Can Calipari match Pitino's initial impact on the program???

I look at the picture above and I get goosebumps. LeBron James, arguably without a doubt one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet, is hamming it up with OUR basketball coach in front of a collage of our storied history and pride: the banners.

It’s just amazing.

But it got me to thinking. Can John Calipari match Rick Pitino in terms of impact and what he has done for our program? It’s a tough question. As much as I dislike Pitino now, I have to give him props for how he resurrected the program. And now, eerily twenty years later, John Calipari has the task of resurrecting the Big Blue again. And the similarities are astounding.

When Rick Pitino took over the program on June 2, 1989, he was inheriting a program in disarray. It had been 11 seasons since the Wildcat’s last national title in 1978 and 5 years since the last Final 4 appearance. UK was coming off a season where they lost at Rupp Arena to Bowling Green. Head coach Eddie Sutton had resigned after a 13-19 season amid a NCAA investigation and several big name coaches had turned UK down.

When John Calipari took over the program on April 1, 2009, he was inheritting a program in disarray. It had been 11 seasons since the Wildcat’s last national title in 1998 and 5 years since the last SEC tourney championship (and 11 since the last final four). UK was coming off a season where they lost at home to VMI. Head coach Billie Gillispie was fired after missing the NCAA tournament and amid rumors of a Big Blue mutiny from the players. Billy Donovan and Jay Wright had turned down UK’s overtures.

The similarities end there however. Pitino inherited a squad devoid of any star power and that featured a whopping six players from Kentucky on it’s roster. Pitino took over a squad facing a two year probation and had an incoming recruiting class of Jeff Brassow, Nemehiah Braddy, and Tony Cooper. Pitino had the reputation as the “hot new coach” but he had the duty of reviving a program that everyone was leaving for dead.

Of course what everyone underestimated was the heart and hustle of a Kentucky born player when he puts on the Blue and White. With a coaching staff of Ralph Willard, Tubby Smith, Herb Sendek, and Billy Donovan, Pitino’s first squad managed a 14-14 season and brought a new style of basketball to the Bluegrass and captured the hearts of the entire state. Jamal Mashburn joined the team for Pitino’s second season and helped lead UK to a 22-6 season and #9 national ranking. Pitino made history by hiring Bernadette Locke for his staff and UK ended it’s last season on probation poised for greatness. Madisonville native Travis Ford joined the team for the 3rd season and UK proved they were officially back among the nation’s Elite as their season ended in arguably the greatest basketball game ever played, a 104 – 103 loss to Duke.

The rest of Pitino’s career at UK is history. A national title in 1996 and a Final four appearance in 1997 before Pitino left to “follow his heart” with the Celtics.

As tough as Calipari’s job appeared to be, it was nowhere as tough as what Pitino took over. Yes, Kentucky basketball was down, but the team did win 22 games last season and had top recruits Daniel Orton and Madisonville native Jon Hood in the fold. The team had established star power in Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson. Granted, Calipari faces a daunting task in restoring UK to basketball’s elite, but this is no 1989. While introducing a new style of basketball to the Bluegrass, Calipari has already captured the Bluegrass’s heart.

We all know that what Calipari has done in a little more than 100 days is positively amazing but can it match the “restoring the roar” that Pitino did. It amazes me what Pitino was able to do, and I will always be grateful for the sweat and effort he took in building this program.

Calipari, thanks to his hard work and recruiting prowess will take a team ranked number 2 into the country into battle this November, which is a huge step from that NIT loss to Notre Dame. If anyone is to match the impact that Pitino made on UK, my money is on Calipari to do the job.

What do you think?

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