UK basketball folks should step into Mr. Blank’s office
Those in charge of Kentucky basketball say Big Blue followers need constant love from their leader beyond courtside.
Wait a minute. Hasn’t that been the case forever around Lexington?
Yep, and everybody knows it.
So why did those Kentucky officials lose their minds two years ago and hire who they just fired? Billy Gillispie is a decent strategist but a private guy who’d rather hug his X’s and O’s. That translates into a nasty fit for a school whose basketball coach must become the Dalai Lama of the commonwealth while winning SEC and national championships.
They got John Calipari, who relished his fans so much at Memphis that all of his practices were open to the public. Still, those Kentucky officials took Gillispie over Calipari the last time around before this one.
Why?
“It’s like when you were single, and you look at a pretty girl walking down the street, and it’s very enticing,” said Falcons owner Arthur Blank, an expert on hiring famously wrong before hiring famously right. “Until you get to really know that pretty girl, you don’t know if she’s going to be a good marriage partner to you.
“It’s very much true in the business world, because you become enticed with . . . the way a person kind of appears to be. You could think, ‘Well, this person can change,’ but as people well know in a marriage that, if you marry somebody and hope they’re going to change, that’s not good for a good relationship.”
No, it isn’t, and Kentucky officials aren’t alone in knowing their needs for a coach, then ignoring them, then understanding them again after many lumps. It even happens around Atlanta, where Blank brought to the Falcons the splendid model he used at Home Depot involving the creation of the right culture.
Even so, Blank hired the overmatched Jim Mora and then the overwhelmed Bobby Petrino. He later returned to his Home Depot principles for the definitive Falcons general manager in Thomas Dimitroff, who joined Blank in hiring the definitive Falcons coach in Mike Smith.
“You can’t bring somebody in and say, ‘Well, they have good skills. Now I hope they become a different person,’ because, chances are, they’re not going to be a different person,” said Blank, referring to Petrino. Added Blank on the Petrinos of the world, “They are who they are, which is not to say they’re bad. It just may say that they don’t fit with your organization.”
If you’re in charge of Georgia football, for instance, you hire Ray Goff, and you hope he becomes Vince Dooley. When Goff doesn’t, you hire Jim Donnan, who has the coaching but not the charisma.
Finally, 13 years and many brutal losses to the Gators after Dooley’s retirement, you hire Mark Richt, and you flirt with living happily ever after.
It was only four years between Blank’s firing of Hall of Famer Dan Reeves and hiring of Smith. In other words, Blank should share his playbook on this subject with Kentucky and others.
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43 comments Add your comment
ButlerDawg
March 30th, 2009
11:26 pm
Huh???
Cat Shabazz
March 30th, 2009
11:54 pm
Good article – finding a good fit personality wise is a big part of the solution – the new Cat Coach also needs to have a successful background. Kentucky is the top of the coaching ladder in college. However, Calipari needs to stay in Memphis – we need to make sure that we focus on minority candidates for several reasons:
1. African Americans make up the majority of college basketball players as college basketball is the minor leagues of the NBA. An African-American coach will better recruit and relate to these players.
2. It is a huge injustice that the majority of college basketball coaches are white – while most of the players are minority.
3. Having an African-American Head Coach at Kentucky reinforces to all that anyone in America can make it to the top – and will give Kentucky instant credibility and positive media attention as well as send a message to African-Americans that Kentucky basketball is serious about your success.
4 List of candidates uniquely qualified for the job include: Mike Anderson, Jeff Capel, and Craig Robinson. Craig Robinson would be a bold hire – but look at what he has done in his short tenure at Oregon State. African-American players will flock to play for President Obama’s brother in law.
Kentucky needs to do the right thing.
misterwax
March 31st, 2009
12:04 am
this black on white crap needs to stop….get over the skin color thing…you have a Marxist Mulatto president who is driving the nation to ruin….shouldn’t that be clear enough of an example? or is it the white side of B Hussein O that is crewing it all up? DUH!!!
