Uhh Oh, Pelicans Fire Monty Williams

[Aike]

I said during the year that NO was the one job I would be tempted to take if I were Cal. Play his cards right and he could have a Coach Pop type run for the next decade plus.

The problem with NO is the ownership. Aging owner with his wife and kids fighting over control. That looks like it's going to be a war, and might make it a bad situation for any coach.

 

[AGEE11]

GM Demps pushed the coach out to gain more control. Cal will not leave for that. He wants it all plus a great player. Unfortunately Cleveland has that.

 

[katwest]

Na, if he were to leave for that job or any other pro job, he too would get fired in time, he's been there done that, besides the college game is more popular. He has job security and everything he could ever want here.

 

[MWes11]

Na, if he were to leave for that job or any other pro job, he too would get fired in time, he's been there done that, besides the college game is more popular. He has job security and everything he could ever want here.

That is not a true statement, but I see what you are getting at.

 

[gossie21]

why the hell would they fire the coach that just got em to the playoffs and appears to have the team headed in the right direction?

The NBA seems like a stupid circle jerk a lot of the times.

The counter-argument would be..... Why did the Pelicans struggle to barely make the playoffs with one of the greatest statistical seasons in history from AD?

I don't think it all falls on Williams shoulders. The front office made some poor decisions putting that team together.

 

[UKcats1988]

Na, if he were to leave for that job or any other pro job, he too would get fired in time, he's been there done that, besides the college game is more popular. He has job security and everything he could ever want here.

College game is not more popular. They do polls on this every year and I think it went NFL, MLB, cfb, nascar, NBA, nhl, college basketball in 2014.

 

[Bombur]

Just wait... The Cavs, Bulls, and Wizards may also be looking for head coaches this summer.

 

[katwest]

I would say it is in the state of Kentucky, and any poll is the opinion of those who voted, not every fan voted, I'm sure most big cites think the NBA is but rural America loves the college game.

 

[BostonCat2001]

I would say it is in the state of Kentucky, and any poll is the opinion of those who voted, not every fan voted, I'm sure most big cites think the NBA is but rural America loves the college game.

false...but keep living in your bubble.

 

[thebluestripes]

Why would anyone name their team "the pelicans? If I was cal, I wouldn't take that job just because of the dumb name.

 

[GonzoCat90]

First of all, can you guys at least pick the NBA job to be worried about? It's been the Heat and Knicks and Cavs and Lakers and Bulls and now the Pelicans. Just flailing around like children afraid of everything that moves or could go wrong is unbelievable.

Second, this isn't the time for you guys who never watch the NBA to suddenly become experts on how attractive a roster is or what moves could be made. Gordon is a good young piece? The Pels can move Holiday and a backup big for Boogie? They can dump garbage contracts for John Wall, the face of a franchise about to go to the conference finals? Maybe sit this one out.

Third, Cal has said he doesn't want to coach until he dies. With all the chances he's apparently had to leave, why would he jump at a roster with one player just because the guy is young and on the way up? Cal will be retired before Davis hits his prime, and no one is signing on short-term for a team who only made the playoffs because of injuries in the West. That roster isn't good enough to consistently make the playoffs in the West, and they don't have the assets to improve dramatically overnight.

Further, Monty is gone because Demps wants more control as GM. Cal turned down full control of the Cavs last offseason. Those two don't mix.

If Cal is going to leave, it'll be for a sure thing, a ready-made contender with full control. Not because he coached a guy for a year or the team plays 41 gams in the city where he won his national title. Davis played way more games for Williams than he ever did for Cal, and was an even smaller part of the offense at UK than he was last season. Why would he demand they hire Cal?

Actually, start listing the NBA stars that eventually brought their college coach with them to the NBA. Go on. If the Thunder fired Brooks, who KD loves, and hired Donovan over Ollie, you guys really need to better understand how these coaching hires really work.

I'm excited to have this same discussion when you all convince yourselves Cal is leaving for Cleveland and Chicago and Memphis and DC over the next month.

 

[3rex]

Nope, was talking about 3rex and a few others, not you.

awwwww.....that's so sweet...thinking of me during your day...

lol

 

[UKWildcats#8]

First of all, can you guys at least pick the NBA job to be worried about? It's been the Heat and Knicks and Cavs and Lakers and Bulls and now the Pelicans. Just flailing around like children afraid of everything that moves or could go wrong is unbelievable.

Second, this isn't the time for you guys who never watch the NBA to suddenly become experts on how attractive a roster is or what moves could be made. Gordon is a good young piece? The Pels can move Holiday and a backup big for Boogie? They can dump garbage contracts for John Wall, the face of a franchise about to go to the conference finals? Maybe sit this one out.

