Issuu

Preview layout Take a peek inside. Itâ€™s pretty in here!

C omes toto UKUK Calipari alipariCC omes April 1, 2009

Cal’s a Cat

Calipari lured from Memphis with 8-year, $31.65 million deal Background checks leave UK satisfied John Calipari has accepted the University of Kentucky’s offer to become its men’s basketball coach, UK confirmed Tuesday night. With the hire, college basketball’s leader in overall victories gained the coaching star power its fan base has craved for more than a decade. Calipari, whose leadership at Memphis caused that school to mount a determined effort to keep him, gives UK a high-profile coach whose national prominence rivals that of Rick Pitino, who left Lexington 12 years ago. Calipari also becomes the highest-paid coach in college basketball. UK called a news conference for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday to formally introduce Calipari, a big winner on the court and in recruiting during earlier coaching stops at Massachusetts and Memphis. UK also called an Athletic Association Board of Directors meeting for 9 a.m. to approve Calipari’s hiring and contract. In checking Calipari’s background, UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. said the school found nothing to kill the widely anticipated deal.

left: New UK coach John Calipari at the Joe Craft Center, April 15, 2009. Lexington Herald-Leader/mark cornelison

While at UMass, one of Calipari’s players, Marcus Camby, admitted to accepting $28,000 from agents. That caused the NCAA to vacate the Minutemen’s advancement to the 1996 Final Four. Calipari was not linked to the infraction. Questions have also been raised about Calipari’s association with William “Worldwide Wes” Wesley, a behind-the-scenes figure linked to Memphis recruiting efforts. “We’ve looked into all those things,” Todd said. “That guy works for a whole lot of people. I never had heard of him until we started this process. He doesn’t work for just any one coach.” As for the contract, UK confirmed on its Web site that the deal is for eight years and $31.65 million. Todd said he was unaware of any effort to raise private funds to supplement Calipari’s pay. In terms of players as well as coach, Calipari’s move may prove Kentucky’s gain and Memphis’ setback. Several players or recruits spoke of leaving Memphis and joining him at Kentucky. In Miami for Wednesday’s McDonald’s AllAmerican Game, heralded prospect DeMarcus Cousins (who had committed to Memphis) told The Miami Herald on Tuesday afternoon that he spoke with Calipari before the decision was made. 7

L E X I NG TO N

APRIL 1, 2009

W W W. K E N T UC KY

| WEDNESDAY |

.C O M

METRO FINAL EDITIO

NÕ1

75¢

HIGHEST-PAID COLLEGE COA CH

CALIPARI LURED FR WITH 8-YEAR, $31.65 MOM MEMPHIS ILLION DEAL

CAL’S A CAT

John Calipari won 252 games at Four in 1996. His overall record Memphis and lost 69. He took the Tigers to the NCAA PHOTOS BY MARK WEBER | THE (MEMPHIS) COMMERC championship game in 2008 over 17 college seasons is IAL APPEAL 445-140. UK will introduce only to lose to Kansas in its new coach at a 9:30 a.m. overtime. He also guided Massachusetts to the Final news conference on Wednes day.

Background checks leave UK satisfied

Fans love idea of recruiting a top recruiter

By Jerry Tipton and Ryan

Alessi UK called a news conferjtipton@herald-leader.com ralessi@herald-leader.com ence for 9:30 a.m. Wednes day to formally introduce Calipar John Calipari has accepte i, the University of Kentuc d a big winner on the court and ky’s in recruit offer to become its men’s bas- coachin ing during earlier ketball coach, UK confirm g stops at Massachued setts and Tuesday night. With the Memphis. UK also hire, called an Athletic Association college basketball’s leader in Board overall victories gained of Directors meeting the for 9 a.m. to approve Calicoaching star power its fan pari’s hiring and contract. base has craved for more than In checking Calipari’s backa decade. Calipa ri, whose leader ground, UK President Lee T. - Todd Jr. ship at Memphis caused said the school found that nothing school to mount a determ to kill the widely anined ticipate effort to keep him, gives d deal. UK While at UMass , one a high-profile coach whose of na- Calipa tional prominence rivals ri’s players , Marcu s that Camby, of Rick Pitino, who left admitted to accepting Lex- $28,00 ington 12 years ago. 0 from agents . That caused the Calipari also becomes the the MinuteNCAA to vacate highest-paid coach in college men’s advanc ement to the 1996 Final basketball. Four. See UK COACH, A7

Will recruits follow him?

Two of John Calipari’s highly-ra could also consider becomin nked recruits g Wildcats. Page A6

♦

HERALD-LEADER SPORTS COLUMNIST

Memphis fans Nathan Bradsha among those gathered outside w, left and Brett Wynne, were coach John Calipari’s house in East Memphis Tuesday afternoon in a last ditch effort keep the coach from leaving to for Kentucky. Calipari bought pizza for fans and media who maintained the vigil.

