Paul Finebaum: Kentucky is in 'worst possible place' with John Calipari
After Kentucky fell to No. 14 seed Oakland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, countless fans called for head coach John Calipari to be fired. Others passionately supported their longtime leader.
If Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart decides to part ways with Calipari, it will not be easy. The 65-year-old head coach is on a lifetime contract and has a $33 million buyout, the highest in the country.
During an appearance on “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning,” Paul Finebaum weighed in on the messy situation unfolding in the heart of the Bluegrass.
“They’re at the worst possible place,” Finebaum said of Kentucky Men’s Basketball. “There is great division, there isn’t a clear path forward and you have a coach who is probably there only because of the price tag on what it would be to get rid of him.
“Stop me if we weren’t talking about this about a year ago with Jimbo Fisher and we saw how that ended. It’s never a good situation when the only reason a coach remains is his buyout. I’m not a pollster in the Commonwealth, but Kentucky fans I hear from are very mixed. In fact, I hear more against Cal than I do for.”
If Barnhart gives Calipari another chance and is not satisfied with the product, he can fire the hall-of-famer for a reduced $27 million after the 2024-25 season. Whether or not Kentucky parts ways with Calipari, it’s obvious the storied program needs change.
Kentucky not reaching the heights it’s used to
In the last five seasons, Kentucky has one won game in the NCAA Tournament and one game in the SEC Tournament despite consistently finishing the regular season in prime position for a postseason run.
In comparison, Calipari boosted Kentucky to four Final Four appearances and a national title in his first six years at the helm.
“You can’t talk about what Cal did the first half of his career because it was fantastic,” Finebaum said. “I’m not sure very many people have ever done better. But, the last eight or nine years has been subpar by Kentucky standards.
“If the same type of record would be applied to Alabama football, the coach would have been gone. And to me, Kentucky basketball is equal to Alabama football, in terms of the fan support.”
Thousands of Kentucky fans tuned into Calipari’s radio show on Monday evening when he fielded questions about the team’s stunning loss to Oakland. The tenured head coach reassured fans his expectations for the program have not changed.
“We’re not changing the standard,” Calipari said. “We’re chasing what we chase here, which are championships.”