John Calipari
Encyclopedia
John Calipari is an American
basketball
coach
. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at the University of Kentucky
.
Calipari is the former head coach of the University of Memphis, the University of Massachusetts and the NBA's New Jersey Nets
. He is one of only two coaches to direct three different colleges to a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament, though two of those seasons have been officially vacated by the NCAA. Calipari is the only head coach to have a Final Four
appearance vacated at more than one school, though Calipari himself was not personally indicted by the NCAA while coaching UMass or Memphis. Calipari has taken one school officially to the Final Four, that being Kentucky in 2011.
, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
.
before transferring to Clarion University
, where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree
in Marketing. He played point guard
at Clarion during the 1981 and 1982 seasons, leading the team in assists and free throw percentage.
and Larry Brown
. From 1985–88, he was an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh
under Paul Evans
. From 1988–96, he was head coach at the University of Massachusetts. From 1996–99, he was head coach and Executive VP of basketball operations for the NBA's New Jersey Nets
. During the 1999–2000 season
, he was an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers
under coach Larry Brown, before moving on to his next position at the University of Memphis. He was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame
in 2004.
Calipari is famous for popularizing the dribble drive motion
offense, developed by Vance Walberg
, which is sometimes known as the Memphis Attack. He wrote three different books about basketball, including "Refuse to Lose," "Basketball's Half-Court Offense," and "Bounce Back: Overcoming Setbacks to Succeed in Business and in Life".
In his first 17 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Calipari's record is 509–151 (.771). His record in the month of March is 84–30 (.736). His record in the NCAA tournament is 28–12 (.700) and in the NIT
is 15–5 (.750). His teams have made 12 NCAA tournament appearances (2 vacated), including reaching the Sweet Sixteen
seven times (2 vacated), the Elite Eight
five times (2 vacated), the Final Four
three times (2 vacated), and the championship game once (vacated appearance at Memphis). He has coached five teams to the NIT, winning the NIT championship at Memphis in 2002
. He is one of only four coaches in NCAA Division I history to direct two different schools to a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament; North Carolina
coach Roy Williams
, Kansas coach Bill Self
, and Louisville
coach Rick Pitino
are the others. Through 17 collegiate seasons, only Williams has won more games than Calipari.
, NABC
, Basketball Times
& Sporting News National Coach of the Year in 1996. He led UMass to its first-ever appearance in the Final Four with the play of the John R. Wooden Award
winner and Naismith College Player of the Year
Marcus Camby
, although this appearance was later vacated by the NCAA because Camby had accepted about $28,000 from two sports agents.
Calipari helped accelerate the construction of the Mullins Center
, UMass' basketball and hockey facility. He also reached out to eastern Massachusetts
and Boston
to enlarge the fan base. Before moving on to the New Jersey Nets, Calipari became the second winningest coach in UMass history behind Jack Leaman.
In February 2010, Pat Forde
, at the time the writer of a regular college sports column called "Forde Minutes" for ESPN.com
, vividly recalled the 1992 team:
as head coach of the New Jersey Nets. After a 26–56 win-loss season, the Nets made a major draft-day trade in June 1997, acquiring Keith Van Horn
, Lucious Harris
and two other players for Tim Thomas
.
The 1997–98 season was a lone bright spot for the Nets in the late 1990s. The team played well under Calipari, winning 43 games and qualifying for the playoffs on the last day of the season. The Nets were seeded eighth in the Eastern Conference and lost to the Chicago Bulls
in the 1998 playoffs
in three straight games. The Nets played well and came close to taking the first two games.
The 1998–99 season was delayed for three months due to an owners' lockout of the players. When the abbreviated 50-game season began, the Nets were a fashionable choice by experts as a surprise team. However, Cassell was injured in the first game and the team started poorly. With the Nets underachieving at 3–15, the Nets traded Cassell to the Milwaukee Bucks
, while the Nets acquired Stephon Marbury
from the Minnesota Timberwolves
. After two more losses, Calipari was fired as head coach with the team at 3–17.
While coaching the Nets, Calipari became a resident of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
.
In Calipari's first nine years as head coach at Memphis, he won 214 games (38 wins were vacated), posted seven consecutive 20-win seasons, plus one more in his final season (including an NCAA record four consecutive 30-win seasons, though the 3rd season was vacated and this record no longer holds) and earned seven consecutive postseason bids (plus one in his final season). His 2007–2008 team's 38 victories set a new NCAA Division I Men's Basketball record for most victories in a season, a record that no longer stands due to NCAA violations that vacated all of Memphis' wins. The nine consecutive 20-win seasons and the nine consecutive postseason appearances would have been the most in school history, though that officially stands now at seven because of the vacated 2007-08 season. He was named Conference USA
Coach of the Year in 2006, 2008, and 2009. In 2008, he was named Naismith College Coach of the Year
, receiving the honor the second time. In 2009, he was named Sports Illustrated
College Basketball Coach of the Year.