Playing by the rules

Questions have dogged Calipari throughout his years as a head basketball coach. Page A6

HOW TO HELP KIDS PICK PETS

INSIDE TODAY

ITIES

SUNNY

59 45 HIGH

The deal-maker

Calipari’s coaching reputati on and personality make him a sought-after commodity. Page A7

Pistachios scare: FDA reacting more swiftly than during peanut crisis. Nation | World, A3 Cobb ready: UK sophomore back after knee surgery. Sports, C1

A PRIMER COMMUN

Chance of precipitation less than 20%. Weather, D12

You can’t question his results. Look at this year. Daniel Orton is the top signee of the 2009 Kentucky basketball recruiting class brough John Calipari is a givet in by former UK head coach the-people-what-they-want Billy Gillispie. Rivals rates hire. Orton as the 22nd best Sure, he brings risk. player in the current recruitHe also promises reward . ing crop. That’s excellent. There is a reason most But … of the Big Blue Nation is If John Wall, the nation’s dancing in the streets at the No. 1 prep player — who thought of the Memphis continues to say that Memcoach leaving Beale Street phis tops his list — were for the Bluegrass. to commit to the Tigers, Calipari gets players. Calipari would have the He gets big players. He No. 1 (Wall), No. 2 (DeMarcus gets quick players. He gets Cousins) and No. 3 (Xavier talented players. He gets monstrously talented players Henry) players on Rivals’ . list. You can question the Consider this: Let’s say, methods he uses to get for the sake of speculation, those players. See CLAY, A7

JOHN CLAY

LOW

Online: Kentuckysports.c

Get the latest on today’s 9:30 a.m. announcement of Calipari as coach.

ONLINE TODAY | KENTUCKY.CO M

Search public records, includin property records and more. g university salaries,

COMING UP | THURSDAY

Traditional Greek sweets again nual pastry sale. A la Carte are available at an-

Business . . . . . D6-D7 Crosswo City | Region . . . . . . D Dear rds . . B9, D11 Obituaries . . . . D4-D5 Abby Classified . . . .D9-D11 Horosco . . . . . . . B9 Opinions . . . . A12-A13 Comics . . . . . . B8-B9 Movies pe . . . . . . B8 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . C . . . . . . . . . . B5 Your Health . . . . . D12

HOW TO REACH US Delivery: 1-800-999-8881 Classified: 233-7878 or 1-800-93 3-7355

“I’m trying to stay focused right now and have fun,” Cousins said. “When I get back home, it’s time to get back down to business. I did get a chance to talk to Coach Cal, and he said he was considering the job. Now I’m basically waiting like everybody else to see what he does.” Another McDonald’s All-American committed to Memphis, Xavier Henry, said he would reopen the process. “I could get out of my letter of intent if he wasn’t there for any reason,” Henry told reporters in Miami. “It reopens my whole recruitment to everybody and anybody.” Meanwhile, point guard Tyreke Evans, who won several national Freshman of the Year honors this past season, told FoxSports.com that he was leaving Memphis for a shot at the NBA. “If he’s leaving, I’m not staying,” Evans told FoxSports.com. “Coach leaving did it for me. “I’m shocked he left, especially with the class he had coming in. I know it was tough for him, but it was his dream job. You can’t get mad at him for that.” Calipari fits the criteria Kentucky desired after firing Billy Gillispie on Friday: a well-rounded coach who can perform the UK job’s varied duties on and off the court. In terms of coaching, Calipari is one of only 13 coaches to take two schools to a Final Four. He guided Massachusetts in 1996 and Memphis in 2008 to college basketball’s grandest stage. Only Rick Pitino has taken three schools to a Final Four: Providence (1987), Kentucky (1993, 1996 and 1997) and Louisville (2005). Calipari has compiled a record of 445-140 in 17 seasons as a college head coach. That includes a nine-season record of 252-69 at Memphis. As for the job’s public component, Calipari has been a highly visible presence in Memphis. The Commercial Appeal newspaper of Memphis once called Calipari not only “this city’s most beloved sports celebrity but as Citizen Cal, a Memphian as integral as shipping envelopes and barbecue.” When many sports figures avoid taking sides on public issues, Calipari following toP: New Kentucky coach John Calipari sat in between Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart, left, and school president Lee Todd during his introductory news conference held in the Joe Craft Center on April 1, 2009. Lexington HeraLd-Leader/cHarLes bertram

following bottoM: Elijah Stamper, 2, pointed toward a plane as he sat atop the shoulders of Dan Eads. The two came from Harrodsburg in hopes of seeing John Calipari arrive Tuesday at Blue Grass Airport. Lexington HeraLd-Leader/mark corneLison

freely addressed non-basketball issues. “I used to think I had a lot of ideas,” Memphis banker Harold Byrd once told the Commercial Appeal. “His mind races a million miles an hour.”

Calipari opened his home to fund raisers for local politicians. He also offered opinions on civic problems like crime and poverty. He solicited advice from business leaders and reached out to state legislators. “If this program or me or my family can bring light to something good in this community, I get involved in it,” Calipari told the Commercial Appeal. “Whoever is sitting in that (head coach’s) seat, if you’re not getting involved in the community, you’re cheating this place. ... (If) people recognize you, then use it to bring light to good stuff. It’s almost an obligation.” Before making the decision, Calipari spoke with former UK coaches Joe B. Hall and Eddie Sutton on Tuesday. Hall noted the difficult decision Calipari faced: lead Kentucky or cement Memphis’ standing as a national power. “I know he hates to leave the players there and the friends he’s made,” Hall said. “That’s a big step.”