Foghat
March 31st, 2009
1:16 am
Cat Shabazz, did you type that wonderful sermon during your break at Burger King or are you home now?
tyler
March 31st, 2009
2:05 am
Cat-You had a black coach for 10 plus years and you ran him out of town, moron. By uniquely qualified you must mean black, huh? You are an idiot if you don’t think that Calipari is a better coach than any of the guys you mentioned. Uk will do the right thing and that will be hire the best guy available, not the blackest guy available. My God, you shouldn’t speak or type anything publicly- gonna set your already repressed race back a few years, jackass.
rob
March 31st, 2009
7:23 am
Hire the best qualified coach that fits your program..black, white, or whatever..Bottom line is can the coach produce a winner..
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
March 31st, 2009
8:07 am
I wish UK would follow Cat’s advice. Cause if UK hires Calipari, UGA will never sniff a win vs. UK again. Hate the guy but all he does is win baby.
» BBL: Battle for (and over) Calipari continues John Clay’s Sidelines
March 31st, 2009
8:16 am
[...] Terence Moore of the AJC writes that UK should step into Arthur Blank’s office. [...]
BBL: Battle for (and over) Calipari continues | MrSEC.com
March 31st, 2009
9:21 am
[...] Terence Moore of the AJC writes that UK should step into Arthur Blank’s office. [...]
dawgfan1911
March 31st, 2009
9:30 am
As an African American male, I must say that institutions should hire the person who can best get the job done. Calipari is a better coach/recruiter than Anderson, Capel,Robinson. Kentucky will be relevant again in 2 years if Calipari is hired. As far as UGA, they are playing with fire with their coaching search. Waiting until the last minute, almost says that no one wants this crappy job or they are aiming for Jay Wright at Villinova. It will be intersting to see what Damon does. By the way, the President alone cant run the country in the ground,lets not forget the mess he inherited from the Bush regime.
AllI'mSaying...
March 31st, 2009
10:02 am
Not sure what happened but will re-post my earlier comment: The Kentucky A.D. (who looks like he is 19 by the way) blew it two years ago. While it may very well have been true that Tubby had been worn down to a numb and that Tubby-ball was no longer the answer, clearly Billy was the wrong choice. As some may recall, he (thanks in part to Acie Law IV) was the ‘hot’ choice at the time but due diligence clearly was not done to see if he truly realized the P.R. responsibilities that came with the job. Now the Kentucky A.D. HAS to hire Calipari so as to solve two self-made problems (and to save his job): 1) Maintain/restore prestige to the job after his shabby treatment of Tubby and 2) Bring in a proven coach self-confident enough to deal with the pressure (a la the hiring of Saban by Alabama). Coach Cal can name his price and anyone who thinks he doesn’t want the job is dreaming. This is one of the few instances in sports where the coach you have to hire must have a huge ego and a big dose of narcissism because (although they ultimately must deliver wins) initially, in order to reassure Wildcat Nation, they MUST believe, speak like, and act like in body language and words that they and they alone know all there is to know about college hoops.
Name (required)
March 31st, 2009
10:03 am
So basically they need to focus too much attention and money on a mediocre-at-his-position thug who enjoys killing dogs? Got it!
waxoff
March 31st, 2009
10:10 am
misterwax, thank you for sharing your enlightened views on race. You are a shining example of all that is wrong with this country. Freakin racist.
bill_in_atl
March 31st, 2009
10:16 am
dawgfan1911, you ALMOST made it all the way through the post without saying anything silly. Do you REALLY think Bush had a “regime”? Any more so than the current administration? Or Clinton’s? Or Reagan’s?
Bush was a big spender, but that was never a secret. The new guy is already spending 5x more. So what can you say about that topic now? Doing something is better than doing nothing? Like if my head is on fire I should jump off a cliff and see if that helps?
That being said there is a LOT of blame to go around. The American people have caused much of it with their irresponsible consumerism where we make nothing and save nothing, thinking we are getting rich with paper value on stocks and real estate when in reality it was never real wealth. The Fed only knows how to print money and keep interest rates artificially low to entice people who can’t afford things to buy them on credit. The Congress is inept and corrupt and makes law that encourage and reward irresponsibility. Wall Street is full of thieves who invent trading mechanisms so complex even Greenspan said he couldn’t understand them and this was used to pawn off all the bad debt around the world and make billions for the crooks.
