John Calipari addresses UCLA rumor, tweets commitment to Kentucky
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The eve of the NCAA tournament has brought with it a juicy college coaching rumor.
Kentucky coach John Calipari has reportedly shown “serious interest” in the UCLA job left open when the Bruins fired Steve Alford in December, 24/7 Sports reports.
There are no other outlets substantiating the report, but it’s been enough to make Big Blue Nation sweat more than usual this time of year.
Cal responds
And it’s prompted a response from Cal himself.
The night before opening NCAA tournament play against Abilene Christian, Calipari sent a note on Twitter to help ease the worries of the Kentucky faithful.
Before I go to bed, let me just say this: I’m coaching at the Univ. of Kentucky. In my opinion, there is no better job in the world to coach basketball. My plan and my desire is to retire at Kentucky. I think the university feels the same as I do and we’ve talked openly about it.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) March 21, 2019
We’ve seen this before
So it sounds like the UCLA rumor is just that — a rumor. If that rumor provides ammunition for Calipari to upgrade his already massive contract that pays him $8 million annually through 2024, then so be it.
Calipari’s name has been attached to coaching rumors before, but those tend to swirl around NBA openings.
Regardless, Kentucky fans can now rest easier and focus on the task at hand — avoiding work to watch their Wildcats make a run at a ninth national championship.
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