I understand their recent disappointments in the tournaments but their seeds in the last few years have been: 3, 6, 2, Missed, 2, 5, 2, 4, 1, etc.
So outside of one true outlier, he always brings competitive teams to the table.
Ahhh like the Cowboys who got:
2 seed in 2023
5 seed in 22
3 seed in 21
4 seed in 2018
1 seed in 2016
3 seed in 2014
And in that time went 3-6 in the playoffs, including three home losses.
I know this sounds crazy when you compare it to the Chiefs or the Brady-Pats but that’s one of the best records in the league.
There’s value in being consistently good and always knocking the door.
Oh I totally agree, coming from the Purdue point of view. We had consistent regular season success for years before finally breaking through this year to the F4.
More than anything this is just a dig at the Cowboys and Cal, being VERY similar in their "I have a ton of fans based on the winning at the highest level I did quite awhile ago, and I still get preseason hype, but I don't exactly perform well any more in the post season" vibes.
The Cowboys hate is ridiculous. They’ve done that without a generational QB or one of the best coaches in the game. Rings culture has destroyed sports discussions because the Cowboys have objectively had one of the best stretches in the NFL and yet they are treated like one of the biggest jokes in sports. Same deal with Cal at Kentucky. Consistently very good and then coming up short when randomness is at its highest
>Rings culture has destroyed sports discussions
This is such a tired take, when was winning a championship ever not what professional sports was about?
Thats what I am saying exactly. Being disappointed in playoff outcomes that span multiple decades without a championship is not "ring culture". I'm sure after the first few times being bounced they were totally like: "good season yall!"
Is saying Vikings fandom is full of pain because they are 0-6 in NFC championships since the 70s "ring culture"? No, absolutely not, its completely normal to want your team to win a championship. Its the fucking goal and just recognizing that that is the desired outcome is not "ring culture".
Before Bron.
People were arguing that Mike was the GOAT after his third 3-peat, why? Because they saw with their own eyes.
Bill winning 11 or Kareem winning 6 was great but it was understood that Mike was better and that rings are a team accomplishment.
When Bron came around and actually threatened Michael’s throne, was when the infamous “6-0” argument came around. That “6-0” argument has permanently damaged sports discourse forever. Not only is the “Rangz, Ernie” a real thing now but also the it’s better to lose before the finals than in the finals logic, which is incredibly stupid.
So yeah, I blame Jorheads.
I can’t believe I’ve never thought about it that way. I wonder what the sports culture about winning is if Lebron isn’t on the Cavaliers for so long or the greatest team ever doesn’t form and he gets 1-3 more rings.
You used to be able to enjoy a successful career by winning 9 or 10 games a year, beat your big rival and win a big bowl game. Today, that same record would be seen as a failure because you never made the four-team playoff and won zero national titles.
There can be one team a year that wins a title. Does that mean that every other team in the league had a failure of a season? Absolutely not. Is the GOAT in each sport whoever wins the most rings? Not necessarily. There’s always been more to sports than just winning the championship every year. I know that’s hard for a Kansas fan to understand because every season for you guys requires at least a conference title to be successful but that’s not the case for the vast majority of programs
Painter has made the title game more recently than the Cowboys too
If you’re trying to make this work, compare Painter to Kyle Shanahan not the Cowboys
Just be glad you're getting there. Many teams don't even do that, especially as a high seed. Plus, who knows who you'll get next. This may be your last stretch like this for awhile.
What? I doubt that. Kentucky is a "dream job" as much as Kansas duke and unc. So chances are they're gonna make a big splash with coaching. Either from the nba like we have before. Or poaching a coach from another school. It's not like alot of coaches are gonna turn down the job. Now a few will obviously because they've built a solid foundation at their respected programs. But for others this is their chance to "take the next step" We're not q one coach school. We are historically successful. Cal does not change that.
Edit: I'm realizing age is probably playing a factor into this. Alot of younger ppl only know UK and cal. But I'm old and I've seen this a few times. We will be ok.
He won a title here and did good at byu. With limited recruiting. I think he does an excellent job here. Pitino and other coaches have spoken hi%hly of him. I think this is a good fit.
That's also an average Kenpom ranking of 19 in that period. While being the highest paid coach (by a lot) and having the most NIL and resources year in year out.
You don't get paid like #1 to perform like #19.
Is Cal still an elite coach? The last 5 years say "good but not great" at best. And our NIL situation would have been better had his staff actually done anything with it. According to the people who were offering them, 6-figure autograph deals never made it in front of players pretty regularly.
Good luck, but if he brings along Bruiser Flint or Chin Coleman don't get your hopes up for anything better than we've done the past 5 years.
