[CENTER][IMG]http://www.sportsagentblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/John-Calipari.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER]
[QUOTE=ESPN’s Nick Friedell]
[B]1. He was Derrick Rose’s college coach at Memphis. [/B]
Obviously, Calipari knows Rose’s game inside and out and would tailor the offense to fit the All-Star point guard’s needs. It also doesn’t hurt that Rose loves him and is comfortable in his system.
[B]2. He is close friends with superstar free agent LeBron James. [/B]
Calipari and James have become close friends over the past few years and that friendship could give the Bulls a better chance of landing James. The prospect of playing for Calipari and with Rose in a city that he admittedly loves could be very enticing for the reigning MVP.
[B]3. He has a relationship with Worldwide Wes.
[/B]
If everything you read is true, there is no more connected person in basketball circles than William “Worldwide” Wesley. For years, Wesley and Calipari have maintained a close relationship, leading to a tremendous pipeline of stars for Calipari’s programs. Wesley is a confidant of James and other marquee NBA players. His friendship with James, Calipari and Rose certainly won’t hurt when the Bulls start searching for free agents this summer.
[B]4. He is a master recruiter.
[/B]
Plenty of people have been asking what kind of coach it would take to lure free agents to Chicago. Calipari has been recruiting players for years. He knows what to say and how to say it. He also knows and/or coached against seemingly every big name in the game. If anybody could sell the Bulls to a prospective free agent it would probably be this guy.
[B]5. He has the experience. [/B]
The Bulls don’t seem to want to hire another Del Negro-like coach who has to learn on the job. Not only has Calipari coached for years in college, he also had a stint with the New Jersey Nets in the 90s. He knows the game and he knows the type of system that wins. Players seem to enjoy playing for him. Jeff Van Gundy said Wednesday on ESPN 1000 that Calipari was a good NBA coach, as evidenced by taking the Nets to the playoffs with Keith Van Horn being his best player.
[B]6. He has the cachet. [/B]
Bulls fans want to win — but a lot of them also want a “brand-name” coach. Calipari would be able to fill both of those needs. He is a big name. He is a man who is still trying to add on to his legacy — winning a title in Chicago would do just that.
Maybe he’s sick of the college game. Maybe he wants to coach Rose again.
It’s a long shot — but maybe Calipari is the right guy for the Bulls right now.
[/QUOTE]
[URL=http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bulls/post/_/id/865/calipari-makes-a-lot-of-sense-for-bulls]Source[/URL]
Now I know that it has been reported that Cal is,”happy at Kentucky” and “not interested in the Bulls”, but this does somewhat concern me as he has yet to really just say, no.
I’d say the chances of Cal actually leaving UK is slim, but there are chances whether you would like to realize it or not.
Now, lets cross our fingers and pray that this doesn’t happen just for the sake of the city of Lexington, because pure chaos would take place if he indeed left for the Bulls or any other job for that matter.
:uk:
