Father Time may be undefeated, but it seems Coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats forgot to schedule a meeting. For the past 15 years, he’s been at the helm of the most winning program in Division I history, the Kentucky Wildcats. His reign has brought a national championship, four Final Four appearances, and an assembly line of NBA talent including Phoenix Suns superstar Devin Booker, one of the dozens of first-round picks Calipari’s coached.

No.3 seed Kentucky Wildcats lost 76-80 to no. 14 seed Oakland Golden Grizzlies today. When Booker was asked if he had any thoughts on his Kentucky Wildcats tonight, he replied with a stern, “No, I do not.” This comes amidst coach Calipari’s exit from the team. With coaching legends like Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Roy Williams (North Carolina), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), Jay Wright (Villanova), and Bob Huggins (West Virginia) retiring or moving on, Calipari is one of the “few good men” rather, older men left in the game.

John Calipari’s critics will have plenty of ammunition after Kentucky’s shocking exit from the 2024 NCAA Tournament. With the nation’s top-ranked 2023 recruiting class, the Wildcats’ season ended with an 80-76 upset loss to 14th-seeded Oakland. This defeat occurred in Pittsburgh, Calipari’s hometown, adding a whole different layer of disappointment.

This marks Kentucky’s 2nd first-round upset in three years, following a similar loss to 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s in 2022. Such high-profile stumbles at a program known for deep tournament runs naturally spark frustration among fans and raise questions about Calipari’s leadership. While a coaching change at Kentucky seems unlikely given Calipari’s stature, the recent string of early exits has sparked fan unrest. However, any potential separation would be financially daunting for the university.

Calipari’s 2019 contract extension, signed amidst interest from UCLA, stipulates a hefty buyout exceeding $34 million if he’s fired without cause. While not truly a “lifetime deal,” its 10-year, $86 million structure makes removing Calipari a costly proposition for Kentucky. Large buyouts for coaches aren’t unheard of. Just last year, Texas A&M paid a staggering $75 million to part ways with Jimbo Fisher.

Coach Calipari Shapes Young Devin Booker

Let’s not forget the Devin Booker story with Coach Calipari. His lone season at Kentucky (2014-15) might not have impressive stats (10.0 PPG), but he was part of a powerhouse team that went undefeated until the Final Four.While Kentucky’s 2014-15 roster had future lottery picks, Calipari wasn’t expecting the entire core group to return. The team also welcomed a talented freshman class, including Booker and Towns. Despite the intimidation factor associated with Kentucky’s tradition, Booker thrived.

Today, Booker averages a staggering 27.5 points and 7.0 assists per game for the Phoenix Suns. Tonight, the Phoenix Suns won 128-115 over the Atlanta Hawks led by Booker as he went off, scoring a staggering 30 points! Looks like that Kentucky foundation was laid on thick.

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