Sutton said he gave Calipari a balanced appraisal of UK basketball. “I told him all the good things about Kentucky,” Sutton said. “Kentucky has the best things (a coach) would ever want. “Maybe there are a couple drawbacks. “I told him it was a great place to coach.” “Most of the people there are just great basketball fans. There are a few who probably take it a little serious. It’s almost a religion to them.” When asked about drawbacks to the Kentucky job, Sutton said, “You lose some of your privacy. It’s hard to go out and take the family to dinner without a lot of people wanting autographs. It’s something you live with. “But it also has some real pluses. I didn’t say anything negative.” For many UK fans, Calipari’s hiring added a new plus.  — Jerry Tipton and Ryan Alessi

April 1, 2009

Calipari pushes envelope, but not ‘off the table’ Since leaving the University of Massachusetts 13 years ago with the program under NCAA investigation, John Calipari has been dogged at every stop by questions of how clean a program he runs. Those who have worked with Calipari say he is aggressive in all aspects of coaching — particularly recruiting — but does not cross the line. “John knows the rules and regulations of the NCAA. He knows the rules of recruiting. And if he pushes the envelope, he knows when to stop pushing it,” said Howard Davis, a former UMass sports information director. “In my opinion, he will not make the next step and push the envelope off the table.” UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. confirmed that university officials dug into Calipari’s recruiting record and association with a man who serves as a sort of majordomo to current and aspiring basketball stars. UK was satisfied that Calipari, who is leaving Memphis to take the UK job, is on the up-and-up, Todd said. “We’ve looked into all those things,” he said. The most trouble a Calipari program has been in came at the end of his tenure at UMass in 1996. The NCAA sanctioned 10

the school, and it forfeited its 35 wins after a probe revealed Marcus Camby, then a junior, took money and gifts from an agent, which is against the rules. David K. Scott, the former chancellor at the UMass Amherst campus for most of Calipari’s tenure, said officials thoroughly vetted whether Calipari knew of any wrongdoing. “I don’t believe he did,” Scott said. By all accounts from Memphis athletic boosters and former UMass officials, Calipari is the type of hyperfocused coach who likes to be involved in all facets of the program. “You knew right away that John was going to be in total control of his program,” as Davis put it. In the Camby case, Scott said, UMass officials were “convinced” after lengthy interviews with the staff that Calipari didn’t know of the player’s dealings with the agent. “I guess things like that can happen, yes, even to a coach who’s pretty on top of everything,” Scott said. “I don’t know how much he was dealing with the students’ personal lives.” Calipari left UMass for a brief stint as an NBA coach just as the NCAA probe was heating up. Since taking the helm at Memphis in the 2000-01 season, Calipari

has been haunted by similar issues. In 2006, a Norfolk, Va.-based sports lawyer claimed he gave former Memphis player Shawne Williams nearly $50,000 in exchange for getting to represent him. The aspiring agent filed a suit against Williams - then dropped it - when the player chose someone else. And William “Worldwide Wes” Wesley, who has ties to scores of NBA, college and prep athletes, also has been associated with Memphis. Calipari was quoted in a GQ story about Wesley saying the man is an “ambassador” to the Memphis program.

What exactly that entails is unclear. Wesley, according to reports, is skilled at connecting players with whatever they want, whether it’s meeting celebrities or a stylist. Wesley has been linked to helping Memphis land two recent star players, Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans. Todd, however, dismissed any notion that Calipari’s association with Wesley is improper and said Wesley “doesn’t work for just any one coach.” Harold Byrd, a Memphis banker who served as president of Memphis’ Rebounders booster club, said recruiting is watched carefully and he has seen “no evidence” Calipari ever broke rules. Byrd said he has seen Wesley at some Tigers games, including at last month’s NCAA Tournament games. “Does he have a friendship with Coach Calipari, I think, yes,” Byrd said. “It’s sort of like the world of politics where, unfortunately, there are a lot of people who are involved in your campaign and many people are people you’d not like

to have there,” Byrd said. “But they’re going to be there, and you have to deal with

them.” 

— Ryan Alessi

Preceding: John Calipari gives a big hug to Karen Keightley, daughter of former UK equipment manager Bill Keightley, who passed away a year ago, after he was introduced as the new head basketball coach at the University of Kentucky. Lexington Herald-Leader/mark cornelison right: John Calipari was interviewed at a news conference held in the Joe Craft Center. Lexington Herald-Leader/charles bertram

April 2, 2009

Can-Do Cal

Churchill wants to try night racing HORSE RACING — B5

UK SPORTS — B6

Can-Do Cal

New coach manages to lead communities and players As a young assistant coach in 1988, John Calipari burst into his interview for the University of Massachusetts head coaching job hauling notebooks that outlined his plan to remake a beleaguered basketball program on and off the court. He even laid the groundwork for the interview in Amherst by making the unusual move of calling UMass athletics department staff to introduce himself and ask for their support. That preparation and commitment wowed officials who had brought in some other big names who have become coaching luminaries, such as Texas’ Rick Barnes and eventual NBA coach Stu Jackson. “He came into that interview and absolutely blew the search committee away,” said Glenn Wong, a professor of sports management at UMass who served on the panel. Calipari’s sales pitch didn’t stop with the hiring, Wong said. A year later, Calipari called the search committee back and handed them a report on how the program fared compared with what he laid out in his job interview. Measuring success goes beyond a win-loss record, those who have been around Calipari in Amherst and Memphis say. That includes mingling with fans, courting boosters, suggesting marketing strategies, trying to bolster the players’ academic performances and investing in the community. “It indicates his passion for the program and goal to make the whole program succeed,” said Wong, who served as interim athletics director at one point during Calipari’s eight seasons at UMass. In that time, Calipari took the program from a 10-win team to a national championship contender. Calipari said when he was introduced Wednesday as the University of Kentucky’s new men’s basketball coach that he understands how high the on-court expectations are at Kentucky. But he said he still believes running a basketball program comes with broader responsibilities.

