Former Kentucky Coach Tubby Smith defended the mega money UK put in a contract for new coach John Calipari.
During a news conference on Thursday for the National Association of Basketball Coaches at the Final Four, a reporter notedf that a university president had used the words “mind boggling” and “eye popping” to describe Calipari’s eight-year, $31.65 million contract to be Kentucky coach.
When asked if there was any way to defend such a contract, especially with the world economy struggling, Smith said, “Yes. It’s a free market.”
Each school is free to set its own priorities and act upon those priorities, Smith said. “I can tell you they love their basketball in Kentucky. It’s something special.”
Smith, the outgoing NABC president, said it helped that Kentucky made no secret of the contract. In fact, UK announced the details and made the contract available for public inspection.
“We certainly want to wish him the best,” Smith said of Calipari. “I don’t have any problems with it. . . .
“No part of me (is) begrudging him. I’m just as happy as I can be for him.”
NABC Executive Director Jim Haney noted that more than 50 percent of coaching jobs in Division I had changed hands in the last four years. So coach understandably want to make as much money as they can in any one position.
“It’s not like John in his situation can go in and say, ‘Well, I think we’ll get there in seven years,’ ” Haney said. “He’s got some realities he’s going to have to deal with, just like every coach does.”
35 comments ↓
Tubby Smith, the class that’s been missing from UK basketball the last two years.
Tubby is a class person.
Tubby Smith is a solid coach, but more than that, he is a “man” of incredible character. Maybe we could persuade him to become our AD one day…nah, he’s too smart to take that job.
[...] Jerry Tipton’s H-L blog has Tubby Smith defending the money UK is paying John Calipari. [...]
As usual, Tubby shows his class. I don’t know anyone who would turn down that kind of money, especially in this economy. Anyone complaining about it is likely just jealous that they don’t get paid like Coach Cal.
What will the next high profile coach demand, UK was desperate and Calipari knew how to play the game after Izzo and Wright’s rejection. I do not like Capilari style of play, he teachs, throw the BB up and let the players play, I like more good half court Offense and defense, not the players free to play loose and free style,
To much money .
Was Pitino offered the coaches job???????????????
The commonwealth’s first choice.
If UK wins a title ot two in his contracted term, no one will question the money!
Tubby is still the classiest coach we ever had! I wish him all the best! Go Cats!
Are some of you seriously STILL thinking that Pitino would have actually left what he’s got in Louisville?
We got our coach. UK is going to be fine. Please, stop sweating Pitino.
[...] Jerry Tipton’s H-L blog has Tubby Smith defending the money UK is paying John Calipari. [...]
[...] And here’s another.UK: Guess who defended the record-setting contract given to Calipari? Former UK coach Tubby Smith.UK: Meanwhile, the hand-delivered firing notice that Billy Gillispie received from Mitch Barnhart [...]
As I believe Kyle Macy said, and let me paraphrase, we care what ex-Kentucky coaches think? Tipton, give it a rest. Tubby is gone.
“I like more good half court Offense and defense”
Boring!
People, get over it. Pitino would not have been my first choice. He is gone, move on and get a life! This is not a socialist society. Calipari will generate 4 times the amount of his salary each year! Wealth is not shared (at least not yet). His salary is $400k each year paid by the university, the rest if from TV contracts and other arrangements. I feel confident with the hire and feel John understands UK and will be good for basketball and the community.
[...] Smith talks about John Calipari’s contract with UK in an article by Jerry Tipton. By Chris at [...]
George, if you don’t like the full court game, why would you want Pitino’s up and down full court pressure game since you said you liked a set half court offense and defense ….that doesn’t make any sense
Still the money is too high and it’s an act of desperation by the UK administration.They now know they don’t control the college bb world. The landscape in the sec (which this year was weak) has changed an there are now many more contenders. UK WAY OVERSPENT FOR A COACH WHO IS A HUGE RISK.
I disagree with George. I didn’t want Pitino back, so it’s not safe to assume most wanted him either. I didn’t see UK as “desperate” either. I heard through some reliable sources that “Cal” was the one they wanted most.
Most coaches who want to go down in history as a “legendary coach” stands a better chance of achieving that goal being at UK than most any other school. Welcome coach Callipari! I feel like we have our program finally headed back in the right direction.