He has built a national program by recruiting blue chip
players from the Eastern part of the country, such as Dajuan Wagner
from Camden (NJ), Darius Washington Jr.
from Orlando (FL), Rodney Carney
from Indianapolis (IN), Shawne Williams
from Memphis (TN), Joey Dorsey
from Baltimore (MD), Chris Douglas-Roberts
from Detroit (MI), Antonio Anderson
from Lynn (MA), Robert Dozier
from Lithonia (GA), Derrick Rose
from Chicago (IL), and Tyreke Evans
from Aston (PA).
At Memphis, Calipari has popularized the Memphis Attack offense that was invented by former Pepperdine
basketball coach, Vance Walberg
.
On January 21, 2008, Calipari led the Tigers to the #1 ranking in the AP Poll
for the second time in school history. Unfortunately, that season was vacated due to violations within the program under Calipari's watch.
In 2006 and 2008, Memphis earned a #1 seed in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. In 2008
, Calipari's Tigers advanced to the national championship game, their first under his leadership. They also won 38 games, the most regular-season wins in NCAA history. His team, however, would lose to the Kansas Jayhawks
75–68 in overtime
. This team would later have its entire season record vacated by the NCAA due to allegations regarding Derrick Rose
's SAT
; Rose still denies any wrongdoing. If not for the vacated wins, Calipari would be the winningest coach in Tigers history; he would have 252 wins to Larry Finch
's 220.
, multiple sources reported that Calipari would agree to be the head coach at the University of Kentucky
. Calipari rejected a counter offer by Memphis for Kentucky's 8 year, $31.65 million contract.
According to University officials, John Calipari signed a written contract on March 31, 2009 worth an estimated $34.65 million over 8 years with incentives. At 9:45 a.m. on April 1, 2009 the University of Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart formally introduced John Calipari as the new coach of the University of Kentucky Wildcats mens basketball team. During the press conference, Coach Calipari spoke at length about his relationships with former UK basketball players and coaches, as well as his difficulties in accepting the job due to his deep emotional ties with the city of Memphis as well as the University, stating "coming to UK was the easy part, it was leaving the city of Memphis that was the hard part." He went on to refer to the University of Kentucky job as his "dream job". Calipari became the 22nd coach overall and just the 7th coach in the last 79 years at the program.
to finish the season 35-3.
62-60 in the Sweet Sixteen. In the Elite Eight, Calipari's team avenged an early season loss to North Carolina by defeating them 76-69 to advance to its first Final Four since 1998. It was also Calipari's first "official" appearance in the Final Four. They would however lose to UConn 55-56 to finish at 29-9.
had accepted money and gifts from an agent. According to the article, Camby accepted around $40,000 whlie a player for Calipari at UMass. ""Marcus was good," says [John] Lounsbury, 42, who estimates that he gave Camby more than $40,000 in cash and gifts between December 1994 and March 1996."
, the Naismith Prep Player of the Year, to the University of Memphis. Soon after, Dajuan's father Milt Wagner
was hired as Coordinator of Basketball Operations. Dajuan declared for the NBA draft after his freshman year; his father remained in his position for six years before joining former Memphis assistant Tony Barbee
at UTEP.
' personal strength coach as his administrative assistant.
The player was subsequently identified as Derrick Rose
. Subsequently, allegations surfaced that Rose's brother, Reggie, had been allowed to travel to Tiger road games for free.
On August 20, 2009, the NCAA ruled that Rose was ineligible and forced Memphis to vacate the entire 2007-08 season, including the NCAA Tournament and its standing as runner-up. It took the line that even though Rose's score had not been thrown out by the Educational Testing Service
, which administers the SAT, until after the season, strict liability
required that Rose be ruled ineligible. The committee also determined that even without the questions about his SAT score, he would have lost his eligibility in December 2007 due to his brother being allowed to travel with the team for free.
in Rupp Arena
, Calipari was recognized for his 500th career victory as a Division I Men's Basketball Coach. Over the course of the next few months, the NCAA's Committee on Infractions (COI) and the University of Kentucky
exchanged letters debating the fact in Calipari has indeed reached the 500 win milestone. Due to the two vacated seasons (One at UMass and one at Memphis), the NCAA recognizes only 473 wins (as of November 26, 2011). On June 13th, Eamonn Brennan, of espn.com, broke the story on a College Basketball Blog and revealed that Calipari and other Kentucky officials may have to appear before the COI for the celebration previously mentioned and lack of compliance.
