Coach Cal was a mediocre NBA coach at best. His strength is recruiting and unfortunately for him, recruiting is not really a skill that is needed at the NBA level. I hope that UK did not sweeten its offer based on the threat of him leaving for the NBA. The Cavs can do better and Coach Cal is much better suited for his current job.

 

Coach cal has changed his coaching and adapted a lot since he was in the nba before. If anything cal is much more prepared for another nba experience. He had one big time player and ego to deal withat umass. He now deals with new big egos on a yearly basis. Plus his coaching style and offense is very similar withnba stuff with all the one on one stuff in his offense. He has basically been running a nba team and system while here. His personality and how much more prepared he is would give him a much better chance to do well a second time. We cant let pitino failing twice in the nba effect how we think cal would do. Pitino personaility and coaching style fits perfect with teaching young players and getting on them and coaching them up. Cal coaches them up butlets his talented players make plays and that is what the nba is.

Coach cal has changed his coaching and adapted a lot since he was in the nba before. If anything cal is much more prepared for another nba experience. He had one big time player and ego to deal withat umass. He now deals with new big egos on a yearly basis. Plus his coaching style and offense is very similar withnba stuff with all the one on one stuff in his offense. He has basically been running a nba team and system while here. His personality and how much more prepared he is would give him a much better chance to do well a second time. We cant let pitino failing twice in the nba effect how we think cal would do. Pitino personaility and coaching style fits perfect with teaching young players and getting on them and coaching them up. Cal coaches them up butlets his talented players make plays and that is what the nba is.

Calipari has been running an NBA offense with NBA talent at UK and beating much less talented teams. Every team has NBA talent in the NBA and that is why he should stay where he is. Coach Cal needs superior talent to win and there is too much parity in the NBA for him to contend for championships.

Calipari has been running an NBA offense with NBA talent at UK and beating much less talented teams. Every team has NBA talent in the NBA and that is why he should stay where he is. Coach Cal needs superior talent to win and there is too much parity in the NBA for him to contend for championships.

 

Too much parity? You do realize that we just had the same two teams play in the NBA Finals the last two years? That isn't parity. Cal is the right team and one superstar away from the conference finals.

Too much parity? You do realize that we just had the same two teams play in the NBA Finals the last two years? That isn't parity. Cal is the right team and one superstar away from the conference finals.

Give Calipari either one of those teams and he loses. He needs talent that is clearly superior to win championships. He was a mediocre NBA coach and there is no reason to believe that his return to the college ranks has made him a better NBA coach. He's better than Tark was but he is no Larry Brown.

Give Calipari either one of those teams and he loses. He needs talent that is clearly superior to win championships. He was a mediocre NBA coach and there is no reason to believe that his return to the college ranks has made him a better NBA coach. He's better than Tark was but he is no Larry Brown.

 

Nah, but I do agree with others that talent would want to play for him. Could you imagine him getting a team and adding some of his UK players to it? That would be a sight to see.

Nah, but I do agree with others that talent would want to play for him. Could you imagine him getting a team and adding some of his UK players to it? That would be a sight to see.

Why would talented players be eager to play for Calipari at the NBA level? NBA players play for money and championships equate to more money. Calipari has never been close to an NBA championship and I doubt that he ever will be. Phil Jackson coming out of retirement would draw some talent because of his rings but Calipari is no Phil Jackson.

Why would talented players be eager to play for Calipari at the NBA level? NBA players play for money and championships equate to more money. Calipari has never been close to an NBA championship and I doubt that he ever will be. Phil Jackson coming out of retirement would draw some talent because of his rings but Calipari is no Phil Jackson.

 

The NBA salaries are structured. To say they play for money is misguided. None of these guys playing now care about what he did the last time he was in the NBA. If you think someone like Anthony Davis or Lebron wouldn't play for Cal in the NBA then you haven't been paying attention.

The NBA salaries are structured. To say they play for money is misguided. None of these guys playing now care about what he did the last time he was in the NBA. If you think someone like Anthony Davis or Lebron wouldn't play for Cal in the NBA then you haven't been paying attention.

I think that NBA players are smarter than you give them credit for. If not, then their agents certainly are.

Coach Cal was a mediocre NBA coach at best. His strength is recruiting and unfortunately for him, recruiting is not really a skill that is needed at the NBA level. I hope that UK did not sweeten its offer based on the threat of him leaving for the NBA. The Cavs can do better and Coach Cal is much better suited for his current job.

