I have a source close to the Kentucky basketball program that thinks there will be a new coach announced this week. My source feels that an announcement will be made before Wednesday.
He said that he firmly believes Kentucky will be announcing someone from their "A List" as the next coach. He added that if he were a betting man, he would put his money on John Calipari from Memphis. He thinks that Kentucky targeted Billy Donovan as the first choice, but Donovan opted to stay at Florida.
He said that he firmly believes Kentucky will be announcing someone from their "A List" as the next coach. He added that if he were a betting man, he would put his money on John Calipari from Memphis. He thinks that Kentucky targeted Billy Donovan as the first choice, but Donovan opted to stay at Florida.
John Calipari's career record is 446-140 in 17 seasons. He spent eight seasons at Massachusetts, where he was 193-71. In 1995-96, Calipari led the Minutemen to the NCAA Final Four and had a 35-2 record. He has gone 243-69 at Memphis, including an NCAA Runner-up finish in 2007-08.
UPDATE: Larry Vaught is reporting on Kentucky Sports Report that a meeting with Calipari “has occurred or will be soon”.
UPDATE #2: I'm not sure what type of connections he has at the college level, but Stephen A. Smith (ESPN) states that John Calipari "will" be the next coach at Kentucky.
UPDATE #3 - Breaking News - ESPN Radio is reporting that there is mutual interest between UK and John Calipari. ESPN Radio reports that Kentucky has asked for AND received permission to talk to Calipari. ESPN TV reports that Kentucky has not asked for permission to speak with Calipari. Here is a link stating that Calipari is on Kentucky's radar.
UPDATE #4: CBSSports is reporting that Calipari and Kentucky could meet Monday. Here's a similar article from the folks in Memphis.
Posts
_logo.png){kind=logo}
25 comments:
lets hope so
i hope so to
I'm checking and re-checking sources right now and everyone I talk to is leaning this direction. Calipari would definately be a big-name hire that can recruit and coach. Stay tuned...
I'll be updating information as I receive it.
That would be hiz-uge, fo-real homies.
I agree, it is all over FACEBOOK , it must be true!
is the smith comment based off his interview on sportscenter this morning?
Believe in Blue and bleed it!
The Smith comment may have originally been heard this morning. I heard the comment tonight.
There are others saying that Andy Katz thinks it's Calipari as well - but I didn't hear Katz's thoughts, yet.
UK will sell their soul to the devil with the hire of calamari. It will take 2-3 years before the NCAA starts coming around for infractions.
How legitimate do you think this speculation is? On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being almost certain truth, and 1 being "there is an unmarked plane flying from gainesville to lexington"? Thanks in advance
I would put a 10 on UK hiring one of their top targets (Donovan, Calipari, etc.). My source is a solid one and if he says he'd bet on Calipari I would put my money on it, as well. If Calipari falls through the cracks, I would bet on another top-level name like maybe an Izzo.
I haven't seen where UK has asked for permission to talk to John Cal.?
Yeah, the ESPN article explicitly says they have NOT asked for permission yet.
It was just announced on ESPN Radio - heard it with my own ears. Someone else said it scrolled across the bottom of ESPN, but I have not seen that myself.
It is scrolling across the screen that there is "Mutual interest" between Kentucky and Calipari and they are talking about it as well on ESPN. I haven't, however, heard that there has been any actual contact yet, just that Kentucky was gathering information on Calipari over the weekend.
Yeah, I just updated the article. There is a guy on ESPN Radio saying they have asked for permission and received. ESPN television, however, is showing mutual interest but no contact, yet.
We'll go with the television scroll for now.
An interesting note I found out tonight is that Stephen A. Smith and John Calipari are good friends that go way back. Smith has been saying all day that Calipari will be at UK.
Do you think this could just be Calipari using Smith and UK to squeeze more cash out of Memphis?
That is a very interesting note! Can't wait to see what plays out! I searched a little for some stuff from Stephen A. Smith but never did find much.
BTW...I just found this site this evening and glad I did...I love it...I'm assuming you're over it...It's a great site and you are doing an excellent job!
I have learned over the years that college coaches rank pretty low on the trust scale. Anything is possible with most of these guys. Heck, Tubby Smith is one of the nicer guys around and even he had a deal worked out to go to Minnesota before UK's season ended.
I appreciate the kind comments. I work hard on this site and basketball is my passion. It's hard to go to my "real" job because I'd much rather be talking to coaches or players and working on my site.
On Stephen A. Smith - I enjoy listening to him, but I have never known him to be involved very much with college basketball. I always hear his NBA thoughts. It would make sense that he would have an opinion on this though if he is indeed a good friend of Cal's...
Calipari is under contract to Memphis. Memphis would not let him out of it until and unless both he and his future employer, UK, agree in writing to neither pursue nor accept stipulated Memphis recruits, including; '10 AND '11 recruits. Moreover, Memphis should put a very steep liquidated damages provision including punitive damages in the contracts with UK and Calipari as well as advance agreements to equitable remedies including injunctions.
Calipari will be to UK what Sampson was to Indiana. When you get in bed with the devil you must pay the consequences!
It turns out that Memphis only has a $200 K liquidated damages clause in their contract with Calilpari. So UK would only have to pay Memphis $200 K. All Memphis's recruits other than Cousins, however, have signed LOIs. Memphis would have to release them from these or they would have to sit a year. Wall and Xavier view themselves as one and dones and will not sit a year. Memphis can give them conditional releases which would prohibit them from going to UK. I suspect they will do that. If they can get another big time coach they may not give releases as all.
I read on ESPN that Xavier has signed LOI, but Wall is still uncommitted. If that's the case, Cousins and Wall could come to UK with no hassle.
Also, I think $200K would be a non-issue for Kentucky. Katz is reporting that he saw the outline of the deal and it is a huge offer.
Memphis fans your revenge will come when the NCAA investigations follow Calipari and his posse, i.e., WW Wesley et al, to KY. Remember, Calipari left UMASS suddenly just before NCAA investigations began there.
Calipari will bring the same shame to UK that Sampson brought to Indiana. The best part is that UK will pay him almost $5 M per year for dragging them into the cesspool with him. Calipari is a street hooker who is now marrying a school with a aging but storied basketball history. Do you think he can and will suddenly act like a proper lady?? Will he give his storied spouse genital herpes? My money is on UK catching VD from Calipari before he wins a National Championship there. It will be their just deserts for marrying a whore.
this is taken to long
Post a Comment