That is just outright ridiculous…Pitino left UK, we didn’t force him out…and as much as all UK fans would love to see him back, we should get over the fact that he isn’t coming back! You want to see that type of ball played in Rupp again…just wait until Calipari gets his recruits in there…all of Gilespie’s recruits are decommitting…silly kids…the smart players that know what is going to happen under Coach C’s guidance haven’t changed their plans…and George, I am not sure of your age…but if you want to see that type of ball played then you need to go back to the vault and watch re-runs of old games…this is college basketball now…I can promise you next year when UK is winning you won’t be saying anything like this…you will be saying I LOVE UK BASKETBALL!!! GO CATS!!!
OH and btw
GO CATS!!!
GO CATS!!!
GO CATS!!!
GO CATS!!!
GO CATS!!!
GO CATS!!!
GO CATS!!!
George Neal, that type of slow offense lead to Tubby being run out of town. The game is supposed to be played at a fast pace. No more North Carolina four corners for me!
Personally I like the run & gun style of Basketball. I think most Cat fans like the run & gun. We haven’t had that style of playing in quite sometime. We are all ready for some fun. GO CATS!!!
Why wouldn’t Tubby defend the $ amount. At some point he’s going to have to sign a new contact too, and the higher every other coach is getting paid, the more $$$ he can get.
How many championships have we won with the half court offense? 1. Tubby’s first and only. You do not win the way Calipari wins without something more than just let them play. Has it been said that Calipari was not the first choice? Izzo would not have turned it down. Football is still king in the big ten. The money is a sign of the times. Alabama started it and it will not stop.
Big Bucks?
Arizona Daily reports on their search what Pitino would ask:
Here’s what Arizona’s athletic director found:
• Rick Pitino of Louisville would have been interested in coaching the Wildcats at an average salary of $4 million. He would have insisted on charter flights for everything, including recruiting and game trips. The cost was prohibitive. To make it work financially, Livengood would have had to eliminate a sport or two.
The Board of Regents would have croaked at the figures. No deal.
UK pays 400,000 the rest is made up through tv,radio,boosters and If tickets at Rupp are $20 each
and they sell out the first game of the season,they
take in say 480,000. I know they have expenses out of that but I know it takes more than $20 to get into Rupp.
The sellout crowds at UK definitely can afford 400,000
for a great coach like Cal.
The risk? Well the umass ordeal found Camby at fault
for his dealings with an agent. Cal was not cited for having anything to do with that problem, he has been at Memphis for nine years and I do not recall the
school being put on probation for the tenure that Cal had there. Thank you Cal for wanting to come to UK,
sorry it took so long to get you for the coaching job.
I think Tubby Smith was Kentucky’s best on-the-floor coach. He was especially effective with players that stayed for the full four years because talent plus experience plus his on-the-floor coaching produced wins. And he has a classy wife who came to the games and cheered the team.
George Neal,
Izzo and Wright turned down the job? Not hardly. Unless by “turn down” you mean they were not asked by the administration of UK to consider coaching here. And it’s not your money paying them, so don’t say it’s too much. Tubby may not have coached and recruited to the standards we rightfully demand at UK, but his anwer about Calipari’s pay was as right as rain–free market.
Support Coach Cal and let’s hope he lands some of these recruits. Although it looks like Xavier Henry is going to Kansas. http://www.uksportsinfo.com
HALF COURT OFFENSE = EMPTY SEATS
HALF COURT OFFENSE = HALF AS TALENTED PLAYERS
HALF COURT OFFENSE = BILLY GILLESPIE
HALF COURT OFFENSE = 34 SECONDS OF HELL
[...] Go here to see the original: Tubby defends money in Calipari’s contract — Jerry Tipton on UK … [...]
The Calipari contract was interesting reading, but does someone have a copy of the contract that BCG would not sign? That’s the one I want to read over.
Good for coach Calipari, and good for KU. There’s another good article on it on the NCAA website: http://www.doubleazone.com/2009/04/in_defense_of_big_college_coac.php
UK has just made biggest mistake in history. Coach Cal’s style of kids won’t live in Lexington, they are big city kids who want the big city life before they head to the nba. Coach Perl and Coach Donovan will eat his lunch in the SEC. How did we let this happen??>>??????????
Cal was ahead by 9 points with a minute to go in the last Final Four game and loses game because he couldn’t teach the guys to shoot free throws. And for that we pay $4 million a year while we layoff people in state govt? We will never live down the bad karma of dumping Tubby.
Consider how much the total UK budget will be over the next eight years (the length of Calipari’s deal)…probably in the area of 300 million or so (remember it may be more, ESPN just payed the SEC a bundle for the broadcast rights.)
Now divide that by Calipari’s salary and you get a very, very, small percentage of the overall budget.
This is someone making a mountain out of a molehill.
Mark Liptak
Leave a Comment