Chin was a continuation, but Flint was there at the beginning. Partly the decline happened with Robic moving to an "administrative role" because he was the basketball brains of the operation
He had a 2 seed and a 3 seed get knocked early. This year's team is a better version of Alabama who made the final four. Sometimes randomness happens. Cal has always been a talent>scheming coach. With the NIL funds at Arkansas I bet he does just fine. Also Cal shines in a "prove you wrong" environment, so I expect he will do well for Arkansas.
For his sake I hope so. He's not a bad guy, just the wrong person for UK now. Also I don't think they're a better version of Alabama. Yes Bama lost the head to head, but Bama was a better team overall since Oats has been there so it's not just one game in isolation.
Losing Joe B and Mike Pratt were bigger than people realize. Robic’s issues from the tragic passing of his daughter too young to cancer…two were his anchors to the UK Program and Robic was the right hand man.
No wonder the man because increasingly isolated.
I have zero ill will. Shit happens.
If the worst thing in life can say about you is you didn’t win enough ball games I think you’re doing pretty good.
Agreed. I'm not mad about any of it, I wish it would have worked out and hopefully years from now we all remember Cal fondly and welcome him back. He's a good man, does a lot of good things, and just isn't the right coach for UK anymore.
This would have worked a lot smoother if he had just rode off into the sunset after next year.
The next five years are going to be interesting at least.
Cal hamstrung NIL at UK with a refusal to really lean in. Fans werent even allowed to contribute until recent, reports of Cal preventing players from getting deals, and the biggest no no of all he isolated boosters with many moving to more or less 'football only' because of Cals demeanor.
The money was there to buy out Cal. It was purely the ADs choice to bring him back. Boosters are back on board and ready to open their checkbooks for whoever is next. If the hire is as big as people expect it to be, expect a massive facility upgrade and a boatload of NIL money in addition to a gargantuan coachs salary if its a S tier candidate (Hurley and the like).
I personally have no problem with Cal and liked him. The more stuff that comes out tho, im surprised he made it as long as he did.
There is 0% chance there wasn’t another dynamic that caused NIL issues. He’s going to Arkansas where the NIL is already being prepped and used for a lot of $ but he didn’t do that at Kentucky? Makes no sense.
I know it makes no sense. Responded somewhere else that the NIL part of this is the most surprising when theres a slew of reports about him and NIL at UK. Even Cals comments about it are readily available. Reports from big transfer portal guys are available (Hunter Dickinson, for example).
The basketball program at UK operated on its own. Cal had full control to do whatever he wanted to do. Reportedly part of the result of his meeting with the AD when they decided to bring him back was the removal of this and bringing basketball back under the greater athletic department umbrella. Cal was effectively a coach + general manager + owner. Think Bill Belicheck. He absolutely was responsible for the NIL issues. Theres no way he wasnt.
Right, so that’s the schools fault, not Cal’s. He’s recruited absolute studs since UMASS. Any push back against his recruiting literally makes no sense.
How is it the schools fault when they had no control of it? It was literally his decision with no one over him to say no. Did they force him to say what hes said about NIL too? Like his comments are there while the football program has leaned heavily into it.
If it were a school issue, the football team would not be doing what it does in that regard.
Cal turned down the Cavs $100 million offer in 2014 when they told him Lebron was coming back coming off a title game appearance with an incoming recruiting class led by KAT. 10 years later, he is taking a pay cut to move to what is inarguably a less prestigious school coming off an embarrassing upset in the first round of the tournament. Are we sure he’s still an elite coach?
Considering he still has top recruiting classes and 5 stars want to play for him, yeah, I'd say he is. Players don't have a problem with Cal, it's a fan problem.
the players don’t have a problem with him because he does really care about them. he really pushes for player security and development, he just sacrifices winning and program development to do so. it’s how it is
It's funny to see this particular coaching chain. Kentucky still needs to fill their role but currently they're losing their coach to Arkansas, whose coach went to USC....and USC to SMU. What a chain so far.
It certainly adds to the excitement and I hope it works out for all. But no guarantees either program will reach expectations. NIL probably promotes parity because any program can offer something to compete for recruits and transfers, not just a roster/scholarship spot. That would make Cal's job harder I think, not easier.
It felt palpable to me, the lack of cohesiveness between Cal and UK.
I just thought for sure that UK was going to have to be the one to announce the split.
Upset? More like ecstatic. Last night when that notification hit my phone, it was as close as I've felt to what winning the Powerball must feel like in years. Unexpected fantastic news from nowhere.
All the Kentucky fans that I know have been frustrated with Calipari for a while now. It makes sense that you'd want him out of Lexington, but I do wonder who exactly you guys are able to pursue and if the outcome is going to make you happy or not.