Third, Cal has said he doesn't want to coach until he dies. With all the chances he's apparently had to leave, why would he jump at a roster with one player just because the guy is young and on the way up? Cal will be retired before Davis hits his prime, and no one is signing on short-term for a team who only made the playoffs because of injuries in the West. That roster isn't good enough to consistently make the playoffs in the West, and they don't have the assets to improve dramatically overnight.

Further, Monty is gone because Demps wants more control as GM. Cal turned down full control of the Cavs last offseason. Those two don't mix.

If Cal is going to leave, it'll be for a sure thing, a ready-made contender with full control. Not because he coached a guy for a year or the team plays 41 gams in the city where he won his national title. Davis played way more games for Williams than he ever did for Cal, and was an even smaller part of the offense at UK than he was last season. Why would he demand they hire Cal?

Actually, start listing the NBA stars that eventually brought their college coach with them to the NBA. Go on. If the Thunder fired Brooks, who KD loves, and hired Donovan over Ollie, you guys really need to better understand how these coaching hires really work.

I'm excited to have this same discussion when you all convince yourselves Cal is leaving for Cleveland and Chicago and Memphis and DC over the next month.

Yeah, all good points. They talked to Windhorst on ESPN and he did not bring up Cal at all...I think UK fans are just worried about everything. I get the AD connection, I get the potential Rose one in Chicago as well, but I doubt it happens. And if it does UK will be fine long term, although in the short term I'd not expect anywhere near the same success.

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

That's messed up. They told him going into the season he had to make the playoffs to keep his job. Makes it to the playoffs after having to battle constant injuries to starters yet again and they give him the boot.

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

Just wait... The Cavs, Bulls, and Wizards may also be looking for head coaches this summer.

From what I can tell, there is no "may" for the Bulls even if they pulled off a miracle and won the championship.

 

[UKcats1988]

From what I can tell, there is no "may" for the Bulls even if they pulled off a miracle and won the championship.

Yea he's gone. They're going to go hard after Hoiberg everyone seems to think.

 

[lacocat]

SVP and Russilo were already wondering about Cal to Pelicans on radio show today. SVP says he's leaving the radio show to do a Midnight version of Sportscenter. Sounds like a demotion.

 

[Desperado_1955]

That's actually what they call me at trivia night at the bar

Spoiler

Know they don't

 

[Lord_Crow]

why the hell would they fire the coach that just got em to the playoffs and appears to have the team headed in the right direction?

The NBA seems like a stupid circle jerk a lot of the times.

Look at the idiocy going on in Chicago as they're about to run another playoff coach out of town.

An even more egregious example is from the NFL and San Francisco. Running Jim Harbaugh out of town was the dumbest move I have ever seen in all of sport. That entire city should revolt and throw their ownership into the bay and feed them to the sharks.

Ego problems ruin things all the time. Look at Jimmy Johnson and Dallas. Just ludicrous.

 

[twocoach]

Tom Thibodeau from Chicago to New Orleans. Fred Hoiberg from Iowa State to Chicago. Jeff Hornacek from Phoenix to Iowa State.

 

[Brando Mac]

awwwww.....that's so sweet...thinking of me during your day...

lol

 

[argubs2]

Tom Thibodeau from Chicago to New Orleans. Fred Hoiberg from Iowa State to Chicago. Jeff Hornacek from Phoenix to Iowa State.

BUT WHO WAS PHOENIX

 

[Federal Cat]

Here we go again and again and again and again, stop the insanity

 

[SosaUK]

Zaytoven is a tool. Just like this supposed scenario.

 

[RKulmer]

How could the incoming coach feel comfortable knowing the guy he's replacing took the team to the playoffs and had them playing their best the 2nd half of the season?

 

[loublue22]

Tom Thibodeau from Chicago to New Orleans. Fred Hoiberg from Iowa State to Chicago. Jeff Hornacek from Phoenix to Iowa State.

lol leaving the NBA for Iowa St

 

[KingOfBBN]

Two jobs in the NBA that scared me in regards to Cal.

1. Cleveland
2. New Orleans

New Orleans would be ideal if he was going to do it but man, that would be such a heartbreaker.

 

[KingOfBBN]

Cal's 56. He's a hall of fame coach, and he's fabulously wealthy with a license to stay the highest paid college coach for another decade or more. He has a great start on a legacy that will stand as his life's work at Kentucky, not just on the basketball court but in the many, many ways he can make a difference in people's lives through the job he has. He can, for example, host a telethon for Haiti, raise a million dollars, and honestly feel he's contributing to building character in a group of young men every year.

