UK Athletics Photo
Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart and coach John Calipari made a rare joint appearance on “BBN Tonight” on WLEX-TV one day after Barnhart confirmed last week that Calipari would return for a 16th season at UK despite his 2-8 record in Kentucky’s last 10 postseason games.
One noteworthy moment during the show was Barnhart’s revelation that he and Calipari discussed at their annual year-end meeting how they wanted to end their careers at Kentucky.
“Whatever we do in our careers, both of us want to exit well. Not a lot of people in our industry — in our enterprise of college athletics — get to exit the way you want to exit. And I want us to be able to exit well, and be able to say, ‘We left it in a really good spot for the people that came behind us,’” Barnhart, who hired Calipari in 2009, said. “What ends up happening a lot of times is it gets left on the side of the track in a heap and a mess. And you say, ‘Good luck,’ to the next guy.
“That’s not what either one of us wants. We want to be good caretakers for the program. And we want to leave it in the right spot for the next person.”
While the program is not in the “right spot” after another early NCAA Tournament exit, Barnhart pointed out that Calipari went to four Final Fours in his first six seasons and has seven trips to the Elite Eight.
“It’s not that we don’t know how to get there. We’ve hit a patch where we haven’t,” Barnhart said. “And that is not lost on us.
“He and I are a little bit competitive. We certainly like to win. That has been in our DNA from the beginning of his career, and mine. We didn’t come to this program to sit here and say, ‘Hey, let’s just see if we can casually walk through this thing and sashay all the way to the end of the deal.’ I want to win.”
16 Responses
Throwing in the towel on getting better playing defense was a white flag to me this year.. And when a coach says we’ll just have to outscore teams that’s how I interpret the situation. I think all the luxuries a UK program can provide makes you lazy. And Cal is no exception. We need someone with hunger to lead us.
Cal is and never was a very good game coach. He has relied on getting great freshman and they were competitive early on. But now as other teams have as good but more experienced players he can’t figure out how to win, particularly in close games. That’s a problem that he can’t solve.
I agree
Maybe a good year would bring about Cal’s retirement.So it would be nice for him to have good tournament run. Of course if he made the final four he’d want to make another round
to go out as the ncaa champion. So come the think of it……this idea could backfire.
the exit will only be successful if they are both exiting.
LOL—AMEN!!!
Professor, one down, one to go.
Calipari just doesn’t get it! This isn’t about what he and Barnhart want…they work for the University. If the FRAUD wanted things to end well, he should have retired in 2012. His departure will be all about him no longer being fit for the job. Roy Williams was man enough to admit it was time for him to go…and it wasn’t on a good note. Calipari is a fraud, Barnhart is a eunuch, Calipouto doesn’t have the stones…it looks like the board of regents will have to address this.
I understand your frustration guys and believe me I may self wanted him booted out. But in the meantime we got to be positive and I really think Cal will get the job done. Patient is the word.
travel to utah, finally get settled in and then learn Calipari is leaving. Did not see that coming
Larry, I was shocked that anyone valued Calipari after the last 5 years. With NIL and the portal being what they are, Calipari’s love for OAD NBA wannabes will quickly make the Hogs squeal in dismay. They will stay a middle of the pack team in the SEC and will come to know that you don’t make travel plans for the Big Dance with Calipari as coach.
U don’t know about being patient.
Well, we finally got ONE to exit—can we get the other one to go too? I’ll take a new A.D. and head coach both!!!!
Absolutely
A package deal…
Make it the daily double…
Call it a long day but a great day if he just hurries.
ARK can “hog” all the ‘good uns’ by luring the UK AD to join them.
I am not comfortable with Barney Fife picking the new coach. Retire today Mitch.
I guess this article was omniscient because it sounded like both of these fools knew an exit was imminent.
They knew the plan long before the news broke.
Rupp Arena will be rocking when ARK visits and UK has Rick Pitino or Billy Donovan recruiting, developing, molding and adding a major touch of genuine coaching to a team wanting a National Title!
Pitino asked players if they wanted a National Championship before offering a scholarship and preferred they said it without being asked.
UK can not go wrong with Pitino or Donovan. They both know about UK. Donovan should have been hired when Pitino left by cm Newton was not interested in who could do the best job coaching to lead UK to Titles but instead has a personal agenda. Personal agendas placed ahead of producing UK Championships is a shortcut to failure.