This goes back a long way and to me saying something like “Bush Regime” makes you look petty and silly.
As to your comments about basketball I agree with everything you said.
Terence Moore
March 31st, 2009
10:19 am
To All I’m saying,
You’re points are well taken.
KYBulldog
March 31st, 2009
10:26 am
Billy’s first love was not X’s and O’s, but cheerleaders and Jack Daniels. The sad part of this disaster is, coal mines lack regulation, people are living in cars in Eastern KY, and UK has cut 200 faculty positions. In contrast, UK is throwing six million at Billy to go away, then paying the new guy four million a year for eight years. This is what happens when corrupt politicians become presidents of universities.
Keeping It Real
March 31st, 2009
10:37 am
Kentucky needs to do what is best for Kentucky. Calapari can recruit and he can coach. If he is half as good as Tom Izzo at Michigan State, then he will be okay. Kentucky and black coaches are not a good mix with the alumni and supporters. Tubby Smith learned that and I am sure that the other black coaches no it also. Rupp’s racist legacy lives on. Calapari will recruit black players just as he has done in the past. Also, he may be able to keep the blue chippers for four years instead of two years since the economy is so bad. He will win. The issue…is the state of Kentucky big enough for him and Petino? This should be fun to watch.
Cuz
March 31st, 2009
11:14 am
Let’s save the politics for the “I despise Adams” topics.
Racism has no place in these blogs.
AtlHawkeye
March 31st, 2009
11:19 am
How did politics get meshed into and dominate this article? I’ve got opinions on the subject as well, but there just HAS to be some areas that are sacred amongst the left and the right. Sports USED to be it!
A shame it isn’t anymore.
Having said that, I too disagree with CatShabazz that Kentucky must focus on a minority candidate. His comments make it appear that Kentucky does not consider minority candidates, which having had Tubby Smith lead them, clearly invalidates that belief. While I understand the point he is trying to make, it is unreasonable to think that if Kentucky does hire a minority candidate, that they are not doing “..the right thing..”. That simply isn’t plausible.
(BTW: I am an African American.)
ALWAYS hire the BEST person for the job, and the situation. Calipari is the perfect fit for the program that the University of Kentucky wishes itself to be. It believes itself to be a high profile program, so the are looking for a high profile coach who can match that intensity. [Though I do find it ironic that years ago when he was considered for the job, there was talk about him NOT being the kind of person who should represent Kentucky basketball. You know, ESPN reporter discussions.
]
But then again, I’ve never been a fan or thought much of the UK basketball program anyway.
jayhorn5
March 31st, 2009
11:40 am
In response to Cat Shabazz…
I have a theory about the disparity between the prevalence of white coaches versus white players in basketball.
First of all, a good player does not translate into a good coach. In fact, most good coaches were not star players. Phil Jackson was not even a regular NBA starter for his first 6 seasons in the league. Coach K played for West Point. Tubby Smith went to High Point. Pat Riley averaged 7 points in his NBA career. Doc Rivers was an NBA starter for much of his career, but was a supporting player. The list goes on… Dean Smith, Bob Knight, John Chaney, Larry Brown.
How many All-Star players have succeeded as coaches? I can think of one – Larry Bird, and he only coached for a few seasons. But some notable failures are Isaiah Thomas, Magic Johnson, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, and Clyde Drexler. The only exception might be Lenny Wilkens (who holds the distinction for most NBA wins AND losses as a coach).
Now, you don’t have to be a bad player or benchwarmer to be a good coach, that’s not my point. It just seems to work out that way. Former players like Jeff Capel may break the mold (and maybe I’m missing a few?).
Look at good players and their mindset. Natural ability plays a large role in why players are as good as they are. Do you think LeBron James was coached to be a good player? No. He is just good. There’s no explaining it. Gifted athletes that become coaches can have a hard time relating to players that aren’t as good as they were as players. You can’t coach someone to be as good as you when you are at that level. You either are, or you aren’t. However, as a coach, you have to know how to reach these ‘lesser’ players, draw out the talent, and make players work together.
