Uh no. My farewell happened last Thursday night and it gets replayed every time I force myself to watch the rest of the tournament. He’s not leaving here on the best of terms. He just needs to go.
The answer is a farewell tour
- Thread starter SemperFiCat
- Start date
Someone tell me the positives for letting Cal have a finale year.
Should any coach that has low regard for the fans be giving such a lifeline? He's not interested in SEC or early season tournaments. His only concern is players over team achievements.
Fact is, he still hasn't figured out why A&M beat us twice or Oakland. Blame the youth of the team right?
Should any coach that has low regard for the fans be giving such a lifeline? He's not interested in SEC or early season tournaments. His only concern is players over team achievements.
Fact is, he still hasn't figured out why A&M beat us twice or Oakland. Blame the youth of the team right?
You might if you're UK. For the reasons I outlined. I'm not wanting another year of Cal, or wanting to 'honor' him. But, I can see this being an option both sides can win with. I don't think Kentucky wants the PR from a bad divorce. Plus, it's expensive. This gives Cal an option to go quietly and save some face.
Again, I want Cal gone. Now. I just see this as a realistic option UK might go with. All things considered. It's clean and civil.
What money does it save? 6 million? And we still have to pay cal then the buyout next season? No thanks. And he’s not retiring so what is this farewell tour stuff??
I think UK still feels the PR burn from forcing Tubby out. I think they're scared to flat out fire Cal. I don't think it has a lot to do with the money, IMO.
The reason I like a controlled & planned transition is this:
- Can deal with risks deliberately, take time to cover all corners
- Can work on contingency plans, use Calipari to help in transition for as long as he's here
- Gives greater chance of continuity in recruiting & helping to retain the staff who should be retained
- Gives a more professional impression of Kentucky basketball, proving we handle things off the court as well as we can on the court
- Gives Calipari an opportunity for a proper send-off (which some fans may poo-poo), but his achievements merit more than a red slip
- Doesn't alienate Calipari, helps bring continuity between the next regime and the former players
- Gives UK more leverage in hiring the next coach... ie gives opportunity to be more picky and less rushed to make a decision out of necessity.
Cal can do a farewell tour, by eating at every Golden Corral across the state. Once he's fired.
This is the best "olive branch" approach we can offer. I'd still want some changes... even for the last year. But it gives us time to get the right coach, save some $$ and gives Cal a chance for some redemption with yet another highly touted class. (Who knows, maybe even have a guy or two stay to be a part of his final team.).
If offered, then he is stubborn about how it goes down, or declines, all bets are off.
If offered, then he is stubborn about how it goes down, or declines, all bets are off.
COW needs to be retained since it will take over a year to make phone calls to potential coaches!!!
No they’re not. There’s no pr burn firing cal. Or forcing him out. Cal has been raked in the national media and in Lex. All they are doing by keeping cal would be signaling we are no longer a top program with expectations. We now give farewell tours for vastly underachieving coaches. And cal isn’t leaving on his own so what happens when he makes a sweet sixteen next year? Then the media says well he’s building blah blah blah and then we are stuck. The iron is hot. Anything keeping cal is very dangerous for the program. A farewell tour before we fire him? Because he isn’t leaving on his own. Sounds like a bad idea unless he completely renegotiates his contract and eliminate the buyout.
Ridiculous. Cal when gone is going to coach elsewhere. He can come back for redemption in 5-10 years. Cal has already alienated bbn. He will burn the program down on the way out. Even if he agreed to everything he’s a liar. What are people smoking? Only way he stays imo is to drop the buyout ans agree to a year to year contract. Even then he would have to show he’s gonna bring back a big chunk of the team
Does anyone that wants to get to kick him square in the nuts at every stop .. ok sophomoric humor , but Hell to the No .. he's been farewelling for 4 years . Enough already , drop the axe .
farewell tours only work if the coach wants to retire. You think cal knowing he's going /is being pushed out is giving 100% ??? hell no... he is forcefully having 1 and 3/4th's feet out the door all season .
You don't know any of this. You don't even know if he wants to coach somewhere else. And the literal point of working with Calipari instead of against Calipari is to prevent further alienation of both parties, which is everyone's interest. Can't let emotion cloud judgment, unless the relationship between UKAA and Cal is irreparable (which again isn't clear right now)
Kalipari - I am not going to be the head coach next year but I am sure the as yet named new coach would want you at UK.
There is no further alienation. You’re talking about treating cal like we are afraid of him and this will make things amicable. He doesn’t work like that. His ego drives him and keeping him around runs the risk of him doing more damage. I hope Barney isn’t floating this shit today to see because it’s the dumbest and most insane way to handle it. We still have to buy him out for 27 mil next year. And there’s no emotion. This has been headed here for years. Lol yes the relationship between cal and bbn is irreparable as you say. You keep cal for these reasons and you may have to fire him mid next season just to protect him. That would look even worse. The risk is far greater with your solution than making a clean break. I mean are you even demanding he amend his contract? What the hell would cal be doing in good faith to earn what you suggest? Sounds to me you’re just a cal slurper who wants to give him another chance. This is frigging Kentucky not auburn
It has nothing do with fear and I think it's difficult for fans to remain level-headed (understandably so).
