Jerry Tarkanian's Thoughts on John Calipari at UK

I just made my weekly visit to Jerry Tarkanian's Shark Bytes blog on the Las Vegas Sun's website. Here are his thoughts on John Calipari taking the Kentucky job and a story about having dinner with Joe B. Hall many years ago:

I see where John Calipari is poised to take the Kentucky job, and I think he’s a perfect fit for the Wildcats. John is a great recruiter and he loves the media. He will do a great job.

He loves the PR aspect of the game and he’s a great motivator. I can’t believe the salary they’re talking about, more than $4 million a season?

It’s been 31 years since we played them back there on their Senior Night when nobody else would. Before that game I had dinner with Joe B. Hall, their coach who was having a fine season, but the heat was on him all year long.

Win the national championship, or else. They were all over his case. He’s the one who built Wildcat Lodge, which initially housed the basketball players and was so luxurious.

It had big beds, the best food … then the NCAA changed its rules so athletes couldn’t get such better treatment than the average student. Joe raised all the money, but they weren’t going to call it Joe B. Hall Wildcat Lodge.

Joe was hurt. He felt like they were after him. He knew he had to win to keep his job. At dinner, I told him, Joe B., you know what I’d like to see you do?

I’d love to see you take the Tennessee job – it was open at the time – and tell them to shove it up their (bleeps). He went on to win the national championship that season for Kentucky, so they treated him well.

And the dorm is called Joe B. Hall Wildcat Lodge.

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