* UMass had its 4-1 record in the 1996 NCAA tournament and Final Four standing vacated after Marcus Camby
was ruled ineligible due to his contact with a sports agent, a contact which was unknown to the University.
** Memphis had its entire 2007-08 season vacated by the NCAA due to academic fraud not related to the University.
*** Under current NCAA official records, John Calipari's record is 472-152 (.756) which does not account for the 4 vacated wins in the post-season at UMass, and 38 vacated wins at Memphis.
| align="left" |NJ
| align="left" |
| 82||26||56||.317|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NJ
| align="left" |
| 82||43||39||.524|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||3||0||3||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
|-
| align="left" |NJ
| align="left" |
| 20||3||17||.150|| align="center" |7th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Fired
|-
|-class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;"|Career
| ||184||72||112||.391|| ||3||0||3||.000
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at the University of Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
.
Calipari is the former head coach of the University of Memphis, the University of Massachusetts and the NBA's New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. He is one of only two coaches to direct three different colleges to a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament, though two of those seasons have been officially vacated by the NCAA. Calipari is the only head coach to have a Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
appearance vacated at more than one school, though Calipari himself was not personally indicted by the NCAA while coaching UMass or Memphis. Calipari has taken one school officially to the Final Four, that being Kentucky in 2011.
Biography
Calipari was born in Moon TownshipMoon Township, Pennsylvania
Moon Township is a township along the Ohio River in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. Moon is a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area and is located northwest of Pittsburgh. The origin of its name is unknown for certain, although it has been suggested that it derives from a...
, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Playing career
Calipari lettered two years at the University of North Carolina at WilmingtonUniversity of North Carolina at Wilmington
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington, sometimes referred to as UNC Wilmington, is a public, co-educational university located in Wilmington, North Carolina...
before transferring to Clarion University
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Clarion University of Pennsylvania, located on a campus in Clarion, Pennsylvania, is one of fourteen universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education ....
, where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Marketing. He played point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
at Clarion during the 1981 and 1982 seasons, leading the team in assists and free throw percentage.
Coaching career
From 1982–85, Calipari was an assistant at the University of Kansas under Ted OwensTed Owens (basketball coach)
Ted Owens is an American college basketball coach. He was the coach of the University of Kansas men's basketball team from 1964 to 1983. He is the third-winningest coach in Jayhawks basketball history....
and Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
. From 1985–88, he was an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's basketball team competes in the Big East Conference and plays their home games in...
under Paul Evans
Paul Evans (basketball coach)
Paul Evans is a former American head coach of men's college basketball.Paul Evans was noted for running a "power offense" with emphasis on distributing the ball through centers and power forwards...
. From 1988–96, he was head coach at the University of Massachusetts. From 1996–99, he was head coach and Executive VP of basketball operations for the NBA's New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. During the 1999–2000 season
1999-2000 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers*Co-Rookies of the Year: Elton Brand, Chicago Bulls; Steve Francis, Houston Rockets*Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat...
, he was an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
under coach Larry Brown, before moving on to his next position at the University of Memphis. He was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame
National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame
The National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit institution honoring exceptional U.S. athletes of Italian descent. Since its founding in 1977, more than 200 Italian Americans have been inducted into this hall of fame....
in 2004.
Calipari is famous for popularizing the dribble drive motion
Dribble drive motion
The dribble drive motion is an offensive strategy in basketball, developed by University of Massachusetts assistant coach Vance Walberg, when he was a high school coach in California....
offense, developed by Vance Walberg
Vance Walberg
Vance Walberg is an American basketball coach. He was previously the head men's basketball coach at Pepperdine University, and an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts. He is known for developing the dribble drive motion offense, sometimes known as the Memphis Attack, AASAA offense.On...
, which is sometimes known as the Memphis Attack. He wrote three different books about basketball, including "Refuse to Lose," "Basketball's Half-Court Offense," and "Bounce Back: Overcoming Setbacks to Succeed in Business and in Life".