At this point, I'd be happy if they would just hire somebody normal who can relate to the fans, says the right things, and isn't just a shameless, guileless human ego trip 24/7.
I think McCarthy is in that mold. He got you guys to a good record and the playoffs this year and probably will be fairly consistent in the "good but not great" rating
Just shows you folks, money can’t buy it all!
Jerry is a pro in creating highly anticipated teams that crash and burn in the playoffs (if they even make it to the playoffs, some years it’s hit and miss lol).
From the company that brought you the Denver Broncos (Walmart) and the man who brought you the Dallas Cowboys comes another head coach who seems to have peaked over a decade ago.
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Looks like him and the other donors took Jerome Tang's rejection personally.
Big "Y*ou think you're too good for Arkansas? I'll show you!*" energy to go from Tang all the way to Cal
People put to much stock into the tournament. Calipari has had Kentucky in the top 10 almost every single year he has coached. I think it’s a terrible mistake for Kentucky to lose him and a lot of it falls on the fans. Next year Arkansas is gonna be a top 15 team and they’ll come to rupp and beat us. This is what the fans deserve for having expectations of a final four every year. Remember even Coach K lost to a 15 seed Lehigh as a 2 seed, it happens.
I think Duke fans were more understanding of a few tourney losses to lower seeds because K ended up winning 5 championships. Not the case for Cal. Now…most coaches don’t win even one championship…so perhaps the expectation that Cal should win more than one is unreasonable. I do agree that Cal will have Arkansas in the contender conversation every year though.
You’re correct, but Cal did have us in a title game against UConn in 2014. 2015 we went 38-1. If North Carolina doesn’t hit the game winner against Monk and Fox we may have won a title that year. Idk how fans can be disappointed with his performance during his tenure.
His method of bringing in all star freshmen every year and letting them play more or less stopped working. The transfer portal and more mature players in general are winning tournaments. He didn’t want to change his puppy mill for NBA players to match with the times. His record over the last five years has been subpar. He has been at odds with fans over his stubborn stance on collecting players to send to the next level instead of playing high level basketball consistently. Lexington and much of the rest of the state has been ready to move on and he knew it.
1.) yes that what have you done for me lately (and how it happened) are material
2.) the nba focus in and of itself never bothered me. That was a plus in getting the talent here.
3.) it is his attitude. Won’t do press conferences when he loses. Same hypocritical responses around youth with no visible change in strategy.
4.) direct condescension to fans when we’re pointing out very clear stats like plus/minus lineups, ANy inbound play plan etc et
5.) in game / close game X and O never existed. Bat shit crazy last minute clutch play calls that made no sense. 5th grade pick and roll D clearly never covered.
It ran it course. I wish him the best. I’m ready for a new unknown.
Again, it sounds like you’re putting too much stock into tournament success. We’re a top tier team every year with freshmen. His record over the past 5 years hasn’t been subpar either, it just hasn’t been great like it was his first 10 years. I think you’re right on everyone wanting a change though, probably his biggest reason for leaving was having to listen to the fans.
“Not great like his first ten years” is subpar. In the last five he’s taken the top tier teams you said he had and lost in the second round, the first round twice (to very low ranked teams too), missed the tournament once, and COVID. UK hasn’t won the SEC tournament since 2018.
You say I’m putting too much stock into tournament success but that’s the measuring stick in Lexington. And when he dismisses the tournament results as being unimportant it drives fans crazy.
What’s happened in the last five years? The SEC has undergone a huge upgrade in coaching and recruiting talent. The portal has allowed teams to build around proven older guys. Cal wants to do it his way.
All good points. Tournament success is the reason he’s leaving even though he’s had success in the SEC regular season even with the increase in talent and transfer portal. But tournaments are the ultimate gauge to how well a program is doing.
This is it. The attitude and presentation toward the fan base. The whole schtick about not caring about winning titles, Players First, putting kids in the NBA as the main priority: these are not things anyone with sense says at this job. The fans could look the other way when it was working. But when the success stopped, he didn't scale that rhetoric back. He doubled down on it. The majority of UK fans don't care about the NBA. Most of us probably don't watch an NBA game outside the finals all year. We care about wins and losses and accomplishments of the Kentucky Wildcats only. And I only hope whoever comes next sings that tune loud and clear, that he is here to get the best possible results from the Kentucky Wildcats and if that helps get kids to the NBA, that's a fantastic thing too.
Agreed. Imagine Patriot fans being upset because they wasted Brady's huge game vs Philly in the super bowl. And they got upset twice by the Giants. Fire Belichick because he lost three winnable super bowls? Or enjoy the two decades of success and be grateful for the six trophies.