SPORTS

Cards top Cats 5-1 in softball

THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2009 |

KENTUCKY.COM/SPORTS

| LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER

Losing changed UK’s mind

SECTION B

New coach manages to lead communities and players By Ryan Alessi

ralessi@herald-leader.com

As a young assistant coach in 1988, John Calipari burst into his interview for the University of Massachusetts head coaching job hauling notebooks that outlined his plan to remake a beleaguered basketball program on and off the court. He even laid the groundwork for the interview in Amherst by making the unusual move of calling UMass athletics department staff to introduce himself and ask for their support. That preparation and commitment wowed officials who had brought in some other big names who have become coaching luminaries, such as Texas’ Rick Barnes and eventual NBA coach Stu Jackson. “He came into that interview and absolutely blew the search committee away,” said Glenn Wong, a professor of sports management at UMass who served on the panel. Calipari’s sales pitch didn’t stop with the hiring, Wong said. A year later, Calipari called the search committee back and handed them a report on how the program fared compared with what he laid out in his job interview. Measuring success goes beyond See CALIPARI, B4

♦

2 YEARS AGO, CATS DIDN’T PURSUE CAL ♦

MARK STORY HERALD-LEADER SPORTS COLUMNIST

John Calipari waited for the phone call. And waited. And waited. Two years ago, after Tubby Smith bolted for the Great White North, Calipari figured he was a logical candidate to become the new head man at Kentucky. “I called my wife (Ellen) every day for six days. ‘Did they call? Did they call?’ ” Calipari said of UK. “Then I kind of figured out; they’re not calling.” Two years and one ill-fated Kentucky coaching hire later, the call that ultimately made Coach Cal into the Cats’ coach finally arrived. John Calipari’s initial foray as head men’s basketball coach of the Kentucky Wildcats played to boffo reviews Wednesday. In a morning news conference from the plush Joe Craft Center carried live on ESPN and TV stations around Kentucky, the now exMemphis coach was charming, funny, even poignant. When he opened his remarks, Calipari noted that he had officially agreed to take the UK job on March 31 — the one-year anniversary of the death of Bill Keightley. At the mention by the new coach of the beloved Mr. Wildcat, you could almost feel eyes misting from Paducah to Pikeville. This guy is good. So why was the man greeted as UK’s basketball savior in 2009 a coachingsearch outcast when Lee Todd and Mitch Barnhart went looking in 2007? See STORY, B3

Meeks, Patterson optimistic about hire By Jennifer Smith

jsmith3@herald-leader.com

Neither Patrick Patterson nor Jodie Meeks has decided what his future holds, but each sounded optimistic about the future of Kentucky basketball under John Calipari. The two Kentucky stars were in class when the news conference about their new coach was held, but they met with Calipari on Wednesday morning, and both seemed pleased with the hire. “We know the possibilities that could be next year. Jodie and I always talk about the future,” Patterson said through UK media relations. “We always talk about what could be, what could possibly be in the future with Kentucky and with this great coach we have in Calipari right now. We’re just looking forward to it, and I’m sure we’ll come to a See PLAYERS, B4

KENTUCKY SPORTS.COM

The Calipari Era begins: Go online to get all the latest news and connect with other Cats fans.

MORE COVERAGE All the Cal you can handle: Read more about Wednesday’s press conference. Page A1

A beautiful day for Brooks ♦

Upcomin

“I also make a commitment to create an environment that fosters discipline,” he said. “And most importantly, my job is to hold players accountable on and off the court.” A people person Calipari has attracted much attention over the years for his colorful quotes and big personality. “Although he’s flashy and can be brash, he’s also got this other side I’ve seen these last couple years,” said Randy Fishman, a Memphis lawyer and a university athletic advisory board member. Fishman said he once mentioned to Calipari that a good friend was very ill. “He called him to cheer him up,” Fishman said. “He does a lot of things that don’t show up in the newspaper.” Calipari keeps up with his former players and colleagues even after they part ways. He made a surprise visit to Amherst in February 2006 when UMass dedicated its court to former coach and broadcaster Jim Lehman. And UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. said he was impressed with Calipari when, at the end of his job interview over the weekend, he was able to list the whereabouts of the players from one of his early UMass teams. That personal connection is often what endears him to the die-hard fans and donors. “The boosters love him because he knows them. He takes time to talk to them. right: John Calipari laughs with former UK player and current Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer after being introduced as UK’s new head basketball coach. Lexington Herald-Leader/Mark Cornelison

He knows their grandchildren’s names, and he asks about their children,” Wong said. Calipari showed glimpses of that Wednesday. He acknowledged the one-year anniversary of the death of beloved UK equipment manager Bill Keightley, pointed out Herky Rupp in the room and recognized former UK player Richie Farmer as the state’s agriculture commissioner. Engaging the community Calipari is not the type of coach to remain confined in the gym. When he found the UMass program almost demoralized in the late 1980s, Calipari embarked on a one-man campaign to fire up students. “He went into dormitories, and went into the fraternity houses. He wanted kids to

