John Calipari reportedly regretted not taking UCLA job in 2019

John Calipari is leaving Kentucky for Arkansas in a move that shifts the paradigm of men’s college basketball, and a new report explains why — and how if Calipari had a do-over, he might be coaching another blue-blood school.

Calipari’s relationship with several Kentucky power brokers, including athletic director Mitch Barnhart had “deteriorated” in recent years, according to The Athletic. Calipari and Barnhart reportedly clashed over the direction of the program in the era of name-image-likeness compensation and the transfer portal, with tensions worsening to the point that Calipari openly lamented not taking the UCLA job in 2019.

The Bruins reportedly offered Calipari a 6-year, $48 million contract to replace previous head coach Steve Alford, but Kentucky countered with a 10-year, $86 million deal to keep Calipari in Lexington, and UCLA couldn’t match it. It’s a decision Calipari is said to still regret and perhaps informed his decision to depart from Kentucky this week.

The Bruins went on to hire Mick Cronin, who guided the program to a surprise Final Four run in 2021 and Sweet 16 appearances in each of the following two years before missing the tournament this past season.

Incidentally, Cronin quickly shot down any interest in the now-vacant Kentucky job earlier this week during an appearance on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd. 

Despite noting he grew up 60 miles from Lexington (and previously coached at nearby Cincinnati), Cronin said if Kentucky were to call him about replacing Calipari he would “turn left on Sunset,” saying he’s just fine where he is.

“Some of these jobs, the expectations are so high that the magnitude of the job, you can’t feed the beast forever,” Cronin said. “When you feed the beast early — and [Calipari] had unbelievable success — and when you can’t repeat that, it’s really hard. It’s just a hard existence. … That job is really different than any other job, because of the fan base and no pro sports [in Kentucky].”

To Cronin’s point, Calipari led one of the best multiyear runs in recent vintage after taking over Kentucky in 2008, leading the Wildcats to four Final Fours and a national title in his first eight seasons at the helm. He also turned Kentucky into an NBA talent factory with nearly 50 players drafted to the league, including All-Stars DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, John Wall, Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker and others. 

But Calipari has fallen short at Kentucky since turning down UCLA’s offer in 2019, winning just one NCAA tournament game over the past five years while suffering embarrassing first-round upsets to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s in 2022 and No. 14 seed Oakland last month.

Now, another coach will be tasked with living up to those lofty expectations at one of college basketball’s most prestigious programs. UConn coach and reigning two-time national champion Dan Hurley, reportedly Kentucky’s top target, laughed off the possibility of moving his family from his native northeast to Lexington after the Huskies beat Purdue in the title game Monday. 

Several reports this week have tied Kentucky to Baylor coach and 2021 national champion Scott Drew, though Drew posted a picture Tuesday afternoon of him having lunch in Waco, Texas with a Baylor donor, perhaps implying any move to Kentucky is nowhere near a sure thing.

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