In his first 17 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Calipari's record is 509–151 (.771). His record in the month of March is 84–30 (.736). His record in the NCAA tournament is 28–12 (.700) and in the NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
is 15–5 (.750). His teams have made 12 NCAA tournament appearances (2 vacated), including reaching the Sweet Sixteen
NCAA Division I Basketball Championship
The phrase NCAA Division I Basketball Championship may refer to:*NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship*NCAA Women's Division I Basketball ChampionshipFor other NCAA Basketball Tournaments, please see:*NCAA Basketball Tournament...
seven times (2 vacated), the Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
five times (2 vacated), the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
three times (2 vacated), and the championship game once (vacated appearance at Memphis). He has coached five teams to the NIT, winning the NIT championship at Memphis in 2002
2002 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Temple 65, Syracuse 64...
. He is one of only four coaches in NCAA Division I history to direct two different schools to a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament; North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
coach Roy Williams
Roy Williams (coach)
Roy Williams is head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of North Carolina. After averaging nearly an 80% win percentage in 15 seasons at the University of Kansas, he became the eighteenth head coach at North Carolina when he replaced Matt Doherty in 2003...
, Kansas coach Bill Self
Bill Self
Bill Self is an American college men's basketball coach at the University of Kansas, where he led the Jayhawks to the 2008 NCAA national championship....
, and Louisville
Louisville Cardinals men's basketball
The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA...
coach Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...
are the others. Through 17 collegiate seasons, only Williams has won more games than Calipari.
University of Massachusetts
From 1988–96 at UMass, Calipari led the Minutemen program to five consecutive Atlantic 10 titles and NCAA Tournament appearances, including periods where the program was ranked first nationally. He finished with a 193–71 record overall, with a 91–41 record in Atlantic 10 conference games. Calipari was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year in 1992, 1993, and 1996. He was also named the NaismithNaismith College Coach of the Year
Naismith College Coach of the Year Award is an award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to one men's and one women's NCAA Division I collegiate coach each season since 1987...
, NABC
NABC Coach of the Year
The NABC Coach of the Year Award has been presented by the National Association of Basketball Coaches since 1959. It is currently sponsored by the UPS Store.-Award winners:-External links:*...
, Basketball Times
Basketball Times
Basketball Times is an American basketball magazine that has been in circulation since 1978, and is published by The Hoop Group LLC. Basketball Times publishes monthly and mainly focuses on college basketball and basketball recruiting.- History :...
& Sporting News National Coach of the Year in 1996. He led UMass to its first-ever appearance in the Final Four with the play of the John R. Wooden Award
John R. Wooden Award
The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award and recognizes the All–America Teams.The awards, given by the Los...
winner and Naismith College Player of the Year
Naismith College Player of the Year
The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....
Marcus Camby
Marcus Camby
Marcus D. Camby is an American professional basketball player, who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA. He is a former Defensive Player of the Year during the 2006–07 NBA season, leading the league in blocked shots per game...
, although this appearance was later vacated by the NCAA because Camby had accepted about $28,000 from two sports agents.
Calipari helped accelerate the construction of the Mullins Center
Mullins Center
The William D. Mullins Memorial Center, also known as the Mullins Center, is a 10,600 seat multi-purpose arena, located on the campus of the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst, Massachusetts. The Mullins Center is the home of UMass Minutemen Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, and Men's Ice...
, UMass' basketball and hockey facility. He also reached out to eastern Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to enlarge the fan base. Before moving on to the New Jersey Nets, Calipari became the second winningest coach in UMass history behind Jack Leaman.
In February 2010, Pat Forde
Pat Forde
Pat Forde is a sports journalist who currently serves as a national columnist for Yahoo Sports.- Work :Forde is currently a writer for Yahoo Sports. Forde left ESPN on November 1, 2011 to pursue a career with more journalistic freedom. Prior to leaving ESPN, Forde was a staple on radio and...
, at the time the writer of a regular college sports column called "Forde Minutes" for ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
, vividly recalled the 1992 team:
New Jersey Nets
In an effort to start anew for the 1996–97 season, John Calipari replaced Butch BeardButch Beard
Alfred "Butch" Beard Jr. is a former National Basketball Association player and head coach. He was the head coach at Morgan State University until he stepped down in March 2006. Butch Beard played college basketball at the University of Louisville...
as head coach of the New Jersey Nets. After a 26–56 win-loss season, the Nets made a major draft-day trade in June 1997, acquiring Keith Van Horn
Keith Van Horn
Keith Adam Van Horn is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward graduated from Diamond Bar High School in Diamond Bar, California and attended the University of Utah where he went on to be a consensus First Team All-American in 1997...
