Revisiting Mark Story's 2009 Column Warning Kentucky Not to Hire Cal

[Dwight Schrute]

I never wanted Tubby and never wanted Donavan. Billy the Kid got lucky at Florida with those players and never caught lightning in a bottle after that...I never liked Donavan..he reminded me of Eddie Munster.......After Calipari's kid graduates, the fan base will have to hear the rumor mill of him leaving for the NBA again. I think he will retire here. Who knows. I do know that the fan base always has unrealistic expectations and nobody can live up to those standards. I feel sorry for the beating that the next coach will take from the fan base and the press.. I won't feel sorry for the salary that he will make or the buyout package he will take after he gets fired.

I do think Pitino has a history of being prickly with fans and Calipari is more fan friendly. That being said, I am not one of those people that approach people and ask for their auto graph or bother them in public. I saw Cal at a game that he attended to watch his son play. The locals left Cal alone. I was very happy about that. Cal came over and shook everyone's hand. That was cool. But if he had stayed to himself, that would have been fine as well. I do think people encroach on others, when they shouldn't. So, maybe some of the stories about Pitino getting surly with fans man not be all his fault.

It's hard for me to say a guy who coached back to back title teams got lucky, but otherwise I agree with you. I don't think Cal's going back to the NBA, but I do think he'll retire when Brad leaves. Hard to see how he can do this much longer.

[J.Jennings]

I never wanted Tubby and never wanted Donavan. Billy the Kid got lucky at Florida with those players and never caught lightning in a bottle after that...I never liked Donavan..he reminded me of Eddie Munster.......After Calipari's kid graduates, the fan base will have to hear the rumor mill of him leaving for the NBA again. I think he will retire here. Who knows. I do know that the fan base always has unrealistic expectations and nobody can live up to those standards. I feel sorry for the beating that the next coach will take from the fan base and the press.. I won't feel sorry for the salary that he will make or the buyout package he will take after he gets fired.

I do think Pitino has a history of being prickly with fans and Calipari is more fan friendly. That being said, I am not one of those people that approach people and ask for their auto graph or bother them in public. I saw Cal at a game that he attended to watch his son play. The locals left Cal alone. I was very happy about that. Cal came over and shook everyone's hand. That was cool. But if he had stayed to himself, that would have been fine as well. I do think people encroach on others, when they shouldn't. So, maybe some of the stories about Pitino getting surly with fans man not be all his fault.

Then who was out there that you wanted after Rick? That 98 team doesn't win a Championship without one of Rick's guys running that system at the time. Kudos to Tubby for pulling the right strings and keeping his hand on the wheel that year, especially in the NCAA tournament down 17 to Duke with 9 to go, I thought it was over....

[catfaninin]

It's hard for me to say a guy who coached back to back title teams got lucky, but otherwise I agree with you. I don't think Cal's going back to the NBA, but I do think he'll retire when Brad leaves. Hard to see how he can do this much longer.

I tend to agree that he will retire in 4 or 5 years as well. But then I think of him being retired and I'm not sure he could handle that. You can tell he loves to talk, tell stories, make fun of Bilas etc. I think he would get bored quick if he retired.

[George]

And as much as Cal does like to talk, I don't see TV working out for him, either. I have a hard time seeing him in, say, a Seth Greenburg role.

Cal's not a bit player and he's not the type who'll cave during an argument. Once he offers his opinion, I can't see him conceding to anyone. That would very quickly turn into a "doesn't play well with others" label at ESPN.

[J.Jennings]

And as much as Cal does like to talk, I don't see TV working out for him, either. I have a hard time seeing him in, say, a Seth Greenburg role.

Cal's not a bit player and he's not the type who'll cave during an argument. Once he offers his opinion, I can't see him conceding to anyone. That would very quickly turn into a "doesn't play well with others" label at ESPN.

He needs to join Kevin Garnett's show, talk about keeping it real lol lol. All they would need to complete would be Charles Barkley lol

[George]

After Brad graduates (if Cal doesn't retire before then (which I don't think he will)) I guess it's possible that Cal could give NBA coaching another shot, but I think a front office position is more likely - especially if he's serious about "changing lives." If he isn't feeding players into the league, then the next best thing would be identifying talent, signing players and structuring contracts.

[KevinHall]

Donovan was in his third year of D1 coaching when Tubby was hired and was coming off a 13-17 season at Florida. He was 32 years old.

Don't think there was enough there to hire him at the time...but it is interesting to think about what might have been if he would have been hired.

^This. Pitino wanted Donovan to succeed him. But CM thought he was too young for the UK job and went with Tubby.

[Catsrock]

I was fully jacked about Cal from day 1 primarily because it was pretty well accepted Wall would come with him and we'd instantly be relevant after years of mediocrity (under Tubby) and worse (under Clyde).

But I'm no genius...I also thought BCG would be a step up at first. Until Gardner Webb.

[Jeff ROCKober]

I remember looking at a door for hours!!!

[Catsrock]

And Jay Cutler's chase. Good stuff.
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[Dwight Schrute]

And Jay Cutler's chase. Good stuff.
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You mean Alan Cutler?

[George]

And Jay Cutler's chase. Good stuff.
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The weightlifter or the quarterback?

[Spiritof96]

The weightlifter or the quarterback?

Dude is a body builder, not a weightlifter...

[George]

Dude is a body builder, not a weightlifter...

Is it not true that most body builders lift weights, but not all weight lifters are body builders? I've never known of a Mr. Universe competitor who didn't lift.

[boomdaddy]

Donavan got lucky that all his players came back and decided to win another title. Players don't do that anymore. He recruited a couple of top quality pro players on that team.

Not sure who who I wanted as coach after Pitino, he left a stacked team for the next guy. To Tubbys credit, he won. I just thought Tubby got the job because he had been a Pitino assistant, not because he brought the "It" factor to the job. I have no idea who should be the replacement, 5 to 8 years down the road if Cal decides to retire. I don't think he will. He is getting that USAA team and it will help him season his new stars coming in each year. Sort of like a mini training camp. Would make life easier for him with all of the new guys each year.