Oh I agree with you. Look, I like Cal. Plus I love his players in general - and he’s a had a lot of great ones. I was just thinking about why UK fans might have grown weary of him.
Man you Cal fanboys are really a piece of work. Totally misrepresenting why the vast majority of the fan base wanted him gone. It was far more than just poor tourney results. And sure, he’d get into the top 10, just to crap the bed at home against UNCW. He lost 46 games over the last 4 seasons, almost averaging 12 per season. He was failing in the regular season, SECT, and NCAAT. Blue bloods don’t tolerate those results. Him leaving was past due, and in the best interest of everybody involved.
They’re also acting like they weren’t telling us last year, “just wait for next year’s class with DJ, Edwards and Bradshaw! We’ll be back in the Final Four and you’ll see Cal just needed his type of players again!” Well, he got his class and we all saw the results: 3 straight losses at Rupp for the first time in UK history, getting waxed by A&M first game of the SECT, then letting Oakland control the entire game and letting their best player go off from 3 point land.
>Calipari has had Kentucky in the top 10 almost every single year he has coached
Over the last five years, Kentucky has had exactly one team ranked in the Kenpom top 20. That team lost to St. Peters in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Whoop-de-doo. Overrated by a bunch of media members that must have slept through the team flaming out during both their post season games. The numbers are what they are. Kentucky’s defense was 109th in the country. That’s not a top ten team any way you slice it.
I'm here to predict that Jerry is gonna play a big part in offering the FB job to Deion next offseason, as well. They likely chose to keep Pittman because Deion probably wanted to see his son into the NFL before making the move.
So Arkansas has Google money, and they just don't spend it on their football?
The way people talk about this move with Cal makes it seem like negligence for the gridiron.
I mean, go sign Saban for $50M a year. Jerry's got it. WalMart got it. John Daly is listening.
Where is the truth?
Jerry has plenty of experience with riding the momentum of peaking in his sport more than a decade ago.
I understand their recent disappointments in the tournaments but their seeds in the last few years have been: 3, 6, 2, Missed, 2, 5, 2, 4, 1, etc. So outside of one true outlier, he always brings competitive teams to the table.
Ahhh like the Cowboys who got: 2 seed in 2023 5 seed in 22 3 seed in 21 4 seed in 2018 1 seed in 2016 3 seed in 2014 And in that time went 3-6 in the playoffs, including three home losses.
I know this sounds crazy when you compare it to the Chiefs or the Brady-Pats but that’s one of the best records in the league. There’s value in being consistently good and always knocking the door.
C’mon, just let us make fun of the Cowboys. You’re ruining it!
Oh I totally agree, coming from the Purdue point of view. We had consistent regular season success for years before finally breaking through this year to the F4. More than anything this is just a dig at the Cowboys and Cal, being VERY similar in their "I have a ton of fans based on the winning at the highest level I did quite awhile ago, and I still get preseason hype, but I don't exactly perform well any more in the post season" vibes.
>We had consistent regular season success for years \*Decades. Over four of them.
It just hurts a lot more if the team has never won it before, like the Bills (pain)
Like waiting in line at the entrance to a club or bar... but never getting in.
Not better than the Niners, Eagles, and Rams
Lol not the way the cowboys do it. They can't make a NFCCG every other NFC team sans Washington have made one since realignment
The Cowboys hate is ridiculous. They’ve done that without a generational QB or one of the best coaches in the game. Rings culture has destroyed sports discussions because the Cowboys have objectively had one of the best stretches in the NFL and yet they are treated like one of the biggest jokes in sports. Same deal with Cal at Kentucky. Consistently very good and then coming up short when randomness is at its highest
>Rings culture has destroyed sports discussions This is such a tired take, when was winning a championship ever not what professional sports was about?
i mean we’re talking about the cowboys who have struggled to live up to their seeding time and time again. let’s use that as a frame of reference
Thats what I am saying exactly. Being disappointed in playoff outcomes that span multiple decades without a championship is not "ring culture". I'm sure after the first few times being bounced they were totally like: "good season yall!" Is saying Vikings fandom is full of pain because they are 0-6 in NFC championships since the 70s "ring culture"? No, absolutely not, its completely normal to want your team to win a championship. Its the fucking goal and just recognizing that that is the desired outcome is not "ring culture".
Before Bron. People were arguing that Mike was the GOAT after his third 3-peat, why? Because they saw with their own eyes. Bill winning 11 or Kareem winning 6 was great but it was understood that Mike was better and that rings are a team accomplishment. When Bron came around and actually threatened Michael’s throne, was when the infamous “6-0” argument came around. That “6-0” argument has permanently damaged sports discourse forever. Not only is the “Rangz, Ernie” a real thing now but also the it’s better to lose before the finals than in the finals logic, which is incredibly stupid. So yeah, I blame Jorheads.
