The post Arkansas basketball’s John Calipari makes firm retirement declaration appeared first on ClutchPoints.
If anyone in basketball knows how to produce talent, it is John Calipari. The current head coach of Arkansas has done and seen it all for 32 years at both the college and NBA levels.
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However, the 66-year-old is not calling it quits anytime soon, per Myron Medcalf of ESPN. Even with the recent retirements of Tony Bennett, Jay Wright, and Bruce Pearl, Calipari still has work to do.
“I want to help 25 to 30 more families,” Calipari said during SEC media day on Tuesday. “The only way you do that is to be transformational as a coach. If you’re not, you’re transactional. If I become transactional — ‘I’m going to pay you this to do this and that’ — then I won’t do this anymore. I don’t need to.”
Another reason is that Calipari wants to maintain a strict policy regarding the transfer portal. In other words, if any Arkansas player declares himself for the transfer portal, they are done.
“That’s why if someone puts their name in the portal, I say, ‘You’re not coming back,’ because it’s not going to be transactional.”
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Arkansas will continue to be run the Calipari way
For all that the transfer portal has to offer in terms of bettering players, Calipari recognizes that. However, he also wants it to not be taken for granted.
“I don’t mind kids transferring. You just can’t transfer four times because it’s not good for you. Four schools in four years, you’ll never have a college degree. But that last place you’ll be at, they’ll really be loyal to you? No, you’re a mercenary.”
Additionally, Calipari has been in communication with Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson. He said he and Sampson want to continue helping the next of kin to live up to their potential.
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“Kelvin Sampson and I just talked,” said Calipari about the Houston coach whose son, Kellen, is his top assistant. “I said, ‘We’ve got to fix some of this stuff before we’re out for our own children.”
Also, Calipari’s son Brad is one of his assistants at Arkansas.
Last season, Arkansas made to the Sweet 16 before losing to the eventual national champions Florida 71-63. Altogether, they were 22-14 during the regular season.
In April, guard Boogie Fland entered the transfer portal and ended up with Florida. At the same time, Zvonimir Ivisic transferred over to Illinois.
However, Arkansas did manage to get 7-footer Elmir Dzafic from Bosnia. Plus, they still have future NBA prospect Darius Acuff Jr.
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