It just couldn't have been scripted better for all parties. Yes, he has help but Mitch deserves a lot of credit here. Now, to see who he likely already has lined up to coach UK.
No way is this all a lucky coincidence...
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Agree. This is the best thing Cal has done for UK in a long time. I think it was a mutual decision and handled perfectly.
Outside of retiring, this was the perfect exit strategy for both parties! Next season was going to be cringe toxic, and THANKFULLY Calipari didn’t want to put himself, and especially the players, through that nightmare situation.
I’m all good with Cal, and wish him the very best, unless he’s playing UK of course 😁
I’m all good with Cal, and wish him the very best, unless he’s playing UK of course 😁
We'll likely never get the real story, but deals of this magnitude don't just happen. Who knows? Maybe Mitch had something on Cal and he had no choice. Or yes, maybe Cal simply saw this as the better option for himself and Brad going forward.
Winning cures all ills. If we were to have had a good team next season, this would mostly have blown over. We just don't know that either way yet.
Both Kentucky and Calipari needed a fresh start. I think Arkansas is a great place for him, he can be successful without the burden of major expectations
I think this is probably true. It's likely that Mitch and Cal agreed that the Cal era was over, and everything else was an act while they waited for things to play out behind the scenes. If that's true, it will eventually come to light. If true, kudos to Mitch.
Mitch could’ve easily said, we’ve got the buyout money and firing is on the table…out of respect what you’ve done here, let’s do two weeks to leave on your own terms and keep your ego reputation etc intact to school of your choice.
Makes sense but do you have to tv interview for that? Why not a simple statement right after the loss.
"Coach Cal is our coach. We will continue to meet and discuss the future of UK Basketball"
How hard is that?
If rumors of Cal looking for a couple of months are true, I doubt that was the case, but maybe. I think ultimately it was the NIL money wasn't flowing and he saw an ugly end to his career. This is just so much more than we know, yet.
That kept Cal viable to other teams and us off of the $33 million hook. To me, this looks like Mitch played Cal this time. He had all the cards, or at least enough of them to bluff his way through this. Damn well played!
My guess as to what happened was:
Cal has been feeling the heat now for several years.
He wanted to stay at UK.
UK and Mitch for whatever reason decided not to fire him, they met internally and came up with whatever stipulations were for him to remain coach.
Cal initially agreed to that and they do the public announcement.
Cal then starts to realize just how deep of a hole he is in, how desperately most of the fans want him gone, starts to look ahead to the future, his incoming class, his possible returners, and sees the writing on the wall at the same time a job opens up that can pay him similarly, he's friends with the big boosters, and can get promised a huge NIL treasure chest each year.
In the end it was simply opportunistic.
I have no inside info, this is just my guess based on what happened.
Absolutely, there is no possible way Mitch did not know Cal was shopping. Cal was trying everything he could to get fired and take that big buyout. Mitch told him he could stay, but on Mitches terms. Cal decided he was better off leaving. Good riddance.
Just because this all had to be brewing for a while and how well Mitch played this so far, I'm gonna guess and hope....Jay Wright to UK. He's definitely the right fit and this could've been presented to him because he's not currently coaching. I'm gonna hope. The safer bet is probably Drew.
Yeah unless it was just for however they wanted the optics to play out.
I haven’t been this excited since the pigs ate my little sister. A new age now dawning.
Agree. Mitch is no dummy. He has a list. And the portal will be at peak entrees.
As a longtime Cal hater and MB apologist I was shocked that someone as smart as MB had (last week) hitched his career to Cal turning things around in one season. Make no mistake...next year which was going to be a total disaster that was poised to take MB with him.
So I said last week that MB tying his future to Cal was CRAZY. Well my faith in MB is back. This was set in place for a while. Cal blinked.
So I said last week that MB tying his future to Cal was CRAZY. Well my faith in MB is back. This was set in place for a while. Cal blinked.
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I don't know, man. I can't see myself being easily convinced that a man as shrewd as what you're describing would ever have given 2019 Cal that buyout to begin with.