, Lucious Harris
Lucious Harris
Lucious H. Harris is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2nd round of the 1993 NBA Draft. Harris has played for the Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers in 12 NBA seasons...
and two other players for Tim Thomas
Tim Thomas (basketball)
Timothy Mark "Tim" Thomas is an American professional basketball player, in the small forward position.-High school / College:...
.
The 1997–98 season was a lone bright spot for the Nets in the late 1990s. The team played well under Calipari, winning 43 games and qualifying for the playoffs on the last day of the season. The Nets were seeded eighth in the Eastern Conference and lost to the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
in the 1998 playoffs
1998 NBA Playoffs
The 1998 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997-98 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship of the decade by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz four...
in three straight games. The Nets played well and came close to taking the first two games.
The 1998–99 season was delayed for three months due to an owners' lockout of the players. When the abbreviated 50-game season began, the Nets were a fashionable choice by experts as a surprise team. However, Cassell was injured in the first game and the team started poorly. With the Nets underachieving at 3–15, the Nets traded Cassell to the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
, while the Nets acquired Stephon Marbury
Stephon Marbury
Stephon Xavier Marbury is an American professional basketball player.The , point guard was selected out of the Georgia Institute of Technology by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 4th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, but was traded shortly thereafter to the Minnesota Timberwolves.He was an NBA...
from the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
. After two more losses, Calipari was fired as head coach with the team at 3–17.
While coaching the Nets, Calipari became a resident of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
Franklin Lakes is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 10,590. As of the 2000 Census, Franklin Lakes had the 18th-highest per-capita income of all 566 municipalities in the state. Nationwide, Franklin Lakes ranked 17th among the...
.
University of Memphis
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
Coach of the Year in 2006, 2008, and 2009. In 2008, he was named Naismith College Coach of the Year
Naismith College Coach of the Year
Naismith College Coach of the Year Award is an award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to one men's and one women's NCAA Division I collegiate coach each season since 1987...
, receiving the honor the second time. In 2009, he was named Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
College Basketball Coach of the Year.
He has built a national program by recruiting blue chip
Blue chip (sports)
The term "blue chip" is commonly used to describe athletes who are being targeted to be drafted or signed by teams at the next level. It is most commonly used to describe high school players being recruited by college teams, but can also refer to collegiate players being scouted by professional...
players from the Eastern part of the country, such as Dajuan Wagner
Dajuan Wagner
Dajuan Marquett Wagner is an American former professional basketball player.Wagner is the son of former University of Louisville and NBA player Milt Wagner...
from Camden (NJ), Darius Washington Jr.
Darius Washington Jr.
Darius Myron Washington Jr. is an American and naturalized Macedonian professional basketball player currently playing in Turkey with Türk Telekom....
from Orlando (FL), Rodney Carney
Rodney Carney
Rodney Dion Carney is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at the University of Memphis and was selected in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls and shortly afterwards traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.-Early college career:Carney made the Conference USA...
from Indianapolis (IN), Shawne Williams
Shawne Williams
Shawne Brian Williams is an American professional basketball player who last played for the New York Knicks of the NBA...
from Memphis (TN), Joey Dorsey
Joey Dorsey
Richard Elmer "Joey" Dorsey is an American professional basketball player who plays for Caja Laboral. He played college basketball for the University of Memphis Tigers, where he was an interdisciplinary studies major...
from Baltimore (MD), Chris Douglas-Roberts
Chris Douglas-Roberts
Chris Douglas-Roberts, also known as CDR is an American basketball player who plays for Virtus Bologna. He played college basketball for the Memphis Tigers.-High school:...
from Detroit (MI), Antonio Anderson
Antonio Anderson
Antonio Andrew Anderson is an American professional basketball player. He majored in interdisciplinary studies at the University of Memphis. He starred at Lynn Vocational Technical High School after playing his freshman year at Lynn English High School, where his older brother Anthony had been a...
from Lynn (MA), Robert Dozier
Robert Dozier (basketball)
Robert Lorenzo Dozier, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who played college basketball with the Memphis Tigers and was selected by the NBA team the Miami Heat in the 2009 NBA Draft...
from Lithonia (GA), Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose
Derrick Martell Rose is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association ....
from Chicago (IL), and Tyreke Evans
Tyreke Evans
Tyreke Jamir Evans is an American professional basketball player with Virtus Roma in Italy. He is also under contract with the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association , but is not currently playing with them because of the 2011 NBA lockout...
from Aston (PA).
