The New Orleans Pelicans are an NBA team searching for a head coach. They fired Monty Williams last week after seven seasons. Rumors began swirling that Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari would be interested in the job because he had coached Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans during college. Calipari said that he wasn’t interested in the job having a contract with the University of Kentucky through the 2021-2022 season that will pay him $4 million a year.
Calipari is one of the most successful coaches in college basketball. He owns a regular season record of 635-178. He has gone to 4 Final Fours with three different teams. In 1996 he coached UMass to his first Final Four. They lost to Kentucky in the National Semifinal. 2008 he took Memphis to the Final Four but they fell in the National Championship Game to Kansas 75-68. In the 2011 Final Four, he coached the Kentucky Wildcats and he became the second coach in NCAA history to coach three teams the NCAA Final Four. Kentucky lost to eventual champion UConn. Kentucky finally won it all in 2012. Calipari went to the Final Four the last two years with Kentucky.
Calipari coached in the NBA. It lasted a little over three years. He coached the New Jersey Nets from 1996 to 1999. His first year wasn’t bad. They went 26-56. His second year New Jersey made the playoffs with a record of 43-39. They were swept by the NBA Champions, Chicago Bulls in the first-round, 3-0. His last season, the NBA didn’t start playing until February 5 due to the NBA lockout. He only lasted 20 games going 3-17. His overall record in the NBA was 72-112.
The NCAA is a much better job. Calipari has the opportunity to talk to potential recruits. During the season he can make sure his athletes are making the grade, going to class, and aren’t getting in trouble off the court.
It’s harder to control professional basketball players on and off the court. The difficulty of being an NBA head coach is that most of these players don’t have to listen during games. They are being paid more then the coach so they can decide to listen if they choose to.
Calipari is better off in college. He has failed at the NBA level. He knows he will have success in the NCAA. Calipari is smart to stay at Kentucky where he will be a threat to win the NCAA Tournament every year.
What do you think of John Calipari staying at the University of Kentucky?
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