And you read 25 comments to get to mine. You didn't stop as soon as you saw what it was.
Real Possibility
- Thread starter LXWildcat
- Start date
I think people are setting themselves up for disappointment if they think Cal is graciously going retire or take another job after this season (lol at thinking Mitch would fire him, too). I really think we’re stuck with him another 3-5 years.
I'd love it if that were true...but the metrics (like don't lie stats) say we're about as likely as Bama or Illinois to win the title. I give both of those teams basically zero chance of winning the title.
Well UCLA might have another opening, we all know Cal was interested in that job before he received his contract
I thought you already said he was gone this year regardless?
I said it all depends on the outcome of the tourney. Cal won’t be fired because of his buy out. But leaving to another school is definitely on the table, if it is time for a break up that is the best case scenario because Kentucky wouldn’t pay him a dime to leave.
This is my stance as well. I don’t see Cal leaving all that money on the table or leaving to start over at another school. Barnhart also won’t fire Cal after a second place finish in the SEC and a 3-seed even if we get blown out by Oakland.
I would be willing to bet Cal is here until the 2027-28 season unless things go super sideways as in a repeat of 9-16. That doesn’t excite me, but I don’t call the shots or sign the checks.
I’m ready for the Cal era to be over, and there was a part of me that thought this season was going be his swan song. But nothing he has said or done leads me to believe it. He has got another crop of 5*s lined up and just got that nil thing off the ground. I wouldn’t doubt there is a part of Cal that wants to retire, but his ego and all that money on the table overrides it.
UCLA dodged a bullet, you think they will look down the barrel of a shotgun again?
Even funnier/sadder they always preface the doom with "now I'd rather us win". They absolutely would rather us burn and him leave. I just wish they'd admit it.
Cal is a HOF coach of course teams will go after him. They don’t care about what he’s done these last 5 years.
I agree I’m beyond ready for a new era at Kentucky. I get that there is still a chance they do something special this season and if they do then I’ll eat crow and deal with it. But Kentucky is bigger than Cal, we were great before him and this program will be great after him.
Preface: I actually picked us to the title game once I started filling my bracket bc we have so much talent on this team….
With that said, a 1st weekend exit and I can see that scenario. I’ve said last season with the Texas rumors that I could see him taking a different job for his final 5 years if things didn’t turn around. He has developed a great disdain for the fanbase and a need to “prove the Bennie’s wrong” (even tho a lot of what the Bennie’s wanted is now this team is built).
I think Cal’s ego would make him consider taking a high P5 job if the right one opened (UCLA take 2?) bc he doesn’t like that ppl are unhappy with him here and I actually think a fresh start would benefit him and the program. We’d be better off in the long run but I do think alll the hype and media coverage him taking a different job would generate, combined w taking the incoming class w him, would immediately put that school in the “hot IT school” in upcoming recruits minds and they’d have a little run for a couple years. May not mean titles but every other school is happy with S16s and E8s and being top 20 (which is how Cal thinks we should be as fans). Worst case it would be how Memphis was a hot name after the penny hire for a few years; best case Cal recreates his Memphis run w the same amount of hardware…..but it would make Cal feel “right” again and he’d live. Chance to rub UKs nose in any perceived success.
All that said, it’s not likely. He has a cushy paycheck here and is daring the admin to fire him w that buyout lingering. He likely only wants to coach another 2-3 years anyways and is just trying to ride this contract out full term and retire while taking pop shots at the fanbase and hoping to string together one last F4
With that said, a 1st weekend exit and I can see that scenario. I’ve said last season with the Texas rumors that I could see him taking a different job for his final 5 years if things didn’t turn around. He has developed a great disdain for the fanbase and a need to “prove the Bennie’s wrong” (even tho a lot of what the Bennie’s wanted is now this team is built).
I think Cal’s ego would make him consider taking a high P5 job if the right one opened (UCLA take 2?) bc he doesn’t like that ppl are unhappy with him here and I actually think a fresh start would benefit him and the program. We’d be better off in the long run but I do think alll the hype and media coverage him taking a different job would generate, combined w taking the incoming class w him, would immediately put that school in the “hot IT school” in upcoming recruits minds and they’d have a little run for a couple years. May not mean titles but every other school is happy with S16s and E8s and being top 20 (which is how Cal thinks we should be as fans). Worst case it would be how Memphis was a hot name after the penny hire for a few years; best case Cal recreates his Memphis run w the same amount of hardware…..but it would make Cal feel “right” again and he’d live. Chance to rub UKs nose in any perceived success.