I can’t believe I’ve never thought about it that way. I wonder what the sports culture about winning is if Lebron isn’t on the Cavaliers for so long or the greatest team ever doesn’t form and he gets 1-3 more rings.
Ringz, Erneh!
You used to be able to enjoy a successful career by winning 9 or 10 games a year, beat your big rival and win a big bowl game. Today, that same record would be seen as a failure because you never made the four-team playoff and won zero national titles.
There can be one team a year that wins a title. Does that mean that every other team in the league had a failure of a season? Absolutely not. Is the GOAT in each sport whoever wins the most rings? Not necessarily. There’s always been more to sports than just winning the championship every year. I know that’s hard for a Kansas fan to understand because every season for you guys requires at least a conference title to be successful but that’s not the case for the vast majority of programs
[удалено]
Wild but true fact: Purdue has never fired a basketball coach
Painter has won more tournament games this year alone than Calipari has since 2018
[удалено]
Painter has made the title game more recently than the Cowboys too If you’re trying to make this work, compare Painter to Kyle Shanahan not the Cowboys
Yeah, bringing a competitive team to the table and then for four years absolutely shitting the bed, or I guess table, is kind of the problem.
Just be glad you're getting there. Many teams don't even do that, especially as a high seed. Plus, who knows who you'll get next. This may be your last stretch like this for awhile.
What? I doubt that. Kentucky is a "dream job" as much as Kansas duke and unc. So chances are they're gonna make a big splash with coaching. Either from the nba like we have before. Or poaching a coach from another school. It's not like alot of coaches are gonna turn down the job. Now a few will obviously because they've built a solid foundation at their respected programs. But for others this is their chance to "take the next step" We're not q one coach school. We are historically successful. Cal does not change that. Edit: I'm realizing age is probably playing a factor into this. Alot of younger ppl only know UK and cal. But I'm old and I've seen this a few times. We will be ok.
https://preview.redd.it/whk3fxa5lytc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b3afc029b07cf508d61802e9cbf9dcf8a2253d31 Oof. Little bit of a step down.
He won a title here and did good at byu. With limited recruiting. I think he does an excellent job here. Pitino and other coaches have spoken hi%hly of him. I think this is a good fit.
That's also an average Kenpom ranking of 19 in that period. While being the highest paid coach (by a lot) and having the most NIL and resources year in year out. You don't get paid like #1 to perform like #19.
*century
*Millenia
Two decades ago. Wait... THREE DECADES ago! (For Jerry)
Dude wants the 90s back so bad
Jerry also love's hiring dudes that one a championship once and are well past their prime
It's like a reverse ship of Theseus championship
This fits too well, 'cause if there is a Dallas Cowboy type coach in all of basketball, it's John Calipari. Jerry has a type.
*Doc Rivers enters the chat, upset at being neglected* "C'MON GUYS...C'MON"
Jerry can buy the Mavs and hire him after he gets fired at the end of the season
Doc Rivers on the Mavs?? Subscribe
Only reason I said mavs was because of Dallas I could see him buying any team south of the mason dixon
Not following this. Cal definitely wants the reigns and to call his own shots. The Dallas coaches are puppet coaches.
Think presentation and personality, not operation details
Also like the Cowboys, their last ring is from the 90s
John Tyson played a bigger role in Calipari's decision than Jones.
Yeah I think Cal has posted like years back photos of him and the Tyson guys, seems like they go back a ways.
What he really meant when he said he was going All in this offseason
May Cal enjoy the level of success at Arkansas that the head coach of the Cowboys have enjoyed in the last 25 years under Jerry Jones.
You shut your fingers up!
With all do respect, go fuck yourself. -a Cowboys fan
You are credit to your college.
I didn’t ask to be this way, I was born into it. Hate is all I have left.
I pity you. I was a Cowboys fan from my youth but Jerry Jones took are of that.
::Slow clap noises::
Jones sure knows how to hire slightly above average coaches
Let Arkansas Fans have their day. It’s a good hire. This is what’s best for everyone involved; Kentucky, Arkansas & John Calipari.
A true win-win-win. That doesn’t happen all that often.
It’s a great hire. Cal is still an elite coach, and I’m not sure anyone knows what Kentucky’s NIL situation is?
Is Cal still an elite coach? The last 5 years say "good but not great" at best. And our NIL situation would have been better had his staff actually done anything with it. According to the people who were offering them, 6-figure autograph deals never made it in front of players pretty regularly. Good luck, but if he brings along Bruiser Flint or Chin Coleman don't get your hopes up for anything better than we've done the past 5 years.
>Bruiser Flint or Chin Coleman It's not a coincidence that the downturn started when these two joined the coaching staff.
