Vicky Graff Photo
Kentucky coach John Calipari has the support of the ESPN College GameDay crew even if many UK fans are not quite as supportive after another early NCAA Tournament exit.
Kentucky is 2-8 in its last 10 postseason games despite being favored in all 10 and is 1-4 in its last five NCAA Tournament games. However, the ESPN personalities countered with Calipari’s 410 wins and .769 winning percentage in 15 seasons at UK that includes the 2012 national championship
“I think frankly the issue is more so the relationship Cal has with his AD (Mitch Barnhart) and the fan base,” Jay Williams said. “I think that’s what’s driving all this in my opinion.
“It feels like it’s way bigger than basketball. I know we joked around about it, but every game this year that they lose, Cal is trending — ‘Fire Cal.’ There is a real head hunt. I don’t think (Calipari’s) going anywhere, because the buyout is going to be too much.”
The buyout is about $33 million now with five years left on his contract but in today’s college sports world money is often irrelevant if UK decided to make a change.
“There are only two people on the planet who can coach Kentucky — it’s Calipari and (Rick) Pitino,” GameDay host Rece Davis said. “They shouldn’t fire John Calipari, that’s ridiculous.”
Former college basketball coach Seth Greenberg called it “absurd” to think about firing Calipari.
“Mitch needs to come together with him, in front of people, and say, ‘We’re in this thing together,’” Greenberg said.
Donkeys likely will fly before that happens but I do not disagree that needs to be done if Barnhart keeps Calipari as I think he will.
“To me, young teams aren’t as tough, they’re not as physical, they melt on screens, they’re not as consistent,” Greenberg said on GameDay. “Look, college basketball has changed. The culture of college basketball has changed.
“A good majority in the last five years, the teams that win and advance deep into the NCAA Tournament are older teams that are not relying on two, three, four and five freshmen. That is a fact. It’s not debatable, they’re older, more mature teams.”
No arguing that but also remember Kentucky did have two fifth-year seniors, so it was not a team totally dependent on freshmen.
Now FoxSports personality Colin Cowherd was not on the Calipari bandwagon on his show Friday after UK lost to Oakland Thursday. He was blunt and brutal with his words.
“There’s a line between salesman and grifter, and Calipari has crossed it. After he loses last night, and this act, it’s what he does every time, it’s now grifting. This is briefly what he said after losing to a small school in Michigan,” Cowherd said.
He also took exception to Calipari saying fans would define the team with the NCAA Tournament loss.
“They’re not defining this season by this game or the players, it’s defining you, John. Stop projecting. Psych 101, take the course at Kentucky. Calipari has become the Hollywood director with a great young talented cast that keeps producing bad movies,” Cowherd said.
“And his excuse, ‘Well, I hate that it defines the actor’s career.’ It doesn’t. It defines the director. It doesn’t define the movie industry or the actors or the writers, it defines the director.”
27 Responses
EVERY coach in Division 1 wants Calipari to be at Kentucky…that makes us beatable, even in Rupp Arena. It’s time for a change.
I lived in Kentucky 15 years. Some Petino years, some after. They could be 18-2 and after a loss all the flags on the cars came down and calls for firing began. It was ridiculous. Win a game, here come the flags. The worst bandwagon fans I’ve ever seen, and when you are worse at that than the Packers, it says something. Being proud and having high standards doesn’t mean you should be the parents from the movie Hoosiers.
Where is Jimmy Jimmy???
I think Sheppard spoke the truth Crybaby Barry. Cal wasn’t on the floor one second. None of you want to hear it because you hate Cal. I hope he does leave. Ky can hire a coach no one has heard of because there is not a big name coming here and listen to the Whining. All the current players will leave. All of next year’s class will get their releases (including Travis Perry) and basketball will begin getting classes ranked lower than what football currently gets. There will be plenty to cry about then. It will be exactly what all you crybabies deserve. BBN SUCKS! Big BooHoo Nation!
Your such a coolaid drinking clown! Calipari can’t win! He has always had the best players in NCAA and has one championship!! Look at the numbers the last 5 years or so dummy! Keep on being a loser if you want to!
Cal is a guy that makes and molds and develops young kid into a man on and off the court losing in tiurney is nothing he wins leading the kids into being men in a year time its hard to coach freyhman that are all hyped and wanted to become a best in country team in tourney thats a team that wins thats been thru more together and all coach cal.is the greastest guy to have ur kid learn and grow into a man and id rather ny kid be talked bout not for a lzcky shot to wun but to be able to learn how lofe is and be a man and realize bb is a game still and life is more important to win and learn then a game that is only the small start of the things to enjoy and learn thank coach cal ur the goat of coaches i see and u have shown that with a kid from where i live u have demo that woth Adou i can see that he has come from a kid in high school to man in short time. All thou his family is goat in how to raise ur family perfect ones to model after them ty
It absolutely has nothing to do with what you said. Kentucky has a winning tradition that has gone by the wayside. It has to change to keep Kentucky well Kentucky. I will settle no longer. He must go.