Now, look at players on the bench. They get a unique perspective that players on the court don’t get – you can see the entire court and all its pieces as a whole. Players on the bench have to make up for their lack of talent with hard work and strategy, just to get where they are. If I can’t jump higher, run faster and shoot better, I have to make up for it in other ways – movement off the ball, hustle defense, etc., – which are all helpful things that can be used as a coach. Players on the bench get to listen to coaches and assistants strategize, draw up plays, and motivate players. These are things players on the floor do not see from an outside perspective.
All the years good players spend playing basketball, benchwarmers spend learning about the game. And who do you see at the end of most benches in college and the NBA? White players. This is not racist, it’s circumstance.
———————————–
As far as UK goes, I was born and raised there, and am an alum. I was happy to have Tubby as a coach, and didn’t know ANYONE that thought worse of him because of his race. Yes, he won a national championship in 1998, but with Pitino’s team. I could have coached that team. After that, there were some good years, but not good years as measured by us. He lacked the recruiting power. Having a black coach does not give you “instant credibility” as said by Cat Shabazz’s #3 point above… it did nothing at all. Tubby was not given the chance to coach because of his race, and he wasn’t fired because of it.
Gillispie was not a good fit, and I think we will be better off with Calipari. He seems to have the ego to want such a high profile job, the coaching ability and the recruiting expertise. I feel like our team has potential to be a contender for the first time in a while. GO CATS!
UGA FAN
March 31st, 2009
12:44 pm
UGA’s Evans doesn’t have much of a choice in this high stakes poker game for a basketball coach. When your high card is a new practice facility you can’t even bluff. He’s doing the right thing by waiting.
Most Georgia fans would trade a National Basketball Championship for a first down against Georgia Tech.
Hootie Bookems
March 31st, 2009
2:20 pm
To Terrence you’re(sic) grammar needs a little work, especially for a “professional” writer.
JB
March 31st, 2009
2:37 pm
I’m white, a Georgia fan, and I would luvvvvvvvvvv to have Tubby Smith back in Athens. Because he’s black? No……Because he can flat out coach. color has nothing to do with it, as all things should be..
Keeping It Real
March 31st, 2009
2:40 pm
jayhorn5,
Your argument makes sense. I have one comment. Black players set on the bench also. You seem to be saying that white players who set on the bench are smarter than black players who set on the bench. Because white players have less talent, they study the game with more focus. That’s bull and racist. Jimmy the Greek said something similar when he said that if blacks get the coaching slots there will not be anything for white guys to do. At least you are not as racist as Adolph Rupp who helped ban the dunk because of Perry Wallace who was the first black player in the SEC at Vandy.I guess that Rupp could not get over the beating that Texas Western (all black starting five) put on them in the NCAA Finals back in 1966. By the way, Perry Wallace graduated from Vandy with a double major in engineering and mathmatics. He was elected as the top male student on campus when he graduated. Kentucky has a history of racism and you seem to be repeating it. Calapari is a good fit for Kentucky at this point in time.
law dawg
March 31st, 2009
2:52 pm
terrance, please learn the difference between “you’re” and “your”
Bo Williams
March 31st, 2009
3:09 pm
Law Dawg, go peddle YOUR papers!
REALLY?
March 31st, 2009
3:58 pm
HEY Bill_in_Atl :
re·gime also ré·gime (r-zhm, r-)
n.
1.
a. A form of government: a fascist regime.
b. A government in power; administration: suffered under the new regime.
2. A prevailing social system or pattern.
3. The period during which a particular administration or system prevails.
4. A regulated system, as of diet and exercise; a regimen.
——————————————————————————–
BUSH, CLINTON OBAMA AND REAGAN ALL HAD REGIMES….DUH
jayhorn5
March 31st, 2009
4:14 pm
Keeping It Real,
Yes black players sit the bench… so, how does that make me racist? I was simply trying to explain why lesser skilled players get into coaching. Your accusation of racism makes as much sense as a white person getting mad for my post because white players sit at the end of the bench for most teams (less, actually).
