Was it the buyout , or you think Admin was actually not that motivated to can him ?

[ManitouDan]

Lots of opinions , maybe the right guy wasnt available ? But back to the " root of all evil". Money . Was it totally the buyout that stopped this firing of the clown we have as a coach ? Did UK simply not want to apply pressure to big boosters to shoulder the load and pony the money up , OR was it simply accepting mediocrity ? It had to be the 30 plus million , right ? Someone had to do a power point type presentation saying we lose this amount by firing him , we lose this amount by keeping him , and rolled the dice that B was less than A ? I'm having hard time accepting he wasnt fired . How bad do we have to be to rid ourselves of this leech ? Or how long do we have to be bad to fire him ? Destroying BBN is more. costly than 1-2 more years. of buyout money , or it should be .

 

[FitchMields]

I think it's more of an issue of the right guy wasn't available- at least not quickly, and Mitch's lack of testicular fortitude to conduct a high profile coaching search. Mitch is tied to this now so we won't have to worry about it after another failure next season; nothing is going to change.....

 

[MatteoV25]

The money simply wasn't there without Joe Craft contributing and he wasn't gonna do that. It's not gonna be there next year either.

 

[cat_in_the_hat]

I think it was a combination of money plus no clear cut replacement. If you are going to spend that kind of money to get rid of a coach, you better have a can't miss candidate on the hook, otherwise it could really destroy your program because you could be saddled with two paying two buyouts at the same time. I think when you put those two items together, they just didn't feel now was right time to make a move.

 

[CrimsonCats]

I think it was probably a combination of the money and the available replacements. The money may have technically been there, but $33M is still a significant sum even to a modern athletics program and buyouts that big don’t tend to generate positive publicity. You also ideally want a home run replacement if you spend that much money to fire the current coach, and it seems like administration wasn’t convinced that guy was available. I unequivocally want Cal out at this point, but I kind of get it from their perspective why pulling the trigger wasn’t an easy decision.

 

[BlueBomb]

Who the hell knows. But I hope a book will be written one day by a secretary in the AD's office who was privy to all the conversations that occurred behind closed doors over this debacle. I would pay big bucks to read that.

 

[HeismaNole]

I think it's more of an issue of the right guy wasn't available- at least not quickly, and Mitch's lack of testicular fortitude to conduct a high profile coaching search. Mitch is tied to this now so we won't have to worry about it after another failure next season; nothing is going to change.....

There's no clear cut guy and there isn't going to be. Same group of guys will be available next season. Right now, I'd take any of those mentioned names and their new voice over what Cal has made this place. I'd take an Eric Musselman or any of the bigger names instead of watching NBA picks underperform against bad teams.

In regards to the question, Mitch wants status quo and the money to flow in. He's also attached to this contract Cal has. He would be admitting that the payout is his fault.

 

[K_TIME]

That is the magical question....
1. $33M....drops to $25M next year....will that be enough?
2. But I'd argue nothing stipulates a lump sum dollar figure....its' monthly payments and if Cal gets another gig..UK only pays the difference. So we'll never know how much it truly will be until we go ahead and pull the trigger.

 

[MatteoV25]

Who the hell knows. But I hope a book will be written one day by a secretary in the AD's office who was privy to all the conversations that occurred behind closed doors over this debacle. I would pay big bucks to read that.

Go on Trilly's discord about Kentucky. Plenty of stuff you'd like on there

 

[MdWIldcat55]

I think they decided that to fix things they needed a coach who'd won an NCAA championship, been to a half dozen Final Fours and a dozen or so Elite Eights but couldn't find one. Then someone said, "Hey, we have that already!" so they re-signed Calipari.

Bottomline: Calipari has produced a terrible record since 2020. But the options to turn the program around don't have his overall track record. And the same logic that says Billy Donovan can be the same coach he was in 2008, or Brad Stevens in 2010 or Rick Pitino in 1996, to name some of the coaches people have lobbied for, suggests Calipari can more easily figure out how to get BACK to 2010-2019 than another coach who has never been there can figure out how to do it.

 

[MegaBlue05]

Guessing it’s both - part money, part not being sure of a suitable replacement.

I’m of the opinion unless the bottom falls completely out next year like it did in 2021, Cal is here two more seasons until the buyout drops below $20M.

Also agree that Mitch has tied himself to Cal and if things get really bad, maybe they’re both shown the door.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

I think it’s mostly candidate availability right now.

 

[The_Answer1313]

Who knows totally wrong but I think the buyout had a lot less to do with it than people think.

If they wanted to get rid of Cal.......they'd get rid of Cal. Period.

 

[thebluestripes]

Too many fans bought tickets and went to games. Many of our fans are just as complicit in this mess as is the athletics department.

When you reward mediocrity, you usually get more mediocrity

 

[FitchMields]

I think they decided that to fix things they needed a coach who'd won an NCAA championship, been to a half dozen Final Fours and a dozen or so Elite Eights but couldn't find one. Then someone said, "Hey, we have that already!" so they re-signed Calipari.

