Calipari earned the lifetime contract. Recruiting was at highest level, UK won championship and got to final fours with that approach, UK was top college program AND there were NBA teams seemingly interested AND Calipari was listening. Seemed like every year, media members would put Calipari on a list of candidates to replace some NBA coach.
Voila...lifetime contract. No Kentucky fans objected because the above golden years of Calipari/UK were expected to continue until Calipari said so. He earned his leverage.
Did anyone (Cal or Bernhart) expect Duke to copy the UK model or even have better recruiting results? Nope.
How about G League expansion?
How about Overtime Elite and GLeague Ignite?
How about the transfer portal?
How about NIL?
Not getting the best like Anthony Davis, and seeing some of the best going to Duke, or fast forward, Wembanyama going straight to NBA...all of it impaired Caliparis ability to recruit at the absolute top level.
Roy Williams, K, and Jay Wright didn't want to deal with the new landscape and left.
Calipari can make one last push for a second championship. At UK or some place new. He absolutely needs a Derrick Rose, Marcus Camby, Anthony Davis, Wall/Cousins (major NBA Al star caliber talents ) to make a serious run.
