John Calipari just added a national title to his impressive - and controversial - resume. What will he do for an encore?
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports says he could be a candidate for the Knicks' head coaching position.
There are plenty of reasons Cal-to-the-Knicks makes sense. The coach has close ties to CAA, the agency that represents Carmelo Anthony and - according to a number of reports - has a great deal of influence in the executive suites at Madison Square Garden. He's the sort of big name that the Knicks typically look for when hiring. And the Knicks are one of very few teams that might be able to offer Calipari a salary that would equal or exceed what he's making currently.
Also worth noting: the style of play Calipari favors is already working in the NBA. Both Doc Rivers and Lawrence Frank have employed elements of Cal's dribble-drive offense at the pro level.
On the other hand... very few head coaches have successfully made the transition from Division I to the NBA. Most - including Calipari arch-rival Rick Pitino - crashed and burned. And Calipari's first experience in the pros - he coached the New Jersey Nets for two-plus seasons in the late 90s - left a lot to be desired.
At this point, I think Calipari is the ideal coach for a program like Kentucky. He's the top recruiter in the game today, and no one is better at molding one-and-done future superstars into cohesive college basketball teams. He should be a regular in the Final Four for years to come, and stands a very good chance of winning a couple more titles in Lexington.
Why give that up?
- Knicks in prime spot to get Kentucky's John Calipari - NBA - Yahoo! Sports.
- John Calipari Profile
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