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John Calipari quickly squashes report of interest in New Orleans Pelicans job

By Paul Jordan

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After the news of John Calipari’s contract extension with the Kentucky Wildcats broke last week, the common consensus was that the constant linkage of Calipari with every available NBA job would end as well.  Wrong answer.  Today, the memebers of the Big Blue Nation were met with yet another story citing “sources” who claimed that John Calipari was interested in the New Orleans Pelicans job.  With five star recruit Jamal Murray on campus, Calipari acted quickly to squash the rumor.

Here is a look at the article mentioned and John Calipari’s twitter denial.

"Given the opportunity to reunite with star forward Anthony Davis, Kentucky coach John Calipari has made it known to New Orleans Pelicans officials that he’s interested in the team’s vacant head-coaching job, a source close to Calipari said Tuesday.There have been exploratory conversations between Calipari and the Pelicans, the source said, but it doesn’t appear the team would be willing to meet his financial demands to leave Kentucky."

As rumors go, the New Orleans Pelican job was a good one.  Anthony Davis was a once in a lifetime player and who who not jump at a chance to coach the best young player in the NBA?  Even with the contract extension, we can still expect John Calipari to be linked to every job that opens up.  Expect similar rumors to pop up when and if Tom Thibadou is fired from Chicago.  And apparently the lure of coaching Derrick Rose again will be too great to turn down.

It has become the unofficial rite of spring:  hearing reports that John Calipari is leaving for a NBA job and then Cal getting a contract extension to keep him in Lexington.  In the end, it’s all clutter and Calipari has done a great job of refuting the rumors almost immediately.  If Calipari does not act on it quickly, perhaps we can start to worry.  But for now, The University of Kentucky is firmly committed to keeping their coach.

"Media reports have repeatedly mentioned Calipari’s name in reference to potential NBA coaching gigs. His name popped up shortly after leading the Kentucky Wildcats to their fourth Final Four in six seasons, and the murmurs grew louder last week after the Pelicans fired coach Monty Williams.Shortly after that, Calipari received another contract extension from UK. That deal hasn’t been officially announced by the school, but sources have said it would add another year onto Calipari’s current contract, taking him to 2022. Calipari will make $8 million in that final year. In total, the new deal gives Calipari a seven-year contract worth $54 million.Last week, UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart said the university loves and appreciates Calipari, who is “a tremendous ambassador for this university.”Barnhart said that he intends to keep Calipari for a long time.“To give him an extension, to be part of that is more about time and the service and keeping him here,” Barnhart said. “It’s letting the NBA know we don’t have any intention of letting him go. We want him here at Kentucky."

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