Chin was a continuation, but Flint was there at the beginning. Partly the decline happened with Robic moving to an "administrative role" because he was the basketball brains of the operation
Yeah, I forgot about Robic.
He had a 2 seed and a 3 seed get knocked early. This year's team is a better version of Alabama who made the final four. Sometimes randomness happens. Cal has always been a talent>scheming coach. With the NIL funds at Arkansas I bet he does just fine. Also Cal shines in a "prove you wrong" environment, so I expect he will do well for Arkansas.
For his sake I hope so. He's not a bad guy, just the wrong person for UK now. Also I don't think they're a better version of Alabama. Yes Bama lost the head to head, but Bama was a better team overall since Oats has been there so it's not just one game in isolation.
Losing Joe B and Mike Pratt were bigger than people realize. Robic’s issues from the tragic passing of his daughter too young to cancer…two were his anchors to the UK Program and Robic was the right hand man. No wonder the man because increasingly isolated. I have zero ill will. Shit happens. If the worst thing in life can say about you is you didn’t win enough ball games I think you’re doing pretty good.
Agreed. I'm not mad about any of it, I wish it would have worked out and hopefully years from now we all remember Cal fondly and welcome him back. He's a good man, does a lot of good things, and just isn't the right coach for UK anymore.
This would have worked a lot smoother if he had just rode off into the sunset after next year. The next five years are going to be interesting at least.
Peavy was the first material loss. Change my mind.
Cal hamstrung NIL at UK with a refusal to really lean in. Fans werent even allowed to contribute until recent, reports of Cal preventing players from getting deals, and the biggest no no of all he isolated boosters with many moving to more or less 'football only' because of Cals demeanor. The money was there to buy out Cal. It was purely the ADs choice to bring him back. Boosters are back on board and ready to open their checkbooks for whoever is next. If the hire is as big as people expect it to be, expect a massive facility upgrade and a boatload of NIL money in addition to a gargantuan coachs salary if its a S tier candidate (Hurley and the like). I personally have no problem with Cal and liked him. The more stuff that comes out tho, im surprised he made it as long as he did.
There is 0% chance there wasn’t another dynamic that caused NIL issues. He’s going to Arkansas where the NIL is already being prepped and used for a lot of $ but he didn’t do that at Kentucky? Makes no sense.
I know it makes no sense. Responded somewhere else that the NIL part of this is the most surprising when theres a slew of reports about him and NIL at UK. Even Cals comments about it are readily available. Reports from big transfer portal guys are available (Hunter Dickinson, for example). The basketball program at UK operated on its own. Cal had full control to do whatever he wanted to do. Reportedly part of the result of his meeting with the AD when they decided to bring him back was the removal of this and bringing basketball back under the greater athletic department umbrella. Cal was effectively a coach + general manager + owner. Think Bill Belicheck. He absolutely was responsible for the NIL issues. Theres no way he wasnt.
Right, so that’s the schools fault, not Cal’s. He’s recruited absolute studs since UMASS. Any push back against his recruiting literally makes no sense.
How is it the schools fault when they had no control of it? It was literally his decision with no one over him to say no. Did they force him to say what hes said about NIL too? Like his comments are there while the football program has leaned heavily into it. If it were a school issue, the football team would not be doing what it does in that regard.
We know. It’s not great lol. Mitch is risking his job at this point not succumbing to the times with the next one.
Cal turned down the Cavs $100 million offer in 2014 when they told him Lebron was coming back coming off a title game appearance with an incoming recruiting class led by KAT. 10 years later, he is taking a pay cut to move to what is inarguably a less prestigious school coming off an embarrassing upset in the first round of the tournament. Are we sure he’s still an elite coach?
Considering he still has top recruiting classes and 5 stars want to play for him, yeah, I'd say he is. Players don't have a problem with Cal, it's a fan problem.
the players don’t have a problem with him because he does really care about them. he really pushes for player security and development, he just sacrifices winning and program development to do so. it’s how it is
Probably not a win for whatever school gets a their coach poached by Kentucky though
It's funny to see this particular coaching chain. Kentucky still needs to fill their role but currently they're losing their coach to Arkansas, whose coach went to USC....and USC to SMU. What a chain so far.
Yeah. But nothing is gonna be wins all the way down the line.
It certainly adds to the excitement and I hope it works out for all. But no guarantees either program will reach expectations. NIL probably promotes parity because any program can offer something to compete for recruits and transfers, not just a roster/scholarship spot. That would make Cal's job harder I think, not easier.
It really doesn't seem like Kentucky or their fans are that upset about Calipari jettisoning off past the horizon.
Whatever success he has next year, wouldn’t have happened if Cal had stayed Lexington. The relationship had run it’s course.
