Calipari to UK

[Cheesehead]

Word is, he is seriously considering an offer from UK from meetings w/ them on Sunday. He is set to meet w/ Memphis officials today and there could be an announcement by later today.

I don't think Miller would want to touch the Memphis job.

[XU 87]

Calipari would be a good fit.

[Xman95]

Calipari would Pitino Pt. II.

Honestly, if Calipari goes to UK, that is going to be one scary program. He'll have the name/draw of Kentucky to combine with his coaching/recruiting ability. He has turned Memphis into a championship contender, imagine what he'll do at UK. Great get for the cats if they pull it off. Big, big loss for the Tigers.

[GoMuskies]

I always liked Calipari. Time to reevaluate.

[STL_XUfan]

I heard a talking head point out that the compliance officer at UK is the same one that was at UMass that reported the violations that removed calapari's final four (.... but after hearing all the mistakes that they made during the tourney about us I have learned not to completely trust their statements.)

[Juice]

That slimeball and UK deserve each other.

[Xman95]

That slimeball and UK deserve each other.

Several years ago I might have agreed that Calipari was a slimeball. But, being that he's close with Miller, I have cut him some slack and am willing to assume he's a decent guy. Plus, whenever I have heard him being interviewedj of the last couple years, I have liked him.

(By the way, Thad hasn't been given the same free pass for being friends with Sean. He's still in the probation stage because his actions were directly related to X. Of course I'm now happy he left and believe we got the better end of the deal, so his probation may end soon.)

[muskiefan82]

1 Year at Butler

3 Years at Xavier

5 Years at Ohio State

Do the math. Thad must take a new job.

[Muskie]

Coaching Carousel... (http://www.xavierhoops.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9436)

[bobbiemcgee]

or slightly less than the Cintas Center cost. Can Coach C pass this up?

[Cincy Muskie]

Enquirer is reporting this is 'official' now. Calipari has already spoken to Joe B Hall.

[bobbiemcgee]

Holy sh^t !!!! What's Sean worth?

[Ledgewood]

eleventy-billion dollars

[ballyhoohoo]

It seems as if they are buying the rights to the recruits that will follow Cal to UK.

[Juice]

It seems as if they are buying the rights to the recruits that will follow Cal to UK.

I read today that UK only has 1 open scholarship at the end of the season, assuming that Meeks or Patterson do not turn pro. If Calipari really does bring his recruits in, then a lot of UK players are going to be looking for a new team/are not going to have a scholarship.

[Drew's Crew]

eleventy-billion dollars

HAHA that's hilarious. I tried to rep you but I have to "spread it around."

I think Calipari will be worth it SOLELY based on the NBA prospects he will be bringing in every single year.

Not to mention to 2 or 3 top 150 guys he brings in to compliment them. He has been on his good behavior since going to Memphis and ifhe continues that, he could be an incredible hire.

[bobbiemcgee]

I read today that UK only has 1 open scholarship at the end of the season, assuming that Meeks or Patterson do not turn pro. If Calipari really does bring his recruits in, then a lot of UK players are going to be looking for a new team/are not going to have a scholarship.

Minor prob when you're talking these Arod numbers.

[principal]

After reading the lunatic ramblings at catspause, I have come to realize that little could make me happier (in regards to basketball in the offseason) than Cal turning UK down. Don't care if it is for money, sex, love, or otherwise. Those fans are crazy, ignorant, and arrogant. Of course if it somehow meant losing Sean Miller I'd rather the crazies get their coach, but other than that, it would be something special for Cal to say no.

[principal]

ESPN reporting it is a done deal, oh well.

[cinbrian28]

wow! talk about some lofty expectations...


At UMass, a nothing school on the college basketball landscape, John Calipari won like he was at Kentucky. At Memphis, a bigger basketball school than UMass but still nothing much to look at when he got there in 2000, Calipari won again like he was at Kentucky.

So what happens now that John Calipari is coaching Kentucky?

I'll tell you what happens. Kentucky will win like it's the Boston Celtics.

College basketball as you know it? It's over. That sport doesn't exist anymore, because that sport had a semblance of parity. One year North Carolina is the dominant program. One year it's UConn. One year it's Duke or UCLA or Florida. Maybe those teams don't win the national title the year they're dominant, or maybe they do. Either way, every year there is a team that, on paper, is the dominant program in college basketball. And every year it's a different team.

Until now. Until John Calipari merges with Kentucky.

Once Calipari gets Kentucky rolling -- and it won't take him long -- Kentucky will be that team. That dominant team. Every year?

Yes. Every year.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/11573816

[bleedXblue]

I hated Kentucky (their fams more than anything) before this and now I really am going to hate them.

They resemble the New York Yankees. Just buy a program......if you can't win the conventional way, just buy the talent.......

Calipari is another one. How much money do you need ? He's already a wealthy, wealthy man. He's got to be worth more than 10MM. He has Memphis rolling, getting big time recuits every year and now he goes to Kentucky ? He'll be expected to win the big one in his first three years. If he doesn't the fans and program will be all over him with pressure b/c he is making so much $$$$$$$. I only wish the worst. I hate to be that way, but it just makes me angry.

[cinskyline]

Too bad -- I would love to have seen Calipari turn them down. Now Kentucky fans will be even more arrogant than they are now. I wish them nothing but the worst.

