John Calipari Addresses Texas Rumors: 'I Haven't Talked to Anybody'
On Monday afternoon, a report came from 247Sports' Travis Branham, stating that Texas basketball has reached out to Kentucky coach John Calipari regarding its new head-coaching vacancy.
Branham posted on a Texas message board that the Longhorns have contacted Calipari "through back channels" in regards to becoming its new head coach. Branham went on to say in his post that he believes if Texas comes to the table with an offer he can't refuse, he'll make the leap and leave UK:
"I do suspect that if a competitive offer is made then Cal would likely jump at it," he wrote.
Calipari responded to the rumors during his call-in radio show on Monday evening, stating that he has not heard from anybody:
"I haven't talked to anybody. My concern right now is my guys, my team, and getting this right. ... I only want to talk about this job. I love this job. I love this group."
Of course, Calipari would never come right out and say that he's been chatting with Texas, but the response isn't one that reaffirms he's 100 percent staying put. Additionally, Texas Athletic Director Chris Del Conte said he hasn't been in contact with the Hall of Fame coach, per Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman:
"That’s news to me," he said. "We’ve been focused on supporting Rodney Terry and our athletes. I have not had any discussions with anybody. That's way too premature, just Internet fodder."
Texas fired coach Chris Beard on Jan. 5, after a domestic violence arrest that occurred back in December 2022. Beard was in his second season as head coach of the Longhorns. He was previously Texas Tech's head coach for five seasons. The firing of course led to big-time names being thrown around on lists for the next skipper in Austin, with Calipari being one of them.
The approval rating for Calipari from Big Blue Nation is currently at an all-time low, as the Wildcats are struggling miserably on the heels of a season that was upended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by the 15-seeded Saint Peter's Peacocks, which followed the worst season in UK history that saw just nine wins.
Kentucky hasn't won a game in March Madness since 2019, and the current trajectory of the 2022-23 season doesn't provide much hope that that streak will end this coming March.
"You're never quite as good as it seems, never quite as bad as it seems. We're somewhere in the middle, and we have to grow," Calipari said on Monday.
It was after that 2019 season where Calipari signed a "lifetime contract" to remain at Kentucky, becoming the highest-paid coach in college basketball. He is slated to make $8.5 million this season — his 14th in Lexington.
Calipari has previously stated that he will live out his contract at UK, but the rocky road that he and the program are currently on seem to point in the other direction. Kentucky is set to welcome in the No. 1 class in the nation in 2023, the seventh time that Calipari has managed that feat in his UK tenure.
COLUMN: Kentucky basketball feels broken beyond repair.
More on Kentucky's loss to the Crimson Tide here.
More on Oscar Tshiebwe's lackluster performance here.
WATCH: Calipari, Wheeler postgame
Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.
Sports Illustrated also offers insight, information and up to the minute details for gamblers. Check it out here.
