Dick Vitale Has Message For John Calipari's Critics
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 06: Sportscaster Dick Vitale broadcasts before a semifinal game of the West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament between the Santa Clara Broncos and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Orleans Arena on March 6, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gonzaga won 77-68. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari is taking quite a bit of criticism this season as his team is off to a wildly-disappointing 10-6 start — including losses in four of the Wildcats' last seven games.
With a preseason top 5 ranking and a returning National Player of the Year, Coach Cal and his team should be in a much better position.
That being said, longtime college basketball analyst Dick Vitale is cutting Calipari some slack.
"For 44 years I have had the BEST job in college hoops.I have even a better record than Coach K as I ‘m over 1000-0. In coaching u can be a Hall of Famer with an incredible resume & have a down cycle & they want u out.Just ask @UKCoachCalipari It’s ABSURD! The MAN CAN COACH !" Dickie V wrote on Twitter.
Coach Cal has been head coach at Kentucky since 2009. His overall resume with the Wildcats is stellar, but his last few seasons have left much to be desired. After his first losing season with Kentucky in 2020-21, Calipari's team was knocked out in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament by St. Peter's.
Calipari continues to bring in world-class talent, but the results haven't been there in recent years.
