of high school players and getting to know not just the person you're recruiting, but families. And there's not as much of that anymore. Do you miss what it used to be?

[Scott Drew]

I like people and there's, there's nothing better than recruiting someone for three years. They come, they spend four years with you. Now if they go pro early, great, but if not, they graduate from you. Those are always so emotional on senior night and then they come back and like it's, man, you just spent 10, 12 years of your life with this person. So those days aren't as prevalent. But at the same time, what you have to do is you have to make decisions on people. And hopefully the better we get, the quicker we can process information, the better questions we can ask, the better we can get at our job so that we bring in the people that we know we can be successful with. There's certain people that will be better players under other systems than ours and certain people that will be better players. We have to identify those.

[Gary Parish]

You mentioned earlier the string of top 19 picks in the NBA draft that should be continued next year with Tundi Eskafo.

[Scott Drew]

Knock on wood. Knock on wood.

[Gary Parish]

He's the five star guard who you have enrolled for. People who haven't seen him, tell us what he is.

[Scott Drew]

Well, he's California's all time leading scorer. So you think the guy's a bucket, which he is. But also he won the McDonald's slam dunk contest, which means he's athletic, very strong, loves to play defense. Probably more Scouts are impressed and excited about, about his ability to be a lockdown defender. And if you get guys that can play both ends of the court, you're a better coach.

[Gary Parish]

You made a hire to your staff early in the off season. Grabbing Ron Sanchez, who of course worked hand in hand with Tony Bennett for many years, was the interim coach there last season. I read a quote where you mentioned like, you know, nobody likes playing against that Virginia defense. You have been open minded about how to approach things. You have played zone, you've gotten away from that. Could we see some pack line principles at Baylor?

[Scott Drew]

Oh, you definitely could. You definitely will. And again, I think that's the fun thing about coaching. We've had teams where we went 6, 10, 6 11, 7 foot and that was a great zone team. And then we've also played four guards and we've been really aggressive, pressed and had a no metal defense. And now we have some size and length that could really fit in well with the pack line.

[Gary Parish]

Last thing before I get you out of here. It's a big headline this week with Louisville securing a commitment from a G League player. And I've talked to some coaches who are like I didn't even know we could recruit them but maybe now I need to pay attention to that. Do you have a good sense for who's eligible and who's not, who should be recruited and who's not right now? Because other coaches have told me they they don't.

[Scott Drew]

Well GP this is we want to be ahead of the game. So I'm watching the Rockets OKC last last night I just wanted to see who was upset, who might want to come enter the portal and come back to college. But in all seriousness, coaches, they want to know the rules like everybody else in the world and they want to know what the punishment is if you break those rules. And that includes who you can recruit, who's eligible, who's not, how long and if you polled 365 coaches that are in the Ken Palm Division 1 basis if 99% didn't know you couldn't recruit G League, I'd be highly surprised. So definitely took me by shock too. But again, nowadays seems like a lot of things take us all by shock and hopefully we can get to a point of stability. While I have a couple hairs left, rules being able to enforce them and I know this is a long winded answer but I'll just go there. I from what I found out, collective bargaining is probably going to end up being the only way to get that done. But at the same time no one wants to make student athletes employees. So you need some congressional help with that.

[Gary Parish]

Interesting times for sure. Scott Drew, it's always good to see you. I appreciate your time.

[Scott Drew]

Hey, you look great gp. Thank you very much.

[Gary Parish]

Thank you.

[Scott Drew]

You can be. You can be anything. This I know. I.

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[Scott Drew]

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