In his second season he took the Nets to a 3rd place finish in the Atlantic division, and then was fired 20 games into his third season 3-17 record with a team that had lost PG and had other keys injuries to start the season...FWIW Kieth Van Horn was the best player that he had at the time.

 

Team had finished 6th the year before he got there, then 5th and 3rd with Cal and then 7th, 6th, 6th the next three years after he was fired. So it's not like he was coaching the Bulls and losing, the Nets Stunk!!!!

 

Phil, Red and Pop would have struggled to win with that crew of players. Only 6 out of 22 coaches in history have left with a winning record from the Nets

In his second season he took the Nets to a 3rd place finish in the Atlantic division, and then was fired 20 games into his third season 3-17 record with a team that had lost PG and had other keys injuries to start the season...FWIW Kieth Van Horn was the best player that he had at the time.

 

Team had finished 6th the year before he got there, then 5th and 3rd with Cal and then 7th, 6th, 6th the next three years after he was fired. So it's not like he was coaching the Bulls and losing, the Nets Stunk!!!!

 

Phil, Red and Pop would have struggled to win with that crew of players. Only 6 out of 22 coaches in history have left with a winning record from the Nets

I understand what you are saying but there is no reason to expect that NBA stars would flock to play for an unproven NBA coach whose greatest strength is recruiting players to the play for the top NCAA basketball program in the country.

I understand what you are saying but there is no reason to expect that NBA stars would flock to play for an unproven NBA coach whose greatest strength is recruiting players to the play for the top NCAA basketball program in the country.

It would depend on location and other players already there. I don't think players would stay away because of him or his past in the NBA though. Cal with Milwaukee or Detroit wouldn't matter, nobody going there anyway. Cal in NY or LA, players would go to play for him in those locations as much as they would any other coach.

 

IMO Phil Jackson is the only guy current that could coach a team and possibly get guys to come there just for him.

He would only go somewhere if he knew he could win immediately. A LeBron-less Cavaliers team, which is what Cleveland will be next year, isn't going to win to the degree that Cal desires IMO.

 

I do, however, believe if Calipari leaves UK, it will be after the 2014-15 season.

 

 

I think it's fair to say that almost any coach would do the same thing as well though.

 

Cal is about Cal, but most big time coaches are about themselves as well. I'm fine with Cal being all about Cal because it means if he's moved on to a bigger job, he's probably had a good run with us. Basically all you could ask from any coach.

 

I do really worry that once Cal leaves, we struggle for awhile. He's going to be an incredibly tough act to follow, recruiting will probably have dropped off some for a bit and it will take time for the roster to balance back out, and there's always a chance that he leaves right before some sanctions drop.

 

It's a high stakes game and that's basically the price you'l pay if you want to have the kind of success we've had over the past few years he's been on. One Elite Eight (and probably the best or 2nd best of his teams), one Final Four, one National Title, the NIT, and one Runner-Up in 5 years is the kind of record that would carry most coaches for a lifetime at other schools, but at UK, people are asking what went wrong: why we went to that NIT and/or if his system would really work following the Elite Eight upset. That's life at Kentucky.

 

Agree with what you and others have said about "if there's ever a time he were going to leave, next year looks like that time" (and that's especially true if he goes out on top.

It would depend on location and other players already there. I don't think players would stay away because of him or his past in the NBA though. Cal with Milwaukee or Detroit wouldn't matter, nobody going there anyway. Cal in NY or LA, players would go to play for him in those locations as much as they would any other coach.

 

IMO Phil Jackson is the only guy current that could coach a team and possibly get guys to come there just for him.

I agree on all counts, but professional players love to play in big media markets like NYC, Chicago, and LA. Not because of the coach but because of the income potential - which is what I have been saying about NBA players.

Why would talented players be eager to play for Calipari at the NBA level? NBA players play for money and championships equate to more money. Calipari has never been close to an NBA championship and I doubt that he ever will be. Phil Jackson coming out of retirement would draw some talent because of his rings but Calipari is no Phil Jackson.

 

 

Being a "player's coach", marketing, endorsements, and, most of all, a shared agency in CAA.

For the top end players, you are looking at as much, if not more, in endorsements as you are looking at in terms of salaries just from playing. This is especially true if you are in a huge market and/or you are someone who is going to take the "hometown discount" to let the organization build around you.