If he tosses that away to take a job where LeBron James, or somebody like LeBron James, says in the post-game interview 'the coach drew up one play. But I decided I wanted to do something else, so I ignored him," then he's not as smart as I think he is.

This is exactly why I would not want to coach in the NBA if I were a top level college coach. The players don't have to listen and if the star doesn't like you for whatever reason, you're fired.

 

[Fawrules]

If Cal waits 5-7 more years, about 20 percent of the players in the NBA will be his proteges, and it'll be in the interest of the union and the owners to name him NBA Czar.

Hold out for Czar, Cal.

Guys, relax, Cal can't leave until Brad Stevens gets fired.

 

[WeWant9]

I've always thought the only way Cal goes to the NBA is if by some chance some his college stars join on a team. Even with that said and the fact AD is there, I don't think he would go for it. I think he does enjoy helping kids make the NBA. It's a different relationship between coach and player in college as the NBA.

 

[StubbornPenny]

BUT WHO WAS PHOENIX

+1 and I bet no one gets it.

Anyway ESPN discussing New Orleans and Chicago situation. Implied NO wants Thib or Dantoni. Chicago wants to trade thibs. No one even cursorily mentioned coach cal.

 

[Aike]

First of all, can you guys at least pick the NBA job to be worried about? It's been the Heat and Knicks and Cavs and Lakers and Bulls and now the Pelicans. Just flailing around like children afraid of everything that moves or could go wrong is unbelievable.

Second, this isn't the time for you guys who never watch the NBA to suddenly become experts on how attractive a roster is or what moves could be made. Gordon is a good young piece? The Pels can move Holiday and a backup big for Boogie? They can dump garbage contracts for John Wall, the face of a franchise about to go to the conference finals? Maybe sit this one out.

Third, Cal has said he doesn't want to coach until he dies. With all the chances he's apparently had to leave, why would he jump at a roster with one player just because the guy is young and on the way up? Cal will be retired before Davis hits his prime, and no one is signing on short-term for a team who only made the playoffs because of injuries in the West. That roster isn't good enough to consistently make the playoffs in the West, and they don't have the assets to improve dramatically overnight.

Further, Monty is gone because Demps wants more control as GM. Cal turned down full control of the Cavs last offseason. Those two don't mix.

If Cal is going to leave, it'll be for a sure thing, a ready-made contender with full control. Not because he coached a guy for a year or the team plays 41 gams in the city where he won his national title. Davis played way more games for Williams than he ever did for Cal, and was an even smaller part of the offense at UK than he was last season. Why would he demand they hire Cal?

Actually, start listing the NBA stars that eventually brought their college coach with them to the NBA. Go on. If the Thunder fired Brooks, who KD loves, and hired Donovan over Ollie, you guys really need to better understand how these coaching hires really work.

I'm excited to have this same discussion when you all convince yourselves Cal is leaving for Cleveland and Chicago and Memphis and DC over the next month.

Some of these are good points, but not all of them.

1. With the money flooding into the salary cap next year, I think you underestimate the willingness of other talent to convene in NO to play next to AD.

2. Why would Cal be retired before AD hit his prime? He's a top 5 player in the league RIGHT NOW at age 22.

Barring injury, he is looking at a ten year run as a franchise player/MVP candidate. How many coaches wouldn't want a piece of that? Look what it's done for Popovich.


I agree with you that he likely won't go. But I think it has everything to do with the control aspect. If NO made the offer that Cleveland made last summer, I think it would be 50/50 at best.

However, the situation with the ownership would be what would push me back to UK, if I were in Cal's shoes. Control isn't all it's cracked up to be, if you are steering a sinking ship.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

After watching how K does with NBA players, why isn't everyone speculating someone comes after K with 80+ million dollar contracts?

 

[jameslee32]

Be AFRAID like you are watching Faux News!!!

 

[irishcat1965]

Cal isn't going anywhere. Trust me, I'm a lawyer.

 

[CalCat57]

Matt Jones reporting UK and Calipari close to a contract extension thru 2022.

 

[KingOfBBN]

Be AFRAID like you are watching Faux News!!!

There's always one.

 

[WildMoon]

Matt Jones reporting UK and Calipari close to a contract extension thru 2022.

Coach cal is thinking.

"These dumb b!tches. I keep telling them i'm staying and every rumor off-season gives me a raise!"

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Some of you never learn.

Why can't you just take Cal at face value when he says he loves what he's doing in college? The jaded paranoia is real around here.

 

[KingOfBBN]

Some of you never learn.

Why can't you just take Cal at face value when he says he loves what he's doing in college? The jaded paranoia is real around here.

Every coach says that. No one is ever truthful about looking at other jobs while still employed