April 10, 2006
Calipari On State's Menu?
If you've been on the Internet in the last day or two, you've probably heard this rumor swirling - NC State has met with and offered John Calipari their head coaching job. You can read the details a number of places, but David Glenn probably has the best sources. According to Glenn, Calipari was "overwhelmed" by State's offer.
Calipari seems like a near-perfect fit for the Wolfpack. He's a big name with proven recruiting success and he's built two programs up to national elite status. Given his stature and history, there's no question that he's not afraid to challenge Duke and Carolina for regional (and national) supremacy. On top of that, Calipari gives off the whiff of scandal that I think a lot of State fans are probably looking for at this point. Don't get me wrong, I don't think they want trouble, but I think they are tired of getting praise for doing everything the right way and then losing. A guy who seems willing to bend some rules (whether he actually does or not) to get to the promised land is just what they need now. Remember, all three of their past successful coaches ran afoul of the NCAA at some point.
I've written a bit about my feelings on Calipari before - here and here - but I should point out that I do think he's a very good coach. I'm not sure he's a great game coach (and I know some Memphis fans who would back me on that), but he's a great recruiter who builds some great teams.
I should also add that from the sound of things, he is doing a much better job keeping his players in school than he did at UMass. Memphis has a long history of not graduation players, but I've read that Calipari has a success rate of 80%, which is commendable. If he comes to State (and I bet he will), I hope he keeps that up.
NY DN: Calipari doesn't deserve bum rap
Calipari always seems to be haunted by controversy. Just two weeks ago, when Memphis was playing an exhibition game, four players - Barclay, Carney, Dorsey and walk-on Clyde Wade - had their student apartment burglarized. When they filed their police report, they listed their losses at $66,000, $40,000 of that from eight mink coats.
That raised red flags in the media, which wondered what four college kids were doing with eight minks. Dorsey, as it turns out, was storing eight coats and two pocketbooks for a girl he knew who works as a dancer. While Wade was filing a police report, Dorsey was on the phone with the woman, who claimed her losses totaled $5,000. Wade, thinking Dorsey meant $5,000 a coat, told police the total was $40,000. The next day, the woman called Memphis police and told them the coats were fake fur and her losses were $5,000. Detectives looked into her story and found it checked out.
NY DN: Calipari doesn't deserve bum rap
Calipari always seems to be haunted by controversy. Just two weeks ago, when Memphis was playing an exhibition game, four players - Barclay, Carney, Dorsey and walk-on Clyde Wade - had their student apartment burglarized. When they filed their police report, they listed their losses at $66,000, $40,000 of that from eight mink coats.
That raised red flags in the media, which wondered what four college kids were doing with eight minks. Dorsey, as it turns out, was storing eight coats and two pocketbooks for a girl he knew who works as a dancer. While Wade was filing a police report, Dorsey was on the phone with the woman, who claimed her losses totaled $5,000. Wade, thinking Dorsey meant $5,000 a coat, told police the total was $40,000. The next day, the woman called Memphis police and told them the coats were fake fur and her losses were $5,000. Detectives looked into her story and found it checked out.
Hmmm.
Add to that the quote from my story:
| Quote: |
| Among the stolen goods: $4,000 in custom-made shirts, $6,000 in shoes, $5,000 in pants and $2,150 in throwback jerseys. Damn cuz. Them's some fine-dressed players, no? |
Now, explain that.
How many college kids do you know with clothes like that?
I noticed a quote from the Memphis AD who said he was working to restructure Calipari and football coach Tommy West's contracts. Yes, Tommy West who was run off by Clemson and ended up as the defensive coordinator at Memphis. He's turned things around there, including a 70+ percent graduation rate.
I guess that since UT controls Tennessee athletically, and Vanderbilt academically, I never really paid much attention to MU. It looks, however, like Memphis is Redemption U for coaches--who woulda thunk it?
| Ed-Hoo wrote: |
| As always, I'm slightly off subject, but...
I noticed a quote from the Memphis AD who said he was working to restructure Calipari and football coach Tommy West's contracts. Yes, Tommy West who was run off by Clemson and ended up as the defensive coordinator at Memphis. He's turned things around there, including a 70+ percent graduation rate. I guess that since UT controls Tennessee athletically, and Vanderbilt academically, I never really paid much attention to MU. It looks, however, like Memphis is Redemption U for coaches--who woulda thunk it? |
I noticed that Tommy West was there as well. I thought about tying that into a piece, but couldn't figure out how. It's kind of interesting (barely) that West, a former Clemson coach, is at Memphis and State's first target was Barnes, also a former Clemson coach. And of course the football coach at Barnes' current school is Mack Brown, the former UNC football coach. What does it mean? Not much, but the connections are interesting, I think.
Any piece would be rich in irony--West and Barnes leave Clemson and are more successful elsewhere. Wonder what that says about Clemson?
As an Old Dominion alum (MSEd '98 or as I call any Masters in Education, MSLite) and a big fan of Oliver Purnell, I wish he had stayed at Dayton. Think of the jobs that have come along since he went to Clemson... I'm sure the $ are OK, but I really thought he was on a faster track.
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