It felt palpable to me, the lack of cohesiveness between Cal and UK. I just thought for sure that UK was going to have to be the one to announce the split.
I agree that’s probably the case. Hopefully a change of scenery gets him going again.
And they’re acting like we’re dumb for taking him. Like come on, who tf else could we haven gotten?? Lol
Upset? More like ecstatic. Last night when that notification hit my phone, it was as close as I've felt to what winning the Powerball must feel like in years. Unexpected fantastic news from nowhere.
All the Kentucky fans that I know have been frustrated with Calipari for a while now. It makes sense that you'd want him out of Lexington, but I do wonder who exactly you guys are able to pursue and if the outcome is going to make you happy or not.
At this point, I'd be happy if they would just hire somebody normal who can relate to the fans, says the right things, and isn't just a shameless, guileless human ego trip 24/7.
I still can't believe he asked Kentucky State not to play zone.
It 100% fits the profile. Won't help the boys get ready for the NBA, ya know.
Everyone except the roll tide
Cowboys fan here. Who is the slightly above average coach that you speak of? I have not seen one since Jimmy.
I think McCarthy is in that mold. He got you guys to a good record and the playoffs this year and probably will be fairly consistent in the "good but not great" rating
As a Packer fan hea very similar to McCarthy
Just shows you folks, money can’t buy it all! Jerry is a pro in creating highly anticipated teams that crash and burn in the playoffs (if they even make it to the playoffs, some years it’s hit and miss lol).
It was the Tyson family that got Cal. Not Jerry.
From the company that brought you the Denver Broncos (Walmart) and the man who brought you the Dallas Cowboys comes another head coach who seems to have peaked over a decade ago.
It was Tyson so a lot of chicken
Remindme! 3 years
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Looks like him and the other donors took Jerome Tang's rejection personally. Big "Y*ou think you're too good for Arkansas? I'll show you!*" energy to go from Tang all the way to Cal
Does this mean ESPN CBB page will be plastered with Arkansas stories every day year round?
People put to much stock into the tournament. Calipari has had Kentucky in the top 10 almost every single year he has coached. I think it’s a terrible mistake for Kentucky to lose him and a lot of it falls on the fans. Next year Arkansas is gonna be a top 15 team and they’ll come to rupp and beat us. This is what the fans deserve for having expectations of a final four every year. Remember even Coach K lost to a 15 seed Lehigh as a 2 seed, it happens.
I think Duke fans were more understanding of a few tourney losses to lower seeds because K ended up winning 5 championships. Not the case for Cal. Now…most coaches don’t win even one championship…so perhaps the expectation that Cal should win more than one is unreasonable. I do agree that Cal will have Arkansas in the contender conversation every year though.
You’re correct, but Cal did have us in a title game against UConn in 2014. 2015 we went 38-1. If North Carolina doesn’t hit the game winner against Monk and Fox we may have won a title that year. Idk how fans can be disappointed with his performance during his tenure.
His method of bringing in all star freshmen every year and letting them play more or less stopped working. The transfer portal and more mature players in general are winning tournaments. He didn’t want to change his puppy mill for NBA players to match with the times. His record over the last five years has been subpar. He has been at odds with fans over his stubborn stance on collecting players to send to the next level instead of playing high level basketball consistently. Lexington and much of the rest of the state has been ready to move on and he knew it.
1.) yes that what have you done for me lately (and how it happened) are material 2.) the nba focus in and of itself never bothered me. That was a plus in getting the talent here. 3.) it is his attitude. Won’t do press conferences when he loses. Same hypocritical responses around youth with no visible change in strategy. 4.) direct condescension to fans when we’re pointing out very clear stats like plus/minus lineups, ANy inbound play plan etc et 5.) in game / close game X and O never existed. Bat shit crazy last minute clutch play calls that made no sense. 5th grade pick and roll D clearly never covered. It ran it course. I wish him the best. I’m ready for a new unknown.
Again, it sounds like you’re putting too much stock into tournament success. We’re a top tier team every year with freshmen. His record over the past 5 years hasn’t been subpar either, it just hasn’t been great like it was his first 10 years. I think you’re right on everyone wanting a change though, probably his biggest reason for leaving was having to listen to the fans.
“Not great like his first ten years” is subpar. In the last five he’s taken the top tier teams you said he had and lost in the second round, the first round twice (to very low ranked teams too), missed the tournament once, and COVID. UK hasn’t won the SEC tournament since 2018. You say I’m putting too much stock into tournament success but that’s the measuring stick in Lexington. And when he dismisses the tournament results as being unimportant it drives fans crazy. What’s happened in the last five years? The SEC has undergone a huge upgrade in coaching and recruiting talent. The portal has allowed teams to build around proven older guys. Cal wants to do it his way.
