Calipari to Coach University of Kentucky

Kentucky got its man and has hired John Calipari away from Memphis to coach their “beloved” college basketball program for just a mere $31.65 million over 8 years. Unlike its previous basketball coach search, this time the Wildcats were able to identify the person they wanted and they went out and got him. Two years ago, when Kentucky was looking for a coach, their historical program was rebuffed a couple of times, and they more or less had to settle with Coach Billie Gillepsie. Well, there was no settling this time.

Calipari brings a star-studded resume to the Kentucky basketball program. He has led two “mid-major” teams to the brink of winning it all, and there is no recruit that has ever been out of his range.

Nevertheless, as good as Calipari has been at both UMASS and Memphis, neither of those programs are on the level of Kentucky. Kentucky brings more prestige, but they also bring more stress. Kentucky brings more televised games, but they also bring tougher opponents. Kentucky brings loads of money, but Kentucky also brings more strings attached to that money. Kentucky has it all, but with the good comes the bad.

However, if anyone can handle the pressure of coaching at a big time program, it’s Calipari. Or at least we think so. While Calipari has been on the big stage before, he hasn’t been on the big stage at a major program. Sure, Calipari loses the championship game last year due to some poor coaching decisions at Memphis and all is well. Memphis basketball supporters were more or less just happy to be in the Final Four. Lose that championship game in the same manner he did as the coach of Kentucky, and you can guarantee that there will be a booster or two calling for his job. Calipari has never faced that type of inward scrutiny from his own university, because he was usually bigger than the school itself. Well, that’s not the case at Kentucky.

Kentucky is bigger than Calipari. Not sure about that? Consider this. Memphis has been way better than Kentucky over the last 2, 3, 4 seasons, right? Afterall, they are the only team in the nation to have been at least a #2 seed in the last 4 tournaments. As a result of that success, Calipari has brought in top recruits, such as the NBA’s #1 pick of a year ago, Derrick Rose. Kentucky, on the other hand, has not been so good. Over the last 4 years, they haven’t won the SEC regular season title, the SEC Tournament, nor have they reached the Sweet 16. But despite having essentially no admirable success at all, they were still able to bring in two top recruits in Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson, both whom are future NBA lottery picks. How’s that for prestige?

So no doubt, Calipari has his work cut out for him. I have no doubt that the product he puts out on the basketball court will be good. The question is, will it always be good enough for Kentucky, and can he handle the scrutiny when it isn’t? His resume would suggest so, but whenever a coach moves from the junior ranks to play with the big boys, you never know how their game, or their personality, will translate. But we will find out…and so will the University of Kentucky.

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