At Memphis, Calipari has popularized the Memphis Attack offense that was invented by former Pepperdine
Pepperdine Waves
Pepperdine Waves is the name given to the sports teams of the Pepperdine University.-See also:* Pepperdine Waves alumni* 2011-12 Pepperdine Waves men's basketball team...
basketball coach, Vance Walberg
Vance Walberg
Vance Walberg is an American basketball coach. He was previously the head men's basketball coach at Pepperdine University, and an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts. He is known for developing the dribble drive motion offense, sometimes known as the Memphis Attack, AASAA offense.On...
.
On January 21, 2008, Calipari led the Tigers to the #1 ranking in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
for the second time in school history. Unfortunately, that season was vacated due to violations within the program under Calipari's watch.
In 2006 and 2008, Memphis earned a #1 seed in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. In 2008
2007-08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 2007–08 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 5, 2007 ended with the 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 7, 2008 in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.-Season headlines:...
, Calipari's Tigers advanced to the national championship game, their first under his leadership. They also won 38 games, the most regular-season wins in NCAA history. His team, however, would lose to the Kansas Jayhawks
2007-08 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team
The 2007–08 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team represented the University of Kansas for the NCAA Division I men's intercollegiate basketball season of 2007–2008. The team was led by Bill Self in his fifth season as head coach. The team played its home games in Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence,...
75–68 in overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
. This team would later have its entire season record vacated by the NCAA due to allegations regarding Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose
Derrick Martell Rose is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association ....
's SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
; Rose still denies any wrongdoing. If not for the vacated wins, Calipari would be the winningest coach in Tigers history; he would have 252 wins to Larry Finch
Larry Finch
Larry Finch was a player and coach for the University of Memphis men's basketball team. He is perhaps most famous for leading the Memphis State Tigers to the NCAA men's basketball championship game in 1973 in a heroic loss to the UCLA Bruins, led by Bill Walton.- Playing career :Finch was born in...
's 220.
University of Kentucky
On March 30, 2009, four days after Memphis' season ending loss to Missouri in the NCAA Tournament2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
, multiple sources reported that Calipari would agree to be the head coach at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. Calipari rejected a counter offer by Memphis for Kentucky's 8 year, $31.65 million contract.
According to University officials, John Calipari signed a written contract on March 31, 2009 worth an estimated $34.65 million over 8 years with incentives. At 9:45 a.m. on April 1, 2009 the University of Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart formally introduced John Calipari as the new coach of the University of Kentucky Wildcats mens basketball team. During the press conference, Coach Calipari spoke at length about his relationships with former UK basketball players and coaches, as well as his difficulties in accepting the job due to his deep emotional ties with the city of Memphis as well as the University, stating "coming to UK was the easy part, it was leaving the city of Memphis that was the hard part." He went on to refer to the University of Kentucky job as his "dream job". Calipari became the 22nd coach overall and just the 7th coach in the last 79 years at the program.
2009-10
In his first year as head coach, Calipari had a highly touted recruiting class. Kentucky won its 44th SEC regular season championship with a 14-2 record. He followed it up with his first SEC Tournament Championship. Calipari also landed his fifth-straight 30-win season with a 32-2 record). In the NCAA Tournament, East #1 seed Kentucky made it to the Elite 8 but was upset by West Virginia2009–10 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team
The 2009–10 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represented West Virginia University in the 2009-10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were coached by Bob Huggins and played their home games at the WVU Coliseum. The team captured the first Big East Tournament Championship...
to finish the season 35-3.
2010-11
In his second season, Calipari coached his team to a 22-8 regular season. Kentucky would go on to win its second consecutive SEC tournament championship. During the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky would defeat the #1 overall seed Ohio State2010-11 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team
The 2010–11 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team represented The Ohio State University during the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Thad Matta, in his 7th season with the Buckeyes. The team played its home games at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in...
62-60 in the Sweet Sixteen. In the Elite Eight, Calipari's team avenged an early season loss to North Carolina by defeating them 76-69 to advance to its first Final Four since 1998. It was also Calipari's first "official" appearance in the Final Four. They would however lose to UConn 55-56 to finish at 29-9.
Marcus Camby
UMass had its 4-1 1996 NCAA Tournament record vacated when the NCAA discovered that UMass player Marcus CambyMarcus Camby
Marcus D. Camby is an American professional basketball player, who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA. He is a former Defensive Player of the Year during the 2006–07 NBA season, leading the league in blocked shots per game...
had accepted money and gifts from an agent. According to the article, Camby accepted around $40,000 whlie a player for Calipari at UMass. ""Marcus was good," says [John] Lounsbury, 42, who estimates that he gave Camby more than $40,000 in cash and gifts between December 1994 and March 1996."
