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Memphis' John Calipari to Coach Kentucky?

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Memphis' John Calipari to Coach Kentucky?

Memphis Coach John Calipari is on the verge of taking the University of Kentucky job, said a longtime friend of Calipari’s, who spoke on the condition of anonymity Monday.

Calipari met with Kentucky officials in Chicago over the weekend, and they were completing details Monday. Calipari, who earns $2.3 million a year, would receive a significant raise that would make him among the highest-paid college coaches. Florida’s Billy Donovan, who said he was not interested in the Kentucky job, earns $3.5 million a year. He is believed to be the highest-paid coach in college basketball.

A Memphis spokesperson said Monday night that the university had given Calipari permission to speak with Kentucky, but provided no further information.

Calipari’s hiring at Kentucky would reverberate throughout the state, and would intensify the rivalry between Louisville and Kentucky. Calipari and Louisville Coach Rick Pitino are not on friendly terms, adding a personal element to the rivalry.

In nine seasons at Memphis, Calipari has a 252-68 record. Last season, he led the Tigers to the national title game, which they lost to Kansas in overtime.

A national title is the only thing missing from Calipari’s résumé. He led Massachusetts to the Final Four in 1996 and has won multiple coach of the year honors.


Source:  The New York Times
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Re: Memphis' John Calipari to Coach Kentucky?

He's also going to bring his # 1 recruiting class to Kentucky with him. Not sure who Memphis is looking at for coach if he leaves but they're still going to be good for a year or so until their best players leave for the draft, then they're just going to be a mediocre C-USA team. Unless they can get another big name coach in there I don't see them moving to another conference anytime soon. With a mediocre football team and a mediocre basketball team they're not going anywhere anytime soon.

I feel bad for Gillespie in Kentucky, I understand that going to the tournament means everything to them at that school, but the guy did win 19 games this season. Anywhere other than UK, Duke, UNC, UCLA 19 wins would be considered a good season

My two favorite teams are FAU, and who ever is beating FIU!
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Re: Memphis' John Calipari to Coach Kentucky?

Jab979 said

they're still going to be good for a year or so until their best players leave for the draft, then they're just going to be a mediocre C-USA team.

I feel bad for Gillespie in Kentucky, I understand that going to the tournament means everything to them at that school, but the guy did win 19 games this season. Anywhere other than UK, Duke, UNC, UCLA 19 wins would be considered a good season


Totally agree…

maybe DOH-erty can finally beat them after three years of losses…before he moves on to the YMCA…lol
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Re: Memphis' John Calipari to Coach Kentucky?

Florida_Owl said

Jab979 said

they're still going to be good for a year or so until their best players leave for the draft, then they're just going to be a mediocre C-USA team.

I feel bad for Gillespie in Kentucky, I understand that going to the tournament means everything to them at that school, but the guy did win 19 games this season. Anywhere other than UK, Duke, UNC, UCLA 19 wins would be considered a good season


Totally agree…

maybe DOH-erty can finally beat them after three years of losses…before he moves on to the YMCA…lol

YMCA called they don't want DOH-erty either

My two favorite teams are FAU, and who ever is beating FIU!
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Memphis' John Calipari to Coach Kentucky

And off he goes!

The Memphis fan's are not happy campers right now…….

John Calipari to Coach Kentucky Basketball, Leaving Memphis

By Erik Matuszewski

April 1 (Bloomberg) – John Calipari is headed to the University of Kentucky after agreeing to a contract that may make him the highest-paid college basketball coach in history, the Memphis Commercial Appeal said.

Calipari, who spent the past nine seasons at the University of Memphis, received an eight-year offer from Kentucky that’s worth around $35 million, ESPN reported, without revealing the source of its information.

Calipari, 50, takes over a Kentucky program that ranks first all-time with 1,988 victories and is second to UCLA with seven national championships. He replaces Billy Gillispie, who was fired March 28 after a season in which the Wildcats lost 14 games and missed the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament for the first time since 1991.

The University of Kentucky has scheduled a press conference at 9:30 a.m. local time, the Louisville Courier Journal reported.

Calipari leaves Memphis with four years left on a contract that was paying him $2.35 million annually. He may now surpass Florida’s Billy Donovan as the nation’s top-paid college basketball coach. Donovan received a deal worth $3.5 million a year after winning back-to-back national titles in 2006-07.

Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson said in a statement on March 30 that school officials would “do everything in our power” to retain Calipari.

Building a Winner

Calipari had a 252-69 record at Memphis and helped build the school into a championship contender. The Tigers won at least 30 games each of the past four years and reached the title game of the 2008 NCAA tournament, losing to Kansas in overtime.

While Memphis lost three starters from last year’s runner- up team, the Tigers went 33-4 this season and reached the round of 16 at the NCAA tournament. Memphis is the only school in the nation to receive a No. 1 or No. 2 tournament seed each of the past four years.

Kentucky has won two NCAA tournament games over that span and hasn’t advanced past the second round since 2005. The Wildcats won their last championship in 1998 under Tubby Smith, two years after winning the title with Rick Pitino as coach.

Pitino is now at the University of Louisville, about 75 miles (120.7 kilometers) from Kentucky’s campus in Lexington.

Calipari has an overall 445-140 record as a college coach, having also spent eight seasons at the University of Massachusetts from 1988 to 1996. The Minutemen reached the Final Four in his final season.

Calipari then left to coach in the National Basketball Association, where he had a 72-112 record with the New Jersey Nets before getting fired in 1999. He returned to the collegiate ranks with Memphis in 2000 and ended the school’s six-year NCAA tournament drought in his third season.



Source:  bloomberg.com
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Re: Memphis' John Calipari to Coach Kentucky?

LOL

I follow there board a bit ever since our bowl game in 07.

They are on Suicide watch.

CUSA prestiege level just went down a WHOLE lot.

I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick @$$ and I'm out of bubble gum.

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Re: Memphis' John Calipari to Coach Kentucky?

owlfamily said

LOL

I follow there board a bit ever since our bowl game in 07.

They are on Suicide watch.

CUSA prestiege level just went down a WHOLE lot.

it was crazy…they had a rally outside the guys house and all…sending flowers to his wife…the local pizza shop owner even showed up with a boat load pies to hand out…

crazy?!
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