[Xavier]

I cant blame the guy for going to UK. Some people like new challenges and the idea of turning around one of the biggest college basketball programs seems to be a good challenge for him. Personally I think he will be able to do it, look for Kentucky to be an elite team in the near future, possibly as early as next year

[waggy]

I don't blame Calipari one bit. Someone in another thread suggested a coach shouldn't change jobs for $800K a year. Sorry, but I'll work for almost 10 more years for that kind of money. If I live that long. Calipari didn't hold a gun to anyones head. He got this offer because he's one of the very best at what he does. I think the whole thing is interesting, and am looking forward more to watching Kentucky under Calipari. I'm sure he's no saint, but I don't think he's as bad as some people assume him to be.

[waggy]

And if reports are true it ended up not being about the money. Memphis matched or even exceeded the Kentucky offer. If true, Calipari ended up taking the job it would appear due to a combination of having given a verbal, and simply for the challenge. Sometimes people just want a change of scenery.

[Woodburn]

wow! talk about some lofty expectations...



http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/11573816

Jesus.

At first - I thought this was a quote from a another retarded member of Cat's Pause.

Then - I realized it was written by Gregg Doyel (a guy that's ostensibly paid to write about such things).

My natural conclusion was that this actually makes perfect sense because the intellectual level of both Doyel and "CatsRULE!!! (or whatever some toothless hillbilly thinks looks tough on the intarweb as a screenname)" is roughly the same.

F Gregg Doyel for more reasons than I care to enumerate.

[anXUfan]

I have little doubt that John Calipari will have UK back at the very top, and fast. I wonder what impact if any his being so close to Cincinnati, and at the same time a good friend of Sean Miller's, will have on Xavier's recruiting.

[Woodburn]

eleventy-billion dollars

Ledgewood, that's funny - truly. And I agree...

But at some point, but this kind of money really begs a bunch of questions. 4.5 million a year?!? For a bball coach? To me - a contract like this changes the equation enough across the landscape that it has to change any coach's subjective assessment of what he is "worth."

A rising tide raises all boats, and this kind of contract is sure to be used by smart agents across the country as a big bargaining chip on behalf of any coach looking to renegotiate. In truth - at some point the smaller schools, without huge endowments and/or BCS football to float the Athletic Department, cannot compete with millions upon millions for a bball coach year after year.

I just have a queasy feeling in my stomach.

[GuyFawkes38]

I have little doubt that John Calipari will have UK back at the very top, and fast. I wonder what impact if any his being so close to Cincinnati, and at the same time a good friend of Sean Miller's, will have on Xavier's recruiting.

Yes, this post is filled with generalizations.

But it does seem like schools like Kentucky, Kansas, Indiana, Duke, UNC, and even Louisville tend to recruit predominantly in major urban centers (New York, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, etc). Those cities are filled with kids who lack a sense of connection with any regional school. So they opt for the flashy named schools.

The good news is that X tends to recruit in smaller cities roughly within 200 miles of cincinnati.

I don't think Calipari at Kentucky will be a problem.

[bobbiemcgee]

They were paying Calipari 2.35m and told him they'd match UK

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4031573&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

[Pete Delkus]

I wonder if Xavier has a connection to W. W. Wes...it could be a good thing or a bad thing as he could one day lead to a downfall of a program.

You can see him sitting baseline in LeBrons seats for evey big game.
.................
4) Will Worldwide Wes continue to support Calipari?
For those who do not know, William Wesley is considered one of the most powerful figures in college basketball because of his connections and relationships. LeBron James. Jay-Z. He has a long list of connections, and it includes Calipari, whom Wesley has known for years. Wesley has also been close with Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Evans's family because of a relationship built years ago because of connections in southern New Jersey. Having Wesley in your corner certainly does not hurt. The relationship does not violate any rules. And if Wesley continues his support of Calipari – as would be expected – it should only help Kentucky from a recruiting standpoint. Wesley attended each NCAA tournament game for Memphis this season. He has visited the Memphis locker room after games in the past. Will he do the same at Kentucky?

[SM#24]

Don't know if this is buried in another thread, but here it is.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/2009-04-01-kentucky-calipari-employment-agreement.pdf

[waggy]

I got a kick out of: "Any action arising from or relating to this Agreement shall only be brought in the Franklin Circuit Court of the Commonwealth of Kentucky." Standard fare I'm sure, but still kind of humorous.

Also, a couple offices are going to have to change their fax numbers now...

[Jumpy]

3.8 mil with $850K in incentives ain't bad. I need to go buy some books written by John Wooden. Its obvious that I'm in the wrong business.

[coasterville95]

That's what I'm thinking, I never played a minute of basketball, but for that kind of jack point me to a copy of "Coaching NCAA Men's Basketball for Dummies".

Give me just one season at 3.8 mil, let me post a record that would rival NJIT's then I'll accept the 3 million buyout to end the contract. I'll then take my 7 million, upgrade the home, buy a Cintas Center luxury box (assuming availability), become real good friends with a travel agent and see the world. Sounds perfect to me.

I find it interesting in the Calipari contract that only 400K a year of that is base wage. The shoe/apparel/sports drink/equipment endoresement deals and the radio/tv appearance deals account for like 3 million a year. But that way UK can legally claim "Mr. Caliparis's base compensation is 400K" Add to that though a potential for 850K a year in incentives, plus retention bonuses as stated and it becomes a rather nice contract. I wonder though if he looked at the "APR above 950" and "75% Graduation Rate" incentive items and thought "Well, those are out"