Kentucky Basketball: Brad Calipari joining UK staff to coach not so bad
By Eric Thorne
When Kentucky Basketball announced on Thursday the Brad Calipari was joining his dad on the coaching staff as a graduate assistant it immediately sparked debates. Then again anything surrounding Kentucky and John Calipari always stirs up strong opinions on multiple sides.
Such as the case of young Brad you who has already been in Lexington helping with camps, workouts, and spending time with players on the roster for the upcoming season.
It’s a love-hate relationship with fans and the father-son player and coach dynamic.
Brad Calipari the latest father-son player-coach Kentucky basketball duo
But the passionate Big Blue Nation took to social media to either say he is an entitled son which is why he is on the staff now with the word nepotism being spewed a lot. On the other side are those who say it’s a good thing for the program and then there are those who could really care less one way or the other.
But one thing is for certain dad is glad to welcome his son to the fold.
Every day I go to my office and practice and games I get to be with my son. What’s better than that? Really proud of where he has come from and his path. https://t.co/X9OjuAcqSf
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) August 27, 2021
It’s tough to be a coach’s son and attempt to play for your dad at Kentucky. There is Tubby and son Saul Smith; Eddie and son Sean Sutton and now there is John and son Brad Calipari.
Their contributions on the court combined won’t go down in the legacy of Wildcat basketball, but in all honesty, none were ever expected to make a huge impact. Don’t many kids aspire to play for their dad whether it’s from the small towns to the big bright lights of Rupp Arena?
Let’s see what these combinations actually panned out to become.