What I don't know: Is it true Mitch upped the buy-out to $50 million to get Cal to stay? That's a rumor out of Lexington, but may just be loose talk. A lot of that these days.

Wait, there's rumors that Mitch just upped the buyout to get Cal to come back?!?!?!

 

[truebluewildcat]

Folks you're only as good as your options.

It wasn't money, it was who can do at least as good if not better than what Cal has done in totality.

The answer, clearly for now, 0.

There simply wasn't serious enough interest from top tier coaches, and no brass or money bags had the desire to risk at hot young coach who's made a Sweet 16 or two.

 

[The_Answer1313]

Folks you're only as good as your options.

It wasn't money, it was who can do at least as good if not better than what Cal has done in totality.

The answer, clearly for now, 0.

There simply wasn't serious enough interest from top tier coaches, and no brass or money bags had the desire to risk at hot young coach who's made a Sweet 16 or two.

Key word being in totality. Cause there's a bunch out there that can exceed the results of previous seasons.

I think what this basically comes down to is you have leadership at UK looking at the complete resume and concluding welp this is as good as it gets and you have a large portion of the fanbase looking at the previous years thinking welp this is what we are getting going forward.

 

[Aike]

Buyout money could be more like $50M if you combine Cal buyout with replacement coach buyout (for most attractive/likely candidates).

Then you have to pay that candidate at Cal levels.

Not hard to believe we can’t actually afford all that.

Bold move would have been to fire him anyway, identify a young up-and-comer who wouldn’t trigger a massive buyout or the same salary level.

 

[syrus12]

What I don't know: Is it true Mitch upped the buy-out to $50 million to get Cal to stay? That's a rumor out of Lexington, but may just be loose talk.

 

[cornbreadnmilk]

Mitch is a pussy.

 

[Rockfly78]

It wasn't the money. It was the lack of viable replacement candidates. I'm sure Mitch kicked the tires on wright and donovan, didn't get the feedback he wanted and decided the timing wasn't right.

 

[catben]

Guessing it’s both - part money, part not being sure of a suitable replacement.

I’m of the opinion unless the bottom falls completely out next year like it did in 2021, Cal is here two more seasons until the buyout drops below $20M.

Also agree that Mitch has tied himself to Cal and if things get really bad, maybe they’re both shown the door.

This is how I see it also. By bringing him back now, he’s here for 2 more years at least unless he just craps the bed again with a season like we had this year where we didn’t win anything of substance. Mitch is tied at the hip to Cal and seems to be willing to put his job on the line with him. Mitch is praying that Cal can turn it around right now.

Ridiculous!!

 

[permdaddy]

3 things.

1) Money made it hard. Even if you say the money was there it wasn't easy for any involved

2) Don't think Barnhart really had the will to do it.

3) No 100% home run hire that was guaranteed to say yes.

 

[Untouchables22]

It really seems like Mitch was caught with his pants down and wasn’t prepared to do a coaching search right now. All the reporting indicates the athletic department wasn’t upset at all about the programs direction until the 2nd embarrassing loss to Oakland. Mitch knows that whatever he decided his job was now on the line and I think he decided in the end another year of Cal was the best option since he apparently hasn’t reached out to candidates via back channel and hasn’t laid any groundwork for the coach he wanted next. If he made a move it needed to be quick with the portal already open, but several of the prime options are still coaching and likely wouldn’t have serious conversations until there seasons were over. I’m hoping Tommy Lloyd stops choking in the tournament and makes the Final Four this year to establish himself as a legitimate option moving forward. (Arizona is a great job but it isn’t in the Power 2 leagues and it isn’t on the same level as a: UK, UNC, Kansas, UCONN. It’s in a tier with UCLA, Texas, and Louisville.)

 

[Coach Marrow]

Cal’s overpaid. That’s why he doesn’t want to leave. It’s going to be hard to get another school to pay him Cal money and Mitch will never fire him.

Also the new demands for Cal seem like things customary for everyone else in the athletics department. He’s just been above everyone else like having Peevy as a go between in the past.

I appreciate what Cal has done but it’s just not the same anymore. Time to retire and kick up his feet and enjoy life.

 

[HoneyMoon155]

I think they decided that to fix things they needed a coach who'd won an NCAA championship, been to a half dozen Final Fours and a dozen or so Elite Eights but couldn't find one. Then someone said, "Hey, we have that already!" so they re-signed Calipari.

Bottomline: Calipari has produced a terrible record since 2020. But the options to turn the program around don't have his overall track record. And the same logic that says Billy Donovan can be the same coach he was in 2008, or Brad Stevens in 2010 or Rick Pitino in 1996, to name some of the coaches people have lobbied for, suggests Calipari can more easily figure out how to get BACK to 2010-2019 than another coach who has never been there can figure out how to do it.

And when he fails this year would you be ready for him to go?

 

[HeismaNole]

I think they decided that to fix things they needed a coach who'd won an NCAA championship, been to a half dozen Final Fours and a dozen or so Elite Eights but couldn't find one. Then someone said, "Hey, we have that already!" so they re-signed Calipari.

