Comments on: Report: John Calipari to Kentucky Rumors Gaining Steam by the Hour

By: JRod

JRod — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:38:08 +0000

@dophinbuc, that is certainly a nice sentiment. I think it would be hard for Memphis fans to be all that upset with Calipari for leaving, considering he’d be more than doubling his salary, going to one of the top 5 historical programs ever, and has turned Memphis into a pretty good job itself. It always stinks for fans of the team who lose their coach, but nice to see someone who is probably about to be jilted still staying positive about Coach Cal.

By: dophinbuc

dophinbuc — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:40:19 +0000

Real brief about this.Memphis is a lot closer to tasting sweet success than Kentucky right now.I know Memphis fans are on pins and needles,but it’s gonna take almost a “Fort Knox” offer to keep him.I’d like to see him stay,but if he leaves I still wish him the best of luck.(Been a Tiger fan since Keith Lee was a freshman)

By: JRod

JRod — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:43:30 +0000

Frank, excellent point. And as you can see from the updates to the story just today, Cal to Kentucky is looking more and more like a reality.

Damnit.

As an IU fan, I am not happy about this at all.

By: Frank the Tank

Frank the Tank — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:56:03 +0000

@JRod, I agree with you completely here. As a rabid Illini fan, I experienced a very similar situation with Bill Self heading to Kansas a few years ago. I was convinced that Self wouldn’t leave an Illinois team that was loaded with talent (indeed, those players got to the national championship game a year after he left). Plus, he could arguably have been the big dog and comfortable forever in Champaign while the Illinois program was willing to pay anything that he wanted to keep him there. We all know what happened – Self ultimately couldn’t resist the allure of going to Kansas.

Right now, Memphis fans are throwing out the same arguments for Calipari staying as Illini fans did for Self back in 2003 (and Illinois had the significant added benefit of being in the revenue-rich Big Ten as opposed to Memphis’ position in C-USA). There might be that 1% chance that Cal’s heartstrings will be pulled to keep him in Memphis, but the other 99% points to him heading to Lexington ASAP. This isn’t a decision that’s going to be made solely because of money (although it’s definitely a big factor) – it’s because Kentucky is one of the handful of elite programs in the nation (the others being UNC, Kansas, Duke, UCLA, and maybe Indiana) where you can truly cement yourself as a legend nationally. Few places even within the 6 power conferences are able to compete with that, much less a place like Memphis which is outside of college basketball’s power structure.

By: JRod

JRod — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:01:36 +0000

@Philip S, agreed. There is no doubt that Kentucky can pay as much as anyone, but I think that Memphis would and will do everything in its power to keep Calipari. Memphis basketball is the sport of the city and I don’t think they will allow money to be the determining factor in Calipari leaving.

If he for some reason goes, it will be because of the allure of the challenge of competing at one of the top 5 basketball programs in America. That’s it. But Calipari, like all great coaches, has a huge ego and relishes challenge. He could cement a legacy as one of the great college basketball coaches in history if he were to go to Lexington for 10-15 years, win a national title or two, and bring Kentucky back to year in, year out prominence. Could he? Who knows. But that is the type of thought that could appeal to him.

By: Philip S

Philip S — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:50:28 +0000

@Matt,

FedEx Corporation Executives will make sure that Coach Cal doesn’t leave for monetary reasons….that’s how Memphis will keep Calipari…

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:46:11 +0000

Being a UK fan and a student with this report coming out last night, I really think this is the best match for the program to have. A coach with a great resume that Calipari has and the way he’s a coach on and off the court is amazing.

I do have to say that, I don’t agree with a fact that you’ve said in this report. You said that Memphis would have enough money to pay Calipari to stay at Memphis. False, Memphis is a program that is being known nationally for the past few years but doesn’t have the money like UK. UK is like the Yankees with the money situation. Memphis is like a smaller baseball club that can just barely pay there players and being able to keep them. I really don’t understand how Memphis could and would have enough money to outbid UK with the money situation.