"In addition to lavishing money and gifts on Camby, Lounsbury tried to ingratiate himself with the player's mother. Meanwhile, he says, Spears sought to use Camby's friends to get an inside track. "He went for the 'boys in the hood' approach," Lounsbury says. "Another agent I heard of tied himself to Jackie Bethea, Marcus's 'second mom.' [Bethea coached Camby on youth league teams and has a child with Camby's father, Ames Manderville.] Another guy went for the [then Minutemen] coach [John Calipari]. Another guy worked on the people handling the agent-screening process at UMass. We were all looking for an angle."
Ethnic insult directed at journalist
While coaching the New Jersey Nets, Calipari referred to Newark Star-Ledger sports reporter Dan Garcia as a "fucking Mexican Idiot." Garcia sued for $5,000,000 for emotional distress. Though the case was dismissed Calipari was still fined $25,000 by the NBA. Calipari apologized for his remarks:
"I would like to apologize to Dan Garcia for my ill-advised attempt at humor and insensitivity for the remark," Calipari said before the Nets lost to the Lakers, 109-84, tonight at the Meadowlands. "In retrospect, I can understand how the remark could have been misinterpreted. I have apologized to him personally and in writing. In no way was my intent to be derogatory in a racial context, and I am sorry for any pain my remarks have caused."
Dajuan Wagner
In 2001, Calipari successfully recruited Dajuan WagnerDajuan Wagner
Dajuan Marquett Wagner is an American former professional basketball player.Wagner is the son of former University of Louisville and NBA player Milt Wagner...
, the Naismith Prep Player of the Year, to the University of Memphis. Soon after, Dajuan's father Milt Wagner
Milt Wagner
Milton "Milt" Wagner is a retired American basketball player in the NBA.Wagner played high school basketball at Camden High School....
was hired as Coordinator of Basketball Operations. Dajuan declared for the NBA draft after his freshman year; his father remained in his position for six years before joining former Memphis assistant Tony Barbee
Tony Barbee
Tony Barbee is an American college basketball coach and the head coach of the men's basketball program at Auburn University. Barbee played college basketball for the University of Massachusetts under Coach John Calipari. Barbee later served as an assistant under Calipari at Memphis and often cited...
at UTEP.
Tyreke Evans
Calipari also hired McDonalds' All-American game MVP and Memphis recruit Tyreke EvansTyreke Evans
Tyreke Jamir Evans is an American professional basketball player with Virtus Roma in Italy. He is also under contract with the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association , but is not currently playing with them because of the 2011 NBA lockout...
' personal strength coach as his administrative assistant.
Derrick Rose
The NCAA investigated allegations that a player on the 2007-08 team committed "knowing fraudulence or misconduct in connection with his entrance examination" and had an unknown individual complete his SAT examination. The NCAA informed Calipari in a letter that he was not considered "at risk" in this investigation.The player was subsequently identified as Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose
Derrick Martell Rose is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association ....
. Subsequently, allegations surfaced that Rose's brother, Reggie, had been allowed to travel to Tiger road games for free.
On August 20, 2009, the NCAA ruled that Rose was ineligible and forced Memphis to vacate the entire 2007-08 season, including the NCAA Tournament and its standing as runner-up. It took the line that even though Rose's score had not been thrown out by the Educational Testing Service
Educational Testing Service
Educational Testing Service , founded in 1947, is the world's largest private nonprofit educational testing and assessment organization...
, which administers the SAT, until after the season, strict liability
Strict liability
In law, strict liability is a standard for liability which may exist in either a criminal or civil context. A rule specifying strict liability makes a person legally responsible for the damage and loss caused by his or her acts and omissions regardless of culpability...
required that Rose be ruled ineligible. The committee also determined that even without the questions about his SAT score, he would have lost his eligibility in December 2007 due to his brother being allowed to travel with the team for free.
Robert Dozier
Robert Dozier, a member of the 2007-2008 Memphis Tigers, also had questions arise over the legitimacy of his SAT score. According to the article, "Former University of Memphis forward Robert Dozier's initial SAT score was invalidated by the company that scores the exam, and when he took the test a second time, he scored 540 fewer points, ESPN.com has learned through an open records request. In addition, a person claiming to be a faculty member at his high school in suburban Atlanta wrote an anonymous letter to the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse questioning his score on the admissions test, records obtained from the University of Georgia show.Laurinburg Institute
"Laurinburg Institute became a pipeline for Memphis during Calipari's nine-year tenure. Former Memphis player Joey Dorsey also attended the school, which is located about 90 miles southeast of Charlotte. While at Laurinburg Institute, Dozier met the NCAA's initial eligibility requirements. He signed to play for the Tigers in November 2004 and enrolled the next year.