Bottomline: Calipari has produced a terrible record since 2020. But the options to turn the program around don't have his overall track record. And the same logic that says Billy Donovan can be the same coach he was in 2008, or Brad Stevens in 2010 or Rick Pitino in 1996, to name some of the coaches people have lobbied for, suggests Calipari can more easily figure out how to get BACK to 2010-2019 than another coach who has never been there can figure out how to do it.

So you think it's more likely that a 65 year old guy with a huge ego will suddenly change? This guy has made excuse after excuse.

His past success doesn't matter as it's ancient at this point. Bobby Bowden put FSU football on the map and won two national titles. Guess what? They still wanted him gone after going 38-27 in his last five seasons. Bill Belichick was pushed out despite winning six Super Bowls yet Calipari is untouchable?

Serious question-- what's the metric that has to be hit for you to agree he needs to be let go? Because unless that's established here, there's no rational discussion to be had because it's just fandom arguing for the sake of being a fan instead of "These things need to occur or it's a failure."

 

[Creed Bratton]

I do think the money was there but it also means that is 33 million off the table to support basketball, football, baseball and other sports at UK. It is also plausible to think the candidates that Mitch was interested in showed no interest back so in his mind the devil you know is better than they one you don't.

 

[ManitouDan]

Go on Trilly's discord about Kentucky. Plenty of stuff you'd like on there

Sorry I’m out of the loop - who/what is Trilly

 

[crestcat]

Eli and Mitch are more concerned with the bottom line than the unhappiness of the unwashed masses. They made the tournament, they made a profit….what’s the problem.

 

[Coach Marrow]

Bobby Bowden is a great example. Big personality, successful, players’ coach who held on too long.

 

[MatteoV25]

Sorry I’m out of the loop - who/what is Trilly

Has a ton of good info on basically every program in the country, big secret who he is obviously but he's got a discord that has plenty of insight on behind the scenes stuff.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

I think they decided that to fix things they needed a coach who'd won an NCAA championship, been to a half dozen Final Fours and a dozen or so Elite Eights but couldn't find one. Then someone said, "Hey, we have that already!" so they re-signed Calipari.

Bottomline: Calipari has produced a terrible record since 2020. But the options to turn the program around don't have his overall track record. And the same logic that says Billy Donovan can be the same coach he was in 2008, or Brad Stevens in 2010 or Rick Pitino in 1996, to name some of the coaches people have lobbied for, suggests Calipari can more easily figure out how to get BACK to 2010-2019 than another coach who has never been there can figure out how to do it.

Still waiting on your thoughts / how many more years of equal results as the last four are you willing to give?

 

[MdWIldcat55]

So you think it's more likely that a 65 year old guy with a huge ego will suddenly change?

Coach K lost in the tournament to Lehigh and Mercer, roughly equivalent to losing to St. Peter's and Oakland. Then he stole Calipari's methods, re-invented himself as a the OAD King, and won another title and Final Four AFTER HE WAS OLDER THAN CAL IS NOW.

So, is it possible? Yes. Is it likely? Probably not. The game has changed remarkably fast. But is Calipari better than the other options out there for next year? More than likely, that's true, even without factoring in the buy-out.

 

[ManitouDan]

^^ Damn thats near insanity to believe there are not better options for next year .. wow

 

[blubo]

it’s always the money. when the big money boosters have had enough the buyout will happen

 

[Elliott Tim]

Lots of opinions , maybe the right guy wasnt available ? But back to the " root of all evil". Money . Was it totally the buyout that stopped this firing of the clown we have as a coach ? Did UK simply not want to apply pressure to big boosters to shoulder the load and pony the money up , OR was it simply accepting mediocrity ? It had to be the 30 plus million , right ? Someone had to do a power point type presentation saying we lose this amount by firing him , we lose this amount by keeping him , and rolled the dice that B was less than A ? I'm having hard time accepting he wasnt fired . How bad do we have to be to rid ourselves of this leech ? Or how long do we have to be bad to fire him ? Destroying BBN is more. costly than 1-2 more years. of buyout money , or it should be .

Money is impartial, it's neither good or bad.
It's the application of the money that determines the cause and affect.
The love of money is the root of all evil.

 

[HoneyMoon155]

Coach K lost in the tournament to Lehigh and Mercer, roughly equivalent to losing to St. Peter's and Oakland. Then he stole Calipari's methods, re-invented himself as a the OAD King, and won another title and Final Four AFTER HE WAS OLDER THAN CAL IS NOW.

So, is it possible? Yes. Is it likely? Probably not. The game has changed remarkably fast. But is Calipari better than the other options out there for next year? More than likely, that's true, even without factoring in the buy-out.

They had just won a championship 4 years prior to that, it’s been 12 years here

 

[ManitouDan]

Money is impartial, it's neither good or bad.
It's the application of the money that determines the cause and affect.
The love of money is the root of all evil.

Yes Brother Tim , you are correct .. although I'm not sure Cal and Mitch care about 1st Tim 6 verses 10-12 .

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

Still waiting on your thoughts / how many more years of equal results as the last four are you willing to give?

How many more years are you willing to give with equal results?