Mammoth Blog

SEC rivals say coach's hiring is good for league

He's bigger than bluegrass in Kentucky. Bigger than perhaps even horse racing.

"I think it's very obvious the impact he's already had," Mississippi State basketball coach Rick Stansbury said. "He's got you asking me a question about him in June."

The new Kentucky coach is the SEC's biggest basketball recruit since Shaq. And in Lexington, he's not unlike Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa.

Calipari, along with the rest of the league's coaches (Coach Cal and the 11 dwarfs?), met with the media via teleconference Monday morning.

Calipari was asked about Calipari. And the dwarfs were asked about Calipari.

His arrival has been so heralded that Calipari referred to the first 90 days of his administration as if they were the first 100 days of a new president's.

"In 90 days, you have to set the tone for what's acceptable," Calipari said. Calipari may have even been the first coach in SEC history to start reeling off Twitter statistics.

"Our Twitter we started seven weeks ago has 300,000 followers and by the middle of July, you're going to have half-a-million and I imagine it will be a million by the season," Calipari said.

When All-SEC guard Jodie Meeks decided to remain in the NBA draft earlier this month, Calipari announced it on his Twitter feed. He even convinced UK president Lee Todd to join the Twitter rage.

"He's the first president to Twitter," Calipari said. "If there is another president Twittering, I'd like to know."

Yes, there are other hot-button topics in college basketball (primarily the one-and-done issue for star players).

And there are other issues with an SEC concern (the league's foundering reputation nationally).

But once Kentucky finalized the hiring of Calipari to replace the deposed Billy Gillispie, SEC basketball stock soared.

"It's great to have Coach Cal in the league," South Carolina coach Darrin Horn said.

"Any time you add somebody who brings his experience and track record, it's terrific for everyone.

"It's a terrific hire. It's going to help their program and help our league."

Because perception says Kentucky sets the national view for the SEC. If Kentucky is good, the SEC is good. And if Kentucky misses the NCAA tournament for the first time in 17 years like last season, well ....

"I think the perception of our league has suffered at times when Kentucky has been down," Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. "So from that standpoint, I think the higher-ups would tell you it's good for Kentucky to be good.

"But I don't particularly want Kentucky to be good," Stallings added half-jokingly.

"We have enough good teams in our league already."

Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl offered his typically blunt, uninhibited assessment when asked about Calipari.

"John has raised the bar tremendously for all of us," Pearl said. "He's already assembled one of the more talented teams in college basketball. He's upgraded the schedule. He's a big thinker, very creative with scheduling.

"He's going to bring great credibility to the SEC. John being in our league is going to make us all better. It's going to be more difficult to win the championship." source>>>