Both have had successful careers. Both have been to the Final Four and the Championship Game. Both have coached at the University of Kentucky. Both, at one time, have been admired by the Big Blue Nation.
One currently leads the Wildcats into battle while the other sits at the throne in the Yum! Center. But who is truly the best between the two?
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Thats a question [URL=”http://dimemag.com/2010/10/whos-better-john-calipari-or-rick-pitino/”]DimeMag.com[/URL] posed to it’s readers. Who’s Better: John Calipari or Rick Pitino? Here is your chance to weigh in with your opinion.
Here are a couple of excerpts from the article.
[CENTER][SIZE=3][B]For John Calipari[/B][/SIZE]
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[QUOTE]If there’s one thing that Calipari can do better than Pitino, it’s finding a way to bring in the best players, no matter what the cost. Not only was he able to convince John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Xavier Henry to commit to Memphis, but he also slapped clauses into their letters-of-intent so they could go somewhere else if he chose to coach at another school. When he accepted the UK job, Wall and Cousins followed.
Pitino can no longer hide from Calipari’s footsteps. He’s changed offenses and schools since hitting the national stage, and welcomes anyone that is willing to help him win. Heading into the season with the No. 1 recruiting class in the country (again), Calipari is on a roll and he’s the type of coach that I’d love to play for: One who refuses to lose.[/QUOTE]
[CENTER][SIZE=3][B]For Rick Pitino[/B][/SIZE]
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[QUOTE]So in pitting Rick Pitino against John Calipari, I have to take the guy who has the ring. Pitino won the national championship in 1996 at Kentucky, and deserves at least a chain or something for constructing the foundation of the ‘98 Kentucky team that won another national title under Tubby Smith, after Pitino had gone pro.
Pitino has since built another powerhouse at the Bluegrass State’s little-brother university. In nine years at Louisville he is 220-86 (.719), making seven NCAA Tournament appearances, three Elite Eights, and one Final Four.[/QUOTE]
So which one is the best? Who would you pick as a parent to have coach your kid? Who better prepares kids for the NBA and a future outside of basketball? Whose style is the most fun to watch?
Go Cats!!!
One correction to the Calipari quote. I don’t believe john Wall followed Calipari from Memphis. He committed to UK and Calipari after Coach Cal came to UK.
Contact Chip Miller with your Kentucky questions or comments at [EMAIL=”[email protected]”][email protected][/EMAIL] or via twitter at [URL=”http://twitter.com/ukbigbluenation”]@ukbigbluenation[/URL].