have cut-off basketballs on their heads and painted faces,” said Howard Davis, who served as Calipari’s first sports information director. “Nobody ever heard of that at UMass. He really generated a lot of enthusiasm.” To engage families, he created a group at UMass, the Mini Minutemen, for dozens of 5to 12-year-olds to practice ball handling skills with the college coaches and perform during halftimes, Wong said. Supporters also praised Calipari’s community and university involvement in Amherst and Memphis. Former UMass-Amherst chancellor David K. Scott recalled that Calipari made a “six-figure donation” to the university’s library. Each year, he has raised money at his Memphis home for scholarships and held political fund-raisers for both Republican and Democratic candidates who were big supporters of the university, said Harold Byrd, a Memphis-area banker and booster. The coach formed the Calipari Family Foundation for Children. And in 2007, Calipari expanded his reach to the basketball community in China by establishing a series of coaching clinics. All the while, 13

he’s managed to keep tabs on nearly every facet of his program. “He’s fantastic on the details,” said Jim Hillhouse, a board member of Memphis’ booster club. For instance, seven hours before last month’s student-athlete award ceremony at Memphis’ Peabody Hotel, Calipari stopped in to check on arrangements. He ended up suggesting to move the pre-ceremony reception to the hotel’s roof, Hillhouse said. The academic side. Both the NCAA and UK administrators have increased their focus on their athletes’ grades in recent years. The NCAA measures student academic performance through a complex formula that takes into account eligibility, retention

and graduation rates. A score of 925 in that formula is considered the NCAA’s minimum bar and is roughly the equivalent of a 60 percent graduation rate. The Memphis men’s basketball team scored just above that threshold at 927 during the 2003-2007 time frame, according to the NCAA. That put the team slightly below the middle of the pack among men’s basketball programs. The UK team’s score was slightly better at 941. “We’re not where I want to be yet,” said Todd, who said he specifically charged Calipari with raising that bar. Calipari’s contract, for instance, calls for a $50,000 bonus if 75 percent of a class graduates.

His supporters said that as long as he brings the same level of energy and commitment to UK as he has shown in the past, Calipari can accomplish perhaps the trickiest task of all: satisfying the hungry Big Blue Nation. “Overall, with what he has done with the attendance and with the fans, as well as the wins, people will remember him as being one of the great coaches here,” said Don Mc Kinnon, a former Memphis football player and athletics supporter. “Fans love him.”  — Ryan Alessi below: John Calipari was surrounded by

Kentucky fans and signed autographs on his way to the airport after the news conference announcing his hire. Lexington Herald-Leader/david perry

April 2, 2009

Losing

♦

John Clay changed Herald-leader SportS ColumniSt

♦

UK’s mind

Mark Story

2 years ago, Cats didn’t pursue Cal John Calipari waited for the phone call. And waited. And waited. Two years ago, after Tubby Smith bolted for the Great White North, Calipari figured he was a logical candidate to become the new head man at Kentucky. “I called my wife (Ellen) every day for six days. ‘Did they call? Did they call?’ “ Calipari said of UK. “Then I kind of figured out; they’re not calling.” Two years and one ill-fated Kentucky coaching hire later, the call that ultimately made Coach Cal into the Cats’ coach finally arrived. John Calipari’s initial foray as head men’s basketball coach of the Kentucky Wildcats played to boffo reviews Wednesday. In a morning news conference from the plush Joe Craft Center carried live on ESPN and TV stations around Kentucky, the now ex-Memphis coach was charming, funny, even poignant. When he opened his remarks, Calipari noted that he had officially agreed to take the UK job on March 31 - the one-year anniversary of the death of Bill Keightley. At the mention by the new coach of the beloved Mr. Wildcat, you could almost feel eyes misting from Paducah to Pikeville. This guy is good. So why was the man greeted as UK’s basketball savior in 2009 a coaching-search outcast when Lee Todd and Mitch Barnhart

Herald-leader SportS ColumniSt

went looking in 2007? Todd, the UK president, said Wednesday he didn’t know why. “I don’t know everyone that Mitch talked to,” Todd said of UK’s 2007 search. “I don’t remember much talk about” Calipari. Barnhart, the Kentucky athletics director, said he entered the 2007 search with a plan and a pecking order set in his mind. He gave Billy Donovan first crack at the job, which meant waiting until Joakim Noah and Co. finished their successful defense of the NCAA title. Once Billy D. said no, “I talked to another coach,” Barnhart said, in what I think was a reference to Rick Barnes of Texas. “Then I got to the third name on my list,” Barnhart said. “And it was Billy (Gillispie).” Why wasn’t Calipari in that top three in 2007? “There was no real reason. It was sort of like when a coach goes out recruiting and you have a list of prospects, one, two, three, four, five, six,” Barnhart said. “I entered that search with a firm plan in mind. And stuck to it.” OK. Since they won’t say it, I will. I think the reason Todd and Barnhart didn’t call Calipari in 2007 was that they were scared by the coach’s reputation for working in the college basketball gray areas. The reason they did call him in 2009 was

that Kentucky’s athletics honchos were feeling a whiff of desperation to get UK basketball back to winning at a “ Kentucky level.” At the University of Kentucky, when you are coming off four straight double-digit-loss seasons; when you’ve just played in the NIT; and when you’ve been forced to acknowledge you’ve completely bungled the prior coaching search after two years by firing the coach; well, then an athletics director’s hold on his job can start feeling a little shaky. At Kentucky, it could even be that a university president’s hold on his job could start feeling a little less than secure. You really need a hire of the magnitude that changes the conversation. Under those circumstances, the positives of a charismatic coach who can energize a fan base, recruit and flat-out coach begin to come rather starkly into focus. Meanwhile, all those gray areas — Worldwide Wes; players on the police blotter; Massachusetts and its vacated Final Four trip — become a lot easier to look past. So, two years after Calipari expected the call from Kentucky, Todd and Barnhart finally got Memphis on the line. Now, they have their reputations staked on Coach Cal. “I’m totally comfortable with John,” Barnhart said after Wednesday’s news conference. “Just getting to know him, he’s not the person that you often see portrayed. I told him, I know what that feels like.” Five years from now, if the Calipari legacy at UK is about basketball — not the gray areas — we’ll know that Kentucky’s tardy call was a good call. 