I made no comparison of intelligence between black and white players, I never came close to mentioning that white players had “more focus” (I find that argument idiotic). In fact, I mentioned a few black coaches (Tubby Smith and John Chaney) to support my argument. Did you even read my post? So again I ask, how does that make me racist?
Let’s get back to the subject for a moment… I don’t deny the fact that there are a disproportionate amount of white coaches in basketball. I also don’t deny that some boosters and ADs might be racially motivated to hire white coaches. Overlooking a qualified coach for any reason, especially for race, is just plain stupid. But I do have a hard time believing that the entire NCAA would be conspiring against potential black coaches. I’m sure, if you respond, you will tell me to take off my rose colored glasses.
I don’t know why more black players don’t get into coaching. I would like to see a study (not speculation by you or anyone else) on what professions players (black and white) go into when they don’t make it as players, how many have TRIED to get into coaching, as well as what the disparity is between coaches at the D-II, D-III, and high school levels.
And by the way, thanks for the history lesson… let me follow your logic. A UK coach from 40 years ago was racist, so that makes every future coach and current fan of UK a racist as well. Am I getting this right? Stop me when my argument sounds as dumb to you as yours does to me. We, as a country, have had racist presidents in the past. By your assertion, that makes President Obama a racist as well. Do you follow?
I am an Obama supporter and I CHOSE to live in a city where I am in the minority. Wrap your mind around that. And I’m the racist. Right. Let’s think a little before we play the race card next time, OK?
Cat Shabazz
March 31st, 2009
4:17 pm
My point is that there are many fantastic minority coaches “in waiting” that are not given the opportunity as we see “successful” coaches that are retreads.
No disrespect to Coach Cailpari – he would be a great hire for any school.
I will say this – the amount of minorty assistant coaches out there is large and continues to grow. Look at the coaching staffs in the sweet sixteen – plenty of minority coaches on the sidelines.
These assistant coaches are the next wave of head coaches. Mike Anderson paid his dues. Anthony Grant paid his dues as an assistant. There are many more talented coaches out there that – given the opportunity – will be very successful ….. and there are some that will not be a good fit as well.
Look at UGA’s recent issue with Felton – bad fit? NO way – a Classy guy and a great coach. Just an impossible situation at a Football dominated school with a basketball program on serious probation due to the trash they had running the program prior. I am not sure that any coach would have succeeded in this situation.
jayhorn5
March 31st, 2009
4:36 pm
Cat Shabazz,
I agree with everything you said in this post, especially the part about the next wave of assistants becoming head coaches. The minority coaching landscape with probably (and hopefully) be a lot different in 10 years.
But UK is not the place for an assistant (black or white) to prove himself as a head coach. I would argue that UGA wouldn’t be either. Just like Bruce Pearl (Southern Indiana -> UW-Milwaukee ->, Tennessee), Dennis Felton (Asst. at Clemson -> WKU -> UGA), Tubby Smith (Asst. at UK -> Tulsa -> UGA -> UK), the list goes on. You start small and work your way up to the big time pressure and big time expectations.
scottbravesfan
March 31st, 2009
4:37 pm
Didn’t Kentucky just have a black coach for like a decade? If you get a chance to hire Calipari you do it. The guy has the best recruiting class coming to Memphis, MEMPHIS!!!! What do you think he will be able to do at a real school like Kentucky with all that history and actually playing in a big time conference? Plus Kentucky vs. Louisville would be great games.
Keeping It Real
March 31st, 2009
4:42 pm
jayhorn5,
I do not play the race card. I just live under its influence and impact.
The following quote from your post brought me to the racist accusation:
“All the years good players spend playing basketball, benchwarmers spend learning about the game. And who do you see at the end of most benches in college and the NBA? White players. This is not racist, it’s circumstance.”
I take this statement as being a racial excuse generated by “circumstance”. There are good black coaches who were bench warmers but are not given the opportunity to succeed or fail. The qualifying word is “opportunity”. No special favors are required. Just give them an “opportunity”.
By the way, thanks for voting for Obama. I believe that he was a benchwarmer also.
jayhorn5
March 31st, 2009
5:00 pm
You did say I was a racist because I concluded that because a player sits bench, learns game, and becomes coach. You ignored the fact that I included black and white players in my example. That disjointed logic led me to believe you were playing the race card for that sake alone.
