Norlander: "I don't think it is the correct decision for Kentucky"

[HeismaNole]

What does football money have to do with getting rid of Cal and Barney????? I thought you were a Noles fan???? If so what's that have to do with you????

GBB

I'm a fan of both, grandpa. I don't have to go into my backstory to explain my connection.

And what I said is pretty clear- Barnhardt is a bad AD. I simply pointed out the deals he throws around for mediocrity. Stoops is highly overpaid for the results he delivers. I compard his contract to Harbaugh's at Michigan's to put things into perspective with what Mitch does. So the wins aren't coming despite the tons of money for these coaches.

 

[K86]

I posted in the buyout is imminent thread stating what I had heard about the Crafts. Multiple people laughed at it and I stated I was just passing along the info I had heard.

For this threads purpose, I’ll say it again. The crafts told Barnhart they were not paying the money. They said they were done paying for basketball and were stepping away from it.

Now I’m sure that was only a small part of the conversation, but the gist of it is there. I believe they are fed up with it all as well and are letting Mitch die on the vine with cal

I so hope you’re right.

 

[TankedCat]

I'm sure UK has the money, and while some of you will argue that they should spend it to get rid of Cal,

I bet they looked at it from a very calculated process. Another year of sec stagnation and NCAA failure doesn't cost more than getting rid of Cal, buy the rights to hire a new coach, and not spending money on other athletic programs, and/or burning the goodwill of large donors. Rebuilding the men's AND women's programs would be a tall order in the same year with a Football program having to face a much more difficult SEC

so perhaps Barnhart should have pushed Cal to walk away at a seriously reduced price to save his legacy but outside of that, especially seeing how much UL is fumbling this , Mitch and others decided status quo is the most cost effective decision

Where they are making the mistake is not addressing this with the fans - they want to talk about more transparency and then he makes the most vanilla tweet possible. Maybe there is more coming in the near future, but UK fans deserve to hear what is going to be done differently this year that both Mitch and Cal are invested in making a difference in the direction of the program.

Mitch has to tie his name and his reputation to this decision and own it in terms of results or else to the fans.

 

[wobycat]

 

[MegaBlue05]

Yeah. I’m having trouble believing the university could afford $6.6M a year for 5 years.

On top of a new coach’s buyout at his old school + new salary

I am firmly of the opinion we have two more years, minimum, of Cal until the buyout falls below $20M. Cal is a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one of them. He ain’t leaving without his obscene bag of cash.

 

[HeismaNole]

On top of a new coach’s buyout at his old school + new salary

I am firmly of the opinion we have two more years, minimum, of Cal until the buyout falls below $20M. Cal is a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one of them. He ain’t leaving without his obscene bag of cash.

That puts UK's streak of no Final Fours dangerlously close to matching the 99-10 streak.

I bet he never reaches another one.

 

[HoneyMoon155]

How so? Genuinely asking.

I’m pretty sure the buyout is only for if he is fired, could be wrong

 

[AGEE11]

Cal is the disease but Barnhart is the symptom. Both should be gone immediately.

Barnhart backed this school and this program into this corner. He kept an inept coach at a imbecilic price.

I get where you're coming from, but I think it's the opposite. Barny is the disease. He's at the core of some many stupid decisions for UK

Billy G
Cal's extension
Elzy
Paying Stoops like a top 10-15 coach for top 30-50 results

Honestly, if I'm Craft, I'd pay Cal out, but my condition is Mitch goes too. Other than that, I'm keeping my money and letting them both take the heat

 

[AzubuikeandFitch]

I don't blame the Crafts for not wanting to
pay Kalipari 30m to do nothing. All roads lead to Barnhart being an incompetent fool.

Fire Mitch and use his salary towards buyout.

 

[TexKat]

I truly wonder who sparked the first thought for such a horrendously crazy "lifetime" contract for Cal. Was it Mitch? Was it Cal?

 

[UKWildcats1987]

You think Harbaugh could win at UK? Stoops, like it or not, has won more games at UK than anyone else. All programs aren't created equal. Kentucky as a place does not enjoy a decent reputation. It isn't what you'd call a destination. It has a reputation for poverty and ... well ... all the stuff that goes along with poverty.

He's also lost more games than anyone at UK.

 

[catlogic15]

If the UK athletic department has to lean solely on the benevolence of Joe and Kelley Craft, we are indeed on a slippery slope my friends.

 

[Cawood86]

Just say exactly what you mean for once....