April 2, 2009

Fans welcome UK’s latest coach

They like what they hear from Calipari In his first news conference, the University of Kentucky’s new men’s basketball coach, John Calipari, won over skeptical Wildcats fan Tom Rougeux. When Calipari said he would be here to serve the community and the players, “that was the watershed moment for me,” Rougeux said as he waited outside the Joe Craft Center, the basketball practice facility behind Memorial Coliseum, on Wednesday morning. “That sounded to me like the leader we’re

looking for,” said Rougeux, who listened to the news conference on his BlackBerry. Several people crowded around, also listening. “That’s the thing about a winning program: It’s how you think about others, no matter if you’re a coach or a boss.” Dozens of students, families with children, and people from the community — some had traveled from as far as Ashland — waited in glorious sunshine to catch a glimpse of the newly appointed men’s basketball coach.

The coach received a positive reception from assembled fans. Several viewed Calipari’s hiring as the shot in the arm the program needed. “He had an immediate impact on UK’s basketball program before he even stepped foot on campus,” said Randy Van Hoose, who left Ashland at 4 a.m. with his business partner, Rick Brizendine. The two run the Web site www.wildcatnation.net. Calipari not only knows how to win basketball games, “He has the perfect personality to project the program,” Van Hoose said. “He loves the public. He loves the camera. He loves the history of this program.” Van Hoose said he couldn’t see any negatives, which Brizendine said is a good

thing. “If he didn’t work out, it would have been a long drop to the next candidate,” he said. A pep rally was not scheduled Wednesday, university officials said, because Calipari was on a tight schedule. He was due back in Memphis about noon. During the news conference, fans nodded as Calipari described his coaching style and spoke of his commitment to community involvement and how he wanted his players to have fun as they played. Van Hoose said the remarks were in sharp contrast to those of his immediate predecessor, Billy Gillispie, who was fired Friday. “Before hearing him, I thought, ‘Am I the only one who appreciated Tubby’s clean program?’” said Rougeux, who delayed getting to his job at Krauth Electric Co. on Wednesday morning in order to swing by the Craft Center. After the news conference, Rougeux admitted that he was a Calipari convert. Reports that the coach had gone to early Mass also impressed Rougeux. Calipari reminded UK student Todd Weatherholt of Rick Pitino, the former UK basketball coach who now leads the University of Louisville. “He has that charisma about him like Pitino,” said Weatherholt, who hoped to see Calipari before going to Spanish class. “I’m excited.” “We have a coach committed to making his players great, and that makes a great program,” said Jeremy Sheffel, a senior engineering major from Jackson. When asked his reaction to Calipari’s $31.65 million deal, UK senior Bryan Hicks

said, “Pricey.” “But worth it,” chimed in his roommate Bruce Arlinghaus, a sophomore from Northern Kentucky. Hicks agreed: “You win one national championship, and you get all that money back in national exposure.” Faculty member Don Lowe liked what he heard when Calipari said the college graduation rates for his former players at UMass and the University of Memphis jumped while he was coach. “I really like what he said about holding students accountable, because I have most of the basketball players” in a communications class, Lower said. Fans took delight in Calipari’s humor and quick wit, both during the news

conference and afterward. As he left the Craft Center, he signed autographs all the way to the black SUV awaiting him. Gina Lysell, a UK staff member, yelled, “We love you, coach!” Calipari quipped, “Oh, darlin’, what are you gonna say when I lose my first game?”  — Beverly Fortune preceding: After being introduced as the new coach, John Calipari greeted employees at the RJ Corman Railroad Group in Nicholasville. Calipari was about to board an RJ Corman jet for a return trip to Memphis. Lexington Herald-Leader/ Charles Bertram

below: Del Weatherford helped keep shirts

with a Calipari theme on display at Hands on Originals on South Broadway in Lexington. A second run was planned for the fast-selling shirts.

Lexington Herald-Leader/pablo alcala

April 2, 2009

♦

UK gets a coach who really gets UK

What Billy Gillispie couldn’t do in two years, John Calipari did in two minutes. First thing at Wednesday’s press conference, the new Kentucky basketball