And I agree with you. Good coaches should be given the opportunity. Unproven coaches should not. Frankly, if I was a coach that was given an interview based on my race alone, I would be insulted by the patronization.
I would like to know what black coaches you (and anyone else) think would succeed at Kentucky that aren’t being given the chance.
Keeping It Real
March 31st, 2009
5:24 pm
Your concluding statement as quoted did not mention black players in its content unless “good players” were understood to be black players only. There are some “good players” who are white. Notre Dame just proved that when they beat Kentucky in the NIT. As for patronization in being given opportunities because you are black, you must first understand what it is to not be given opportunities because you are black.
I believe that Paul Hewitt, Mike Anderson, Jeff Caple, Dennis Felton,etc. would be good choices for interviews at Kentucky. Felton could not keep his players at the football school known as Jawja. Kentucky is not a football school, so he would be given the resources to be successful.
jayhorn5
March 31st, 2009
5:47 pm
Paul Hewitt has only won more than 20 games once in his time at Tech, and missed the post-season 3 out of the last 4 years. His one golden star is the Finals in 2004. Dennis Felton hasn’t proven himself at the major college level… I like his chances at another school though. Just because he coaches at a football school doesn’t mean he can’t be successful – see Billy Donovan. Mike Anderson was tossed around by the Kentucky media as a possible candidate, but he’s no Calipari by anyone’s estimation. He has the best credentials of any of these coaches. Anderson did stun UK with UAB in 2004 when we were #1. Give Jeff Capel a few years, the timing is wrong for him. And the fact that he went to Duke would be working against him there.
Big B CH 99
March 31st, 2009
6:38 pm
I don’t think too many Tech fans would be sad to see CPH go somewhere else. Many are starting to call for his head, but b/c of the stupid lifetime contract that Braine (old AD) gave him, we would owe him an insane amount of money for firing him, & we don’t have that kind of $ to waste.
To see what UGA fans think about B-Ball, building a new B-ball facility (everyone says that Stegman needs replacing) is nor higher than 3rd on their wish list behind giving CMR the indoor practice facility he wants & expanding the stadium to 100 K.
The top 2 most important season at UGA are:
1. Football Season
2. Spring Football Practice
Keeping It Real
March 31st, 2009
7:09 pm
I do not believe that Florida is just a football school. They have had good teams there for many years including two national champions. Billy D showed good sense in turning down Kentucky. Too much pressure to win. UK will never dominate the SEC or the other conferences as it once did no matter the coach. Take a cue from Indiana. You need to lower your expectations. Calapari is a good choice. He has nothing to prove to justfy his worth in Lexington.
Navigator
March 31st, 2009
7:28 pm
I have a different take on this. I think Kentucky was disappointed with the personality of Billy G. and fired him only 2 years after being hired, and before his teams started to win consistently. I wish them the same luck that I wished Notre Dame when they fired a wonderful coach and hired a high school coach that’s greatest attribute was he looked like Knute Rockne. If this coach is magic so be it, but maybe Billy G. will hook up with a school that has some class.
country boy
March 31st, 2009
8:44 pm
Just asking …. how many black head coaches are at this year’s Final 4????
Lash La Rue
March 31st, 2009
11:52 pm
UGA should now go after Jay Wright!!!!!!!!Damn good Coach.
Coastal Dog
April 1st, 2009
9:23 am
If a basketball culture is what needs to happen at UGA — and I belive it does — then simply hire Bobby Knight: TODAY! All this microfocused search crap is just that. What we need is macrovision. My son figured it out a long time ago. He’s a recent college graduate and escaped this basakerds culture we live in; he calls it “Georgia Culture” as opposed to the enlightened rest of the world. Richt is a start; Knight would be a great hire, too. Now get off your butt, Evans, grow some you-know-whats, and do what’s best for UGA immediately.
Otto
April 1st, 2009
10:26 am
UGA needs Booby Knight as bad as Ohio St. needs Woody Hayes. All he will bring is drama.
Suefchuhcruff
April 17th, 2009
2:34 am
nice, really nice!