John Calipari is Changing the Standard of Tactical Coaching
By Wayne
February 12, 2013; Gainesville, FL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari reacts against the Florida Gators during the second half at the Stephen C. O
Our good friend over at ESPN, Jeff Goodman (sarcasm), talked to roughly 250 coaches to determine who they believe are the top tacticians in college basketball. Now I understand why he does this but rarely does one tend to look at another’s ability objectively. These polls are inherently subjective and despite having won the 2012 National Championship, there are 15 better basketball tacticians than him. Well, so they say anyway.
I don’t believe it and neither should you. Sure, not all coaches are equal in this department but there are not 15 better than John Calipari.
There are not 5 better than John Calipari.
What John Calipari does is unique to college basketball. He recruits the absolute best players in the country, players that ANY coach would love to have, and he tailors his coaching and style of play to their strengths.
In other words, he builds a system around them, rather than making them fit in his.
The vaunted dribble-drive offense he flew in to Lexington on has rarely been used. Probably the best case was his first year when he had speed for days with John Wall and Eric Bledsoe on the 2009-2010 team. His 2010-2011 team reached the Final Four on the strength of the post and the 2011-2012 National Title team dominated by working inside/out or outside/in but with little of the dribble-drive offense.
How many coaches do you know that can do that? Even those who can, how many are smart enough to actually do it? Name them.
I’m waiting….
Most people associate great coaches with being able to draw plays up on a board, and while that is part of it, you have to consider whether they are using the same system they’ve used for the past 20 years in the profession or are they adapting? Changing? Morphing the tactics to match the players.
That’s what John Calipari does and that’s what makes him great.
If you want an example of a coach who brings in players to match his system, look no further than 75 miles Northwest of Lexington and you’ve found him.
Rick Pitino is a HOF coach who I don’t hate because of what he accomplished as our head coach, but he recruits players into his system now that he is at Louisville. He didn’t do that so much at Kentucky but he coaches to win on the college level rather than helping launch his young men into a professional career.
You might think that’s not his job but last I checked, these parents and kids entrust themselves to a coach for their advancement. As such, it’s the duty of a coach to push them to excel in college and develop them to play beyond.
Rick Pitino is a great tactician. Possibly even better than John Calipari as it’s normally measured, but it’s perhaps time to re-evaluate how we define tactician because perpetuating the same system you’ve used for 50 years isn’t really being tactical, it’s just being repetitive.
Look, love or hate John Calipari, there are not 15 better tacticians in college basketball than him. He is reinventing how we think about the game with his recruiting and constant changing of philosophy to match their strengths.
Name me one coach who does that better?