I do think though that this is where the value of an AD really comes in. It's Mitch's job to see through the hyper emotion and make the best play for the organization. In my view, from what I understand and read, I don't think we are at a point for scorched earth. At the end, this is a business transaction, and I think that's where we need to find commonalities in interest as to secure the best deal for UK.
Of course, the snap judgment to something like this is: "But Calipari has to go ASAP" or something along those lines. Again, I get why people say that, but I don't think drawing lines in the sand and declaring war is necessarily serving our end-goal. It all depends.
I'd much rather do something that enhances our brand, perception and creates continuity if that means we are setting the program up for future success.
Sure you do.
I think this is “palatable” to Mitch, Eli and Cal.
Maybe even get us to a F4 like K!!!
I can’t get past your comment on Barney. He already killed the program with the contract. There’s no snap judgement most blue bloods he wouldn’t have survived that 9-16. At UK that’s unheard of. That’s 4 years ago man. Than at peters? Are you kidding me with this snap judgement? This isn’t enhancing anything with your suggestion except Cals ego as bulletproof. And we do not want continuity with Cals philosophy it’s like you haven’t been paying attention until this weekend. Keeping cal appeases him it does nothing for our brand. It’s time to go our separate ways. He’s been told for years hell after St. Peter’s Barney did most of Cals radio show for him to draw lines. So no I reject this is some knee jerk reaction. If Barney doesn’t can him Barney will be run out before cal. I promise you that and I bet Barney knows it
Ah, you probably don't. The farewell tour is also to get another year of the buyout off the books. At which point, if we REALLY can't find his replacement in a year, then we just throw the offers out there this time next year,
There’s no way you could have witnessed the guy here the past 10 years . You are either his lawyer , accountant.. card playing friend , barber shop buddy . Or a serious Troll 🧌
How much did cal pay you to start posting again? Or is it Barney? This is some senseless stuff being thrown out there.
Well, agree to disagree. I am just giving my opinion. Ultimately, the goal is to find the best solution for Kentucky, and going scorched earth isn't necessarily what is best. All depends on Calipari / Mitch
6 mil is peanuts. It’s insanity to keep cal for farewell anything. This was his opportunity this season and he blew it. He needs the consequence of his actions not reward to allow him to do it again. If Barney goes this route it’s gonna be hell for him to pay.
No I don’t agree. You’re illogical. Cal has already gone scorched earth. You don’t keep the cancer around for a year. You cut it out and do chemo. In a divorce the least messy are the clean break. You’re talking about rewarding cal for failure and no one and I mean no legit coach is coming here while cal is around. Then next year we are doing this all over again. It’s insanity. No what you propose is very dangerous for uk bb. It like you woke up from a coma yesterday and didn’t see the 4-5 years that led to this. Unbelievable. I hope to hell you’re not paid by Barney to float this hairbrained stuff.
It clearly isn't peanuts to those in charge.
If this buyout was so easy to pull the trigger on, I think it would be done by now.. unless they are negotiating on Cal taking a cut. Here we are, almost 4 days since. Kentucky doesn't seem to have many options for the buyout, many options for replacement coaches. Yelling and fighting with everyone on the forums, and stomping your feet, isn't going to change that.
We are going to need some things to break our way if we want Cal gone next year... not just "$6mil is peanuts! who cares, do it already, why wont they do it?"
Just out of curiosity, what do you think happens after Mitch fires Cal at 4:00, in you mind? Do you think it's just over, and we hire a new coach? And everything is rainbows? Not fighting, just asking. Cause I think it gets pretty ugly, possibly, if you get your way.
Ok then we don't agree to disagree. We can disagree to disagree. Can we agree on that?
You sound overly emotional about this. This can actually be handled with civility. It doesn't have to be middle fingers and bomb dropping. Some of us are simply thinking of realistic, civil, fixes. Nobody WANTS Cal for another year. But there's better options than the nuclear one I think you're advocating for.
No the guy has a big enough ego as it is and isn’t retiring. He is also going to get another gig
Yes we hire a new coach wtf you talking about getting ugly? It’s not getting worse than it is now.
You’re clueless. The proposal is absolute stupidity unless you demand his contract is amended to no buyout and ends after next season. Otherwise the problem is just being kicked down the road because Barney is spineless. You never allow this drip drip drip mentality. That is a program destroyer. If cal is given what you guys suggest that would be a reward and he will live out the entirety of his contract not just one year because you see he has lowered expectations so much that we could win a game or two next year in the dance and the media goes nuts. “Ah they are improving you can’t fire him”. Shear stupidity going on here with these suggestions. A farewell tour for a guy who is gonna be coaching another 5-10 years. Having cal around while we try to find a coach. Good G-d man.
PR from a bad divorce? We’ve been in the middle of a bad divorce for years. Rip the damned bandaid off
I saw a tweet this guy made that said “of cal is given another year he will make Jan 6 look like a birthday party”. Police have been watching Cals house. These people will go full bore on cal over the next year bbn will go scorched earth and that will be far worse to attract a coach than moving this polarizing figure out. And so what Barney has to fundraiser to fix HIS 10th major mistake. You haven’t seen ugly until Barney keeps cal. Then the real shut will hit the fan.