In 2007, the NCAA launched a three-year investigation of Laurinburg Institute during its review of college prep schools around the country. In May, the NCAA announced it would no longer accept courses, grades and diplomas from Laurinburg Institute because of concerns about its academic programs and oversight."
Enes Kanter
Calipari recruited and signed a professional player from Turkey. According to an Associated Press article, "The NCAA ruled Kanter received over $33,000 above his necessary expenses for the 2008-09 season. "Enes took advantage of an opportunity to play at the highest level available to him, but the consequences of receiving payments above his actual expenses is not compatible with the collegiate model of sports that our members have developed," said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president of academic and membership affairs. Kentucky coach John Calipari had no immediate comment, but has stated repeatedly he believed Kanter maintained his amateur status."Overall wins
On February 26, 2011, after Kentucky beat the Florida GatorsFlorida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
in Rupp Arena
Rupp Arena
Rupp Arena is an arena located in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. Since its opening in 1976, it has been the centerpiece of Lexington Center, a convention and shopping facility owned by an arm of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, and serves as home court to the University of...
, Calipari was recognized for his 500th career victory as a Division I Men's Basketball Coach. Over the course of the next few months, the NCAA's Committee on Infractions (COI) and the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
exchanged letters debating the fact in Calipari has indeed reached the 500 win milestone. Due to the two vacated seasons (One at UMass and one at Memphis), the NCAA recognizes only 473 wins (as of November 26, 2011). On June 13th, Eamonn Brennan, of espn.com, broke the story on a College Basketball Blog and revealed that Calipari and other Kentucky officials may have to appear before the COI for the celebration previously mentioned and lack of compliance.
Lawsuit
On October 7th, 2011, the Associated Press published a story about John Calipari and Derrick Rose settling a lawsuit with Memphis fans over the vacated 2008 season. According to the article, "Former Memphis coach John Calipari and ex-Tigers guard Derrick Rose agreed last year to pay $100,000 to avoid a lawsuit over the Tigers' season that ended in the 2008 Final Four with the wins later vacated by the NCAA. According to a settlement signed May 28, 2010, with attorneys representing some Memphis season ticket holders, not only did Calipari and Rose agree to pay $100,000, but Calipari and Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson committed to repaying Final Four bonuses."Kentucky
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(29th, 2010 NBA Draft) - Ramon Harris (China, Ningxia Hanas')
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(53rd, 2011 NBA Draft)
Memphis
- Tyreke EvansTyreke EvansTyreke Jamir Evans is an American professional basketball player with Virtus Roma in Italy. He is also under contract with the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association , but is not currently playing with them because of the 2011 NBA lockout...
(4th, 2009 NBA Draft2009 NBA DraftThe 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
) - Robert DozierRobert DozierRobert Lorenzo Dozier, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who played college basketball with the Memphis Tigers and was selected by the NBA team the Miami Heat in the 2009 NBA Draft...
(60th, 2009 NBA Draft) - Derrick RoseDerrick RoseDerrick Martell Rose is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association ....
(1st, 2008 NBA Draft2008 NBA DraftThe 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
) - Joey DorseyJoey DorseyRichard Elmer "Joey" Dorsey is an American professional basketball player who plays for Caja Laboral. He played college basketball for the University of Memphis Tigers, where he was an interdisciplinary studies major...
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)
College
Marcus Camby
Marcus D. Camby is an American professional basketball player, who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA. He is a former Defensive Player of the Year during the 2006–07 NBA season, leading the league in blocked shots per game...
was ruled ineligible due to his contact with a sports agent, a contact which was unknown to the University.
NBA
|-| align="left" |NJ
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| align="left" |
| 82||26||56||.317|| align="center" |5th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |NJ
| align="left" |
| 82||43||39||.524|| align="center" |3rd in Atlantic||3||0||3||.000
| align="center" |Lost in First Round
1998 NBA Playoffs
The 1998 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997-98 NBA season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship of the decade by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz four...
|-
| align="left" |NJ
| align="left" |
| 20||3||17||.150|| align="center" |7th in Atlantic||—||—||—||—
| align="center" |Fired
|-
|-class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:left;"|Career
| ||184||72||112||.391|| ||3||0||3||.000