Calipari understands UK basketball
August 17th, 2009 | 
Author: By LARRY VAUGHT
John Calipari’s new book, “Bounce Back,” came in the mail today and I’m looking forward to reading his keys to success because it’s obvious he knows what it takes to be successful — or at least be successful if you are the University of Kentucky basketball coach.
Calipari gets it much like Joe B. Hall did years ago before the NCAA mandated rules that kept Hall from taking his team across the state for preseason scrimmages and rules made it much harder for players to leave Lexington for speaking engagements.
I’m not sure that even Rick Pitino ever totally embraced the Big Blue faithful the way John Calipari is. Tubby Smith did at times, especially early in his career, and was a key figure for many, many charities. Billy Gillispie? He never got it.
But Calipari gets it.
Recently I heard him speak at a Big Brothers Big Sisters luncheon. He made it obvious he enjoyed being there, cared about the organization and loved UK.
Today he’s putting on a youth basketball clinic in Madisonville. Tuesday he will be in Owensboro for a fundraising event for the Owensboro Family YMCA.
But there’s more. The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana will have Calipari for its keynote speaker for at its annual meeting Sept. 24 in Evansville. Tickets for that event are $130 per person or $1,300 for a table of 10 for non-Chamber members or $65 and $650 per table for Chamber members to hear the two-time national coach of the year speak.
He’ll be in Lancaster Oct. 1 for the Garrard County Chamber of Commerce Farm-City dinner. Seating is limited to 200 for the dinner and then 1,000 general admission tickets will be sold for $15 each to his talk.
For a UK fan base starving for attention after being shunned by Gillispie for two years, he’s a God-send. He’s spreading the Big Blue gospel, shaking hands and letting UK fans know the program is going to return to national title contender status again.
Does Calipari have to do this? No.
Is Calipari going to make a lot of money for doing this? No.
Are fans going to love the UK coach for doing this? Absolutely.
That’s why I don’t have to read the first page of his book to already know that Calipari has to know what he’s talking about when it comes to overcoming setbacks to succeed in business and life.
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5 Responses to “Calipari understands UK basketball”
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I can’t recall any coach that has been as active at getting out and meeting the public as coach Cal has been since he arrived. Certainly he has been far more active than any coach we have ever had. I am guessing, but I would bet even Cal himself has never been this active. I am guessing again when I say I’ll bet Cal tried this high octane go to meetin’ schedule out of a perceived need to correct the evils of Billy – and found he actually liked it! A natural question is, will it continue?
I have to agree. Cal is everywhere. Some could be to offset the Billy G. syndrome, but I just have a feeling this guy likes being out with the people
Everytime I read more about what a schedule he is keeping, seemingly all for charity & fan relations, I am flabbergastted at the thought of trying to keep up with him. If his success is only half the smash hit entrance into the Big Blue Nation we will elated!
[...] Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger writes another John Calipari column. [...]
Very well put. He just never stops going and going