UMASS finds their coach..

[JAX 3758]

Coach Cal still pulling the puppet stings over there in Amherst...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3359096

[Muskie]

I've been looking at Umasshoops.com and they seem to value Coach "Cal's" advice over there. I guess that's what taking you to the brink of a National Title will do.

[joe titan]

Well Coach Calipari did more than that; At UMASS B.C. (before Cal) it was a graveyard job to the utmost and had seen no success since Dr J's short-lived career. In the years leading up to the FF team w/Camby, Cal recruited NYC, Philly & DC to attract better players. Cal's run was not comparable to Matta at XU, but started from ground zero and was sustained to some extent even after Cal departed (Kellogg started in those years immediately after Camby/Cal headed to NBA).

Cal also had a nice hand in building their arena from the "Cage" they used less than 2 decades ago.

I see no reason to shun Coach Cal's input now.

Moreover, notwithstanding Coach Ford returning UMASS to the upper side of A 10, it was hardly a surprise to see Ford leave. He had no ties to the school; in fact Ford's roots to UK/SEC were not exactly ever a long term fit. UMASS is in a better place b/c Ford, but it was a stop gap solution all along. Now UMASS is right to see if something longer term can be achieved, and Cal's outlook should be valued.

The A 10 needs UMASS to be a solid force in that Northeast market.

[xu95]

Are you sure he wasn't there at the same time? When we took #1 UMASS to the wire that was 95-96 and I could have swore Camby was still there.

xu95

[joe titan]

xu95: Kellogg was underclassman playing behind Camby, but after that UMASS was still pretty good when Bruiser Flint succeeded Cal; Kellogg started in those years and I believe was A10 first team as SR.

Otherwise your recall of that one one special game is correct. I would venture your closet still contains a maroon tee shirt "DON'T UMASS WITH X". It was ABC's national game.