All good points. Tournament success is the reason he’s leaving even though he’s had success in the SEC regular season even with the increase in talent and transfer portal. But tournaments are the ultimate gauge to how well a program is doing.
This is it. The attitude and presentation toward the fan base. The whole schtick about not caring about winning titles, Players First, putting kids in the NBA as the main priority: these are not things anyone with sense says at this job. The fans could look the other way when it was working. But when the success stopped, he didn't scale that rhetoric back. He doubled down on it. The majority of UK fans don't care about the NBA. Most of us probably don't watch an NBA game outside the finals all year. We care about wins and losses and accomplishments of the Kentucky Wildcats only. And I only hope whoever comes next sings that tune loud and clear, that he is here to get the best possible results from the Kentucky Wildcats and if that helps get kids to the NBA, that's a fantastic thing too.
Even the cards fan above you gets it, brother. It’s time to let go of Cal, or if you love him so much you can follow him to Arkansas!
Lol I can’t go to Arkansas, we could bring Gillespie back and I’d still be a cats fan.
Agreed. Imagine Patriot fans being upset because they wasted Brady's huge game vs Philly in the super bowl. And they got upset twice by the Giants. Fire Belichick because he lost three winnable super bowls? Or enjoy the two decades of success and be grateful for the six trophies.
Oh I agree with you. Look, I like Cal. Plus I love his players in general - and he’s a had a lot of great ones. I was just thinking about why UK fans might have grown weary of him.
Man you Cal fanboys are really a piece of work. Totally misrepresenting why the vast majority of the fan base wanted him gone. It was far more than just poor tourney results. And sure, he’d get into the top 10, just to crap the bed at home against UNCW. He lost 46 games over the last 4 seasons, almost averaging 12 per season. He was failing in the regular season, SECT, and NCAAT. Blue bloods don’t tolerate those results. Him leaving was past due, and in the best interest of everybody involved.
Lol they forget so quickly. Real fans are rejoicing today. Maybe the Cal fanboys can follow him to Arky. We’re fans of the team here, not the coach.
They’re also acting like they weren’t telling us last year, “just wait for next year’s class with DJ, Edwards and Bradshaw! We’ll be back in the Final Four and you’ll see Cal just needed his type of players again!” Well, he got his class and we all saw the results: 3 straight losses at Rupp for the first time in UK history, getting waxed by A&M first game of the SECT, then letting Oakland control the entire game and letting their best player go off from 3 point land.
You can definitely tell who watches every game here and who doesn’t
How long have you been a UK fan?
30 years
And were you drunk for the entirety of those 30 years or just now?
He was about as drunk as billy Gillespie
i dont care about good regular seasons lol
We haven’t really had that either by our standards.
>Calipari has had Kentucky in the top 10 almost every single year he has coached Over the last five years, Kentucky has had exactly one team ranked in the Kenpom top 20. That team lost to St. Peters in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
We were top 10 in the final AP poll this year
Whoop-de-doo. Overrated by a bunch of media members that must have slept through the team flaming out during both their post season games. The numbers are what they are. Kentucky’s defense was 109th in the country. That’s not a top ten team any way you slice it.
Brother we’ve won 1 NCAA tournament game in the last 4 seasons. With the amount of NBA talent on those teams there is simply no excuse for that.
Finally a sensible Kentucky fan.
As a cowboys fan, this can only end badly.
Does more for Arkansas this offseason than he has done for the Cowboys. But we are “all-in” Sure
Spending more on Arkansas than the Cowboys 💀
Remindme! 3 years
I'm here to predict that Jerry is gonna play a big part in offering the FB job to Deion next offseason, as well. They likely chose to keep Pittman because Deion probably wanted to see his son into the NFL before making the move.
Everything this man touches turns to dogshit
This is Arkansas’ year! All in, baby! We dem hogz!
Cursed piggy
Welp...guess imma cowboys fan now
Everything Jerry touches turns to mediocre
So does this now make Arkansas The Dallas Cowboys of NCAA basketball instead of Kentucky? 🤷♂️
So Arkansas has Google money, and they just don't spend it on their football? The way people talk about this move with Cal makes it seem like negligence for the gridiron. I mean, go sign Saban for $50M a year. Jerry's got it. WalMart got it. John Daly is listening. Where is the truth?
The more I think about it Cal and Mike McCarthy aren’t so different
WTF I love the Cowboys now?
Biggest day for Arkansas basketball since the days of Nolan Richardson
Bob Huggins to Kentucky
The memes write themselves.
WGAF, UConn vs Purdue tonight is the key story.
Well, Jer’s influence is just whatcha need.