Too many metaphors😉

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

Seems the biggest reasons Mitch decided to keep Cal are the following:
- mitch doesn’t want to be the guy who fires a HOF coach
- mitch didn’t do any due diligence in searching for a quality replacement at all, even though we’ve seen four years of garbage, until it was to late to do so
- mitch is soft

 

[Cawood86]

I get where you're coming from, but I think it's the opposite. Barny is the disease. He's at the core of some many stupid decisions for UK

Billy G
Cal's extension
Elzy
Paying Stoops like a top 10-15 coach for top 30-50 results

Honestly, if I'm Craft, I'd pay Cal out, but my condition is Mitch goes too. Other than that, I'm keeping my money and letting them both take the heat

I don't disagree with this either. Barnhart is a huge part of the problem

 

[IL Wildcat]

Well, I don't want Calipari here for another season, but I understand the $33 million price tag is steep for anyone. If I had 33 million, I can promise you I wouldn't want to spend it on buying out a failing coach, So, this all boils down to that terrible lifetime contract Barnhart signed years ago. That is the albatross around our neck. He should be the first guy fired. And whoever they bring in can fire Calipari next season. Sounds like a good plan to me.

 

[blubo]

John Calipari returning to Kentucky: Massive buyout among reasons Wildcats retain coach

More details have emerged regarding Kentucky's decision on Calipari.

247sports.com

money. always about the money

 

[wccat2969]

Stoops was paid more than Michigan's Harbaugh. One guy won a national championship; the other guy gets 6-6 bowl games. Barnhardt has missed more than he's hit.

and is .500 in the those 6-6 bowl games. Mitch's definition vs the fans' definition of success are completely different.

 

[KFuqua]

I’ve had a ul friend and a unc friend tell me they can’t believe we are keeping Cal. That’s how bad it is

I've heard the same things from a UCONN friend and an Indiana friend.

 

[Ky grandpa]

I'm a fan of both, grandpa. I don't have to go into my backstory to explain my connection.

And what I said is pretty clear- Barnhardt is a bad AD. I simply pointed out the deals he throws around for mediocrity. Stoops is highly overpaid for the results he delivers. I compard his contract to Harbaugh's at Michigan's to put things into perspective with what Mitch does. So the wins aren't coming despite the tons of money for these coaches.

I am a fan of both also and have been for many years... But I don't understand keeping a BB coach who belittles the fans and talks down to them like he is some kind of king or whatever... That's my rub, I wanted Cal here when Barney hired the drunk... But Cal has changed and he can't coach his way out of a paper bag... All he is doing now is destroying the University I love... I went to EKU but have always been a BBF.....


GBB

 

[THE_HOOK]

Kentucky basketball is F**ked

 

[FrankUnderwood2.0]

I’m pretty sure the buyout is only for if he is fired, could be wrong

Hmm. See I thought if we were to have hired Oats or Drew we’d have to buy out their buyout? Idk 🤷🏽‍♂️

Fire Mitch and use his salary towards buyout.

Unfortunately I don’t think it’s that easy.

 

[Woodsmoke]

Interesting strategy. It's Craft's money, so if he chooses to let Cal take all the ish coming his way, that's his right. Cal can walk wherever he wants. Kinda funny that Craft basically said, "I'm not bailing his dumb ass out with a $30M parachute". I kinda respect that. Make Cal suffer for his choices.

Make Cal suffer? Dude’s gonna make $33 million either way.

 

[Ky grandpa]

Make Cal suffer? Dude’s gonna make $33 million either way.

Break down in his driveway and spill out some toxic waste to keep him inside... lol
I am for whatever it takes legally to run him off..... Yesterday was much too late for me...

GBB

 

[BBUK]

View embedded media

Don't they look "cute" together...BARF

 

[FrankUnderwood2.0]

Make Cal suffer? Dude’s gonna make $33 million either way.

Obviously he does not mean suffer financially. Or actually “suffering”. Words have more than one connotation. Aren’t you aware of that man?

The point being that Calipari (even Cal supporters can agree) has a tremendous ego.

He will now have to go another year of being lambasted, chastised, ridiculed and made fun of by not only UK fans but the national media (as we’ve already seen). His entire legacy is already somewhat tarnished (not completely) and it will be tarnished even more.

Calipari will hate that. As anyone would.

 

[KY_BBN]

Hmm. See I thought if we were to have hired Oats or Drew we’d have to buy out their buyout? Idk 🤷🏽‍♂️

That’s exactly how it works in every other coach in America’s contract but not with the sweetheart deal that Barnhart gave Cal. We’re on the hook for tens of millions of dollars to get rid of him but he doesn’t have to give us a dime if he wants to leave voluntarily. The only requirement is he has to notify the university of other coaching opportunities, see section 4 of the contract below:

https://legal.uky.edu/sites/default/files/2022-04/Coach_John_Calipari_Contract_0.pdf

 

[Ky grandpa]

Obviously he does not mean suffer financially. Or actually “suffering”. Words have more than one connotation. Aren’t you aware of that man?

The point being that Calipari (even Cal supporters can agree) has a tremendous ego.

He will now have to go another year of being lambasted, chastised, ridiculed and made fun of by not only UK fans but the national media (as we’ve already seen). His entire legacy is already somewhat tarnished (not completely) and it will be tarnished even more.

Calipari will hate that. As anyone would.

I hope he hate's it so bad he leaves half way through the season.... Bye Cal....


GBB