The buyout could be done by petition & donation by the BBN. I think 1 more year, let him know in advance this is it, last chance, and already be interviewing his replacement, get the perfect fit ready & on stand by. BBN will buyout Cal, and the new coach,s ( if in a contract). Next years class is the pinnacle- we don’t want to lose the 2025 recruits & transfers, but 2025 is do or die for Cal!
People said they didn’t want to lose the 2024 class.
This class coming won’t be any better than them.
It’s time for Cal to go and take his soft primadonnas with him.
TS….I could possibly ride with one more year also but if, and only if, Cali-Fraudi shows some humility, sense of accountability for last 5 yrs, and agrees to make changes for the betterment of BBN, UK, and less reliance on OND. My first preference is still REPLACE.
Bring in mark few
Another year is what we said two years ago!! If he couldn’t do it with what he had this year it’s not gonna happen!! He needed nothing short of a championship this year to stay and loses the first frigging game!! If people in Ky cont to support that joke they are as stupid as people in America say they are!
Calipari wouldn’t make a pimple on Coach KC’s ass!!
Not on Coach Adolph Rupp’s ass either!!!
I don’t think young, or old players matter. It’s the preparation that counts. Other teams freshman don’t shrink in the tournament. Prior to this year we had older experienced players, and the outcome was the same. I was always told that the fish stinks from the head down. I don’t see another Kentucky worthy coach out there, but something has to change!
Agree Jim. The lack of preparation and in-game adjustments are maddening. It’s not the roster of players holding us back. We are consistently losing games against inferior opponents over the last five yrs and the only common denominator is the head coach.
I’m not sure there’s a viable option to replace Cal but there should be a list of potential candidates regardless bc that’s Barnhart’s job.
Oh believe me, Barnhart will screw it up just like he has always done!
Watch Iowa States coach Otzelberger players play defense. Every possession! They block out and rebound every possession! He’s a Adolph Rupp in the making!
3 losses at home in a row is a new ky record ! Home games should be boycotted next season if he stays. Nothing drives the fans point home like an empty arena!!
Exactly!! Stupid people in Ky just will not go when they play!! Cal would say they are not our fans!! Arrogant!!
BRING MARK FEW TO LEXINGTON. HE IS THE BEST COACH IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL. GONZAGA HAS HIGH SCHOOL FACILITIES. IMAGINE WHAT HE COULD DO AT KENTUCKY? HE HAS 9 STRAIGHT SWEET 16S AND 3 OR 4 FINAL 4S IN THAT STRETCH. I BET IN 5 YEARS AT KENTUCKY WE WIN AT LEAST 2 CHAMPIONSHIPS AND AT LEAST 3 FINAL 4S HIRE MARK FEW.
Mark Few is a drunk and hasn’t won a thing. Tell me how many titles he has. Exactly ZERO! Remember titles are all you care about.
Few has 9 straight Sweet 16’s at freaking Gonzaga. Titles aren’t what matter, just consistently winning marquee games.
Mark Few is like Cal years ago… he can’t win the big ones in the tourney!! Record don’t lie!
I used to think Mark Few would be a good replacement. But, Few is 3 years behind Cal. At most, we get a few years of him.
Cal has convinced himself that it is about changing the lives of these kids. Reality is that those who come here and end up in the NBA are probably all gonna end up there anyway (case in point: Ben Simmons).
I wanted Cal to replace Pitino. Later, I wanted Cal to replace Tubby. They finally brought him here. He brought in the talent to win games while sending them on to the NBA. The problem isn’t that he brings them here. The problem is he brings so many each year so we keep having to replace them. He seems to have bought into sending them to the NBA was more important than winning every game when, with their talent, they are going there anyway.
He CAN develop. The talent to NBA standards.
Look at Reeves. The article pointed out he and Mitchell were here so they weren’t totally dependent on first and 2nd year players and they still lost. But, Reeves is a mid-major kid who worked his way to UK. Then, he worked his way to All American. Maybe he gets drafted or, at least, a shot at the pros.
As the article says, those are the teams that go deep in March. He’s the guy who went off for, what, 27 points? And, HE is the kid who may have changed the direction of his life.
I hate to burst bubbles, but Cal had zero to do with any of the players making it to the NBA. All these players were prodigies and genetic freaks. The NBA was happening no matter what. If anything, Cal has grossly underutilized the talent these players possess. 42 NBA players, one title.
If anything Cal hurt their ability!! I bet Cal takes credit for Sharpe, and all the others that come to UK and never played a game!!
I’m at loss for words after reading all the above opinions. I’m an 86 yr old man & have been a Cat fan from the age of 8 from Ohio & a Buckeye fan for ever. When at the NCAA Final with both the Buckeyes & Cats in the final 4 I was in heaven & quite honestly didn’t know which team i wanted to win. However, to my dismay neither team could pull it off had to be UCONN😣. I have mixed feelings about Cal. however for a number of years I just do not think he is a good game coach. Also I believe he has a hard time evaluating his existing players when to sub. Regardless of whether he goes or stays I’ll still forever be a Cat fan. We’ve been down this road before & Pitino came & brought us back as Cal did when he was hired. If he goes so be it, however, Kentucky needs to be extremely careful in the hiring of a new coach.