All that said, it’s not likely. He has a cushy paycheck here and is daring the admin to fire him w that buyout lingering. He likely only wants to coach another 2-3 years anyways and is just trying to ride this contract out full term and retire while taking pop shots at the fanbase and hoping to string together one last F4
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Cal good or bad moves the needle and still recruits at a very high level. There are many schools who would take him in a heartbeat. BBN wants him gone but he won’t leave without a massive buyout from KY first.
Well no. It's not a crapshoot.
Even last year. Uconn won the title. Yeah they were a 4 seed but that's only cause the committee messed up. That team going into the tournament was fourth overall in Kenpom. Many had them as the pick to come out of that region.
Ultimately, ONE of the best teams does end the championship. The luck portion comes from who wins among that group of best teams.
These games come down to single possessions most of the time. To think luck doesn't play any role would be just silly. A bounce here and there, a bad call..........things happen.
Obviously, the team under-performing does not seem to have anything to do with him leaving, as he has managed to have UK under-perform for most of the years he has been here.
What school would hire him?
If he wasn't our current coach (was coaching at a different school for example) and we needed a new one, there's no way that ANYBODY on this board would be in favor of him being hired here light of his past 5+ years.
I'm holding out hope that he retires by coming to a mutual agreement with UK. I just don't see him going somewhere else. And I don't think any school would offer him.
If he wasn't our current coach (was coaching at a different school for example) and we needed a new one, there's no way that ANYBODY on this board would be in favor of him being hired here light of his past 5+ years.
I'm holding out hope that he retires by coming to a mutual agreement with UK. I just don't see him going somewhere else. And I don't think any school would offer him.
Bad thing about is if he was to retire Kentucky would still pay him almost $1 million a year for his ambassador role assuming he would step into it. Which I think is the worst part of this contract, when Cal is gone this program needs to cut all ties with him
I agree with you - they need to get him as far away from UK as possible. Maybe they can pay him $1.5M to NOT be the ambassador.
Normally we're looking for that guy whose resume lacks one thing....a title. I'd love to have a charismatic Xs and Os guy who makes adjustments and isn't afraid to try things. Remember when Rick Majerus threw a triangle-and-two at Arizona and blew them off the court? Yes, you have to be good in man-to-man, but zones work.
Tubby Smith, in my view, was a great ambassador for UK and an even better person. He knew the importance of treating everyone as if they were part of his own family. For whatever reason, he could not consistently get top notch players here and there's a long list of those who should never have worn a Kentucky uniform under him. But, Rupp had similar players. I say this because Tubby, despite his being so kind and generous, knew when it was time to leave...when he didn't quite feel the same love for fans when he wasn't clearly receiving it back.
John Calipari has done many wonderful things for people during his tenure here for which he has been appreciated and even sometimes idolized. But, I think he too understands -- because of things like 45 losses in four seasons --that the gig may be coming to its end. I think he'd coach somewhere else; he could make some tweaks and start with a plan to improve fan and media relations here, but that probably won't happen anytime soon...that's not him. He's not Tubby in that regard, much more stubborn and arrogant. Winning more would fix things, but in fairness, we can say that about lots of coaches...maybe them all! I know many BBN fans who would be fine with seeing him move on, and you may be correct...an early out this year might well mean he gives up a great recruiting class and some returnees for presumed greener and less stressful pastures. My guess is that we will lose a regional final but he will stay for next year. One big "X" factor is how much he adores his kids which has become surprisingly and ironically a "good news, bad news" scenario for us all.
I don't think he'd lose his recruiting class. I think they'd follow him like Wall and Cousins followed him here.
For real. Michigan basketball has only been good over the last 30 years under two guys: Steve Fisher and John Beilein. And both of those guys could coach circles around Cal when it comes to X's and O's.
But IF Cal does leave, we're going to need to get someone fast to put together a team because our recruiting will be decimated. And that could make the next campaign a rough slog depending on what some players decide to do.
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