John Clay Herald-leader SportS ColumniSt

coach asked for Hazel Keightley. He mentioned Rex Chapman and Joe B. Hall and Richie Farmer — “He’s going to be governor; it’s crazy” — and Herky Rupp and told an

anecdote about working a Five-Star camp ♦ with Kyle Macy. Mark He gets it is one of the overused phrases Story I’ve come to loathe. Yet I can’t think Herald-leader of another SportS ColumniSt one that fits. Billy Gillispie never got it at Kentucky. John Calipari arrived with it. And then some. As a personality, he’s the perfect fit. John Calipari, a Catholic of Italian descent, via Pennsylvania and West Virginia (“dandelion soup”) and UMass and the Nets — “They don’t bring up how I got fired,” he said — and Memphis is an over-the-top personality for an over-the-top job. He talks, and he croons, and he schmoozes, and he flatters, and he cajoles, and all of those are good things. How do you think the man recruits? That annual Rotary Club commitment that Billy G. blew off? Cal will be there. And the Rotarians might want to reschedule their afternoon appointments. We can claim we want a nice, mildmannered guy, but that’s our insurance man. For a basketball coach at a program like Kentucky, we want inspiration and motivation and someone who can look us in the eye and make us feel like we’re going to get where we want to go. “Charisma,” said Farmer afterward. “He’s got that charisma.” Oh, his critics say he also has a temper Left: Connie Barnhart, left, wife of UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart; Brad Calipari, 12; Megan Calipari, 19; and Ellen Calipari laughed during a news conference in UK’s Joe Craft Center, where John Calipari was introduced as the university’s new basketball coach. Lexington Herald-Leader/Charles Bertram

and a vindictive streak. The Memphis people will tell you Coach Cal can be all over the place, all the time, from touchingly nice to shockingly mean, as part of a complex package that sometimes rubs people raw. Here’s another thing the Memphis people will tell you: Cal might give the vibes of a slickster, but he’s really a committed family man who was heavily invested in the community. That insecure city thought it was getting an East Coast short-timer who would use it as a quick pit stop on the way to a better job. Turned out, it took nine years. As badly as Calipari wanted the Kentucky job, he almost couldn’t make himself leave. They will also tell you he’ll stick up for his players, sometimes past the line of political

correctness. But the part I liked best Wednesday was his talk about how he wants the players to have fun. After the past two years, we could use a lot more of that around here, and a little less of someone who throws kids under the bus. “You want that coach who’s going to walk 100 steps with you,” Bobby Perry, the ex-Cat, said after the press conference. “If you mess up too many times, he’s going to let go. But we all mess up, you’re going to mess up, but what he said about the players says a lot.” Yeah, yeah, Calipari can sometimes be too much the salesman, and he can lay it on Bruce Pearl thick. But all coaches have their own shtick. North Carolina’s Roy Williams is down-home Roy. Kansas’ Bill Self is that goodlooking Middle American. Rick Pitino is the

April 2, 2009

A busy day for Coach Calipari, ‘A hard job’ ahead Charismatic Calipari promises no quick fix At an introductory news conference as bright and sunny as the weather, only one discordant note was heard. And it came from the man of the hour: new University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari. “I do not walk on water,” he told the audience in the Craft Center. “I do not have a magic wand. I’m day to day.” Then referencing UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. and Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart (who were reduced to silent partners on the podium), Calipari added, “I told Dr.

Todd and Mitch, if you want something to happen in a year, do not hire me. That’s not how I do things.” Todd and Barnhart seemed like the reporters, deep-pocketed boosters, former players and current Cats in attendance: enthralled. Yet throughout his bravura performance, the likes of which had not been seen around UK basketball since Rick Pitino commanded the Cats and media attention, Calipari repeatedly reduced himself to human

driven New Yorker who is going to outwork everyone, or make you think he has. They all have their parts to play. But here’s the thing: Calipari won’t shrink from the role. That’s why he’s here. He buys into the “Kentucky is Kentucky” part. You could tell that early, from the “We want to double (the banners)” line to “This is the right place if you want to win championships and recruit the best of the best.” It was just about then, you could feel the state swell with love. To say John Calipari won the opening press conference is to say they could have hung another banner in the Craft Center right then and there. Might be time to invest in a really good ladder. 

dimensions. His grandparents on his father’s side came through Ellis Island. His grandfather worked in the coal mines of West Virginia, contracted black lung and died at age 58. His mother’s family was from Webster Springs, W.Va. Their diet included dandelion soup. “I’m not the grand pooh-bah,” he said. “I’m not the emperor. That’s not what I want to be. We’re regular people.” Calipari will have an irregular salary: $31.65 million over eight years, which makes him college basketball’s highest-paid coach. That includes a buyout of $3 million per year remaining on the deal should UK decide to fire him without cause. That didn’t seem likely as Calipari 19

touched just about every iconic note in Kentucky basketball’s storied history. He mentioned Hazel Keightley and Karen Marlowe, widow and daughter of the late Bill Keightley. He noted talking to all but one of his living predecessors: Joe B. Hall, Eddie Sutton, Tubby Smith and Pitino. Conspicuous by his absence was Billy Gillispie, who was fired on Friday after two seasons. “I don’t have his number,” Calipari said of Gillispie. “There was no intent.” Other names dropped included Kyle Macy, Rex Chapman, Nazr Mohammed, Tayshaun Prince, Adolph Rupp and Herky Rupp. In leading what he referred to as “the commonwealth’s team,” Calipari acknowledged that he has an unusually difficult job. “This is a hard job and a hard life,” he said. “It’s a challenge I am so excited about taking on. I know it’s going to be hard. There’s no givens here. We’re not just walking and waltzing. It’s not going to happen that way.” Calipari all but called for help in a collective effort to lift Kentucky basketball back to the heights of college basketball. “I’m a gatherer,” he said. “Folks, if this happens here, my vision of this program, it’s going to happen because of all of us working together … it takes a village … “If I’m doing my job, 10,000 people will say, ‘Without me, they couldn’t have done it.’ “ Barnhart described a simple and direct hiring process. “We quickly zeroed in on (a) coach,” the UK athletics director said. “And, frankly, he zeroed in on us as well.” That raised an obvious question: Why 20

