After receiving some interest from UCLA, Kentucky head coach John Calipari has elected to remain with the Wildcats, and the program made it worth his while to do so, reports Jeff Borzello of ESPN.com. According to Borzello, Calipari – who was already under contract through 2024 – has agreed to an extension that will run through his retirement, and will also feature a lifetime role as an ambassador to the university.
“Where else would I want to coach?” Calipari said on his radio show in confirming the news.
Calipari reportedly received a six-year, $48MM offer from UCLA before electing to extend his agreement with Kentucky, per Seth Davis of The Athletic. The 60-year-old is the highest-paid head coach in the NCAA ranks, earning a reported $9.2MM salary this season.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Travis Trice, a veteran G League guard who has been in camp with the Knicks and Bucks in recent years, is headed to Turkey to continue his professional career. After averaging 16.9 PPG, 6.3 APG, and 4.3 RPG in 36 total NBAGL games this season for the Austin Spurs and Wisconsin Herd, Trice has officially signed with Tofas SK, the team announced (via Twitter).
- Former Wizards center Daniel Ochefu, who appeared in 19 games for Washington in 2016/17, has signed with Spanish team CB Breogan, according to an announcement from the club (via Twitter). Ochefu spent most of the 2018/19 season with the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate, posting 14.8 PPG and 8.9 RPG in 39 games (24.2 MPG).
- The Pistons will enter the offseason looking to fortify their point guard and wing spots, but won’t have much financial flexibility to do so. As such, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press wonders if attempting to re-sign Ish Smith and Wayne Ellington might make the most sense for the club.
Calipari simply played a smart business move in playing the offer from UCLA against Kentucky. The only thing to take anything away from this move is if he leaves Kentucky for some type of a GM/Head Coach deal in the NBA.
At this point I don’t see Calipari leaving. A team would have to offer that double GM/HC role plus a large salary. As far as I know, and can remember, none of the guys who have served as GM/HC have seen a significant amount of success. Doc Rivers probably had the most success in that role but there was plenty of criticism he got for some of the moves he made in addition to the Lob City Clippers never fully living up to the expectations.
It wasn’t really his play, it was UK’s. They gave UCLA permission to speak with him and make an offer. Then once they saw that offer, they offered this new deal. I think you’re both right though. To pull him away you’d have to basically let him run the Franchise. And even then, I don’t think he would.
He’d be crazy to leave the NCAA. Only reason guys do that is money or ego. NBA coaching is a thankless, sleepless grind. NCAA coaching is a country club.
The only reason he leaves UK is if he gets caught up in a major violation and he has to leave ala Pitino