didn’t this news conference happen two years ago? Why didn’t Kentucky zero in on Calipari two years ago when Gillispie was the ill-fated — and ill-suited — choice? When a reporter noted that Calipari was not on the radar, he quipped, “Well, I was on the radar.” Then he added, “But I called my wife every day for six days. ‘Did they call? Did they call?’ Then I kind of figured out, they’re not calling.” With perfect hindsight, Barnhart called that decision, “My mistake.” Barnhart said of Gillispie’s hiring, “I had a guy that was the hot coach. I watched him play. I watched his team. I liked the way they did it. He had built a couple programs. I felt we had the right guy, and I missed. My fault.” Barnhart did not say specifically why he bypassed Calipari. When asked if the perception of potential NCAA rules issues played a part, Barnhart said, “No, no. Don’t start that.” A check with the NCAA not only showed no problems, Barnhart said, but NCAA compliance staffers spoke of how they “enjoyed” working with Calipari. “Our commitment at the University of Kentucky to compliance and discipline has always been strong, and that will not change,” Barnhart said. “John’s commitment to compliance and discipline has always been strong, and that will not change.” Calipari noted the difficult choice he faced: a Kentucky job he’d dreamed of or continuing a blessed existence as University of Memphis coach. After completing the UK news conference, Calipari returned to Memphis,

where he spoke to reporters outside his home. “I know people are going to be angry,” he said of Memphis fans. “… But I hope over a period of time that people will understand that we absolutely loved it here. “You have to know I had a lot of opportunities to leave here for more money than I was making, and I never did. If I stayed, I would have made more money (at Memphis) next year than at Kentucky. They asked me a hundred times, ‘Can we pay you more? Can we do more?’ It had nothing to do with that.” With that, Calipari paused and then walked into his front door to presumably regain his composure. A few minutes later, the Memphis team chaplain, Ken Bennett, came out with a message for the media. “This is very hard for him,” Bennett said. “Give him a minute.” A few hours earlier, Calipari had gotten sentimental as he recalled his first experience with Kentucky basketball. His Massachusetts team played at UK on Dec. 4, 1991. Kentucky beat the tired Minutemen, who stopped in Lexington for a game while returning from the Great Alaska Shootout. “I could not believe the environment,” he said. “At that point, I said, ‘I’d love to coach there someday.’  — Jerry Tipton

right: With University of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd Jr. at his left and UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart at his right, John Calipari was introduced as UK’s new head basketball coach, April 1, 2009. Lexington Herald-Leader/Charles Bertram

April 9, 2009

Calipari shows a softer side At UK practice The $32 million coach walked into Kentucky’s $30 million practice facility looking like “Joe Bag of Donuts,” the real John Calipari he suggested he was at his introductory news conference. A long white sleeved T-shirt. Blue sweat pants. The beginning of a paunch (apparently he wasn’t kidding about liking Dunkin’ Donuts). Definitely not the persona of a grand pooh-bah of basketball. Nor did Calipari rule Wednesday’s 45-minute workout with an imperial air. Calipari made it clear what he wanted, then watched the 17 players try to execute. (Matt Pilgrim, tweaked hamstring, and walk-on Matt Scherbenske, knee injury, watched from the sideline.) UK invited the media to observe the practice in the Craft Center. UK spent the time working on driving to the basket with purpose. “Fifty layups a game,” the new coach told the players. “If you don’t go hard for layups, I can’t play you.” Perhaps mindful of talk that his predecessor, Billy Gillispie, beat the players down verbally, Calipari sprinkled his instruction with encouragement. “Good job.” “It’s different. You’re doing fine.” “You’re doing great.” Early on, Calipari blew a whistle to comment on a drill. The whistle, which he tooted softly, failed to halt several dribbles 22

and side conversations. A coaching eruption seemed impending. “Please stop,” he said. “When the whistle blows, please stop talking, managers and everyone.” Everyone stopped. Later, when he apparently didn’t believe the players were paying enough attention, Calipari said, “Please listen.” When Calipari saw players frown because a manager failed to make a good pass, he said, “Don’t be mad at a manager because I got things I can be mad at you about.” The coaches’ attire added to the informal atmosphere. Three staff members he’s bringing from Memphis — John Robic,

Orlando Antigua and Rod Strickland — were not uniformly dressed. (UK spokesman DeWayne Peevy said Robic and Antigua were hired as assistant coaches. Strickland could be an assistant or hold the job he had at Memphis, Director of Basketball Operations. That leaves Calipari needing to fill one spot.) Early on, the players worked on scoring while being hit with pads wielded by managers or assistant coaches. The players had to absorb two blows while either on the drive or at the basket. “You have to play through bumps,” Calipari said. “If you can’t play through bumps, it will be hard for me to play you. “When you miss, you’ll look over at me and say, ‘I got fouled.’ “I don’t care about you getting fouled. Make the layup.” NCAA rules allow teams to practice for two hours a week until April 15. When this workout ended, Calipari gathered the players near mid-court and could be heard to say, “That was a great job. Hey, that was great.” A few moments later, the new coach said something that elicited chuckles from the players.  — Jerry Tipton left: Former UK great Kenny Walker talked with UK coach John Calipari before he ran his players through practice at Joe Craft Center. Lexington Herald-Leader/mark cornelison

following: UK coach John Calipari, who led his Cats through practice, is also evaluating who will fit best in his dribble-drive system. Lexington Herald-Leader/mark cornelison