Dascenzo: Calipari Would be Good Fit

General NCS Basketball58

On the heels of Caulton Tudor’s great piece on Monday, Frank Dascenzo focuses a little more on John Calipari’s fit at NC State. It’s another good one

Some excerpts in the comments.

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General NCS Basketball

58 Responses to Dascenzo: Calipari Would be Good Fit

  1. StateFans 04/11/2006 at 12:48 AM #

    The Wolfpack plays in the ACC, with Duke and North Carolina and Maryland and most recently Boston College.

    The Tigers play in Conference USA with SMU, UCF and UTEP.

    Major and mid-major: Yes, there’s a difference.

    Once Dick Weiss, the nationally known college basketball writer for The New York Daily News, wrote a book, “Refuse To Lose,” about Calipari. You think N.C. State fans would like the title of that book?

    Since Herb Sendek made most Wolfpack Club members downright ecstatic by accepting the Arizona State coaching job, N.C. State athletics director Lee Fowler has been searching for a replacement. Don’t bother asking if Calipari would be a good fit in Raleigh. You remember Jim Valvano, don’t you?

    Calipari has been a builder and a rebuilder, which means he knows how to do it. What Calipari would bring is obvious — a personality, a tenacity, a competitive zest on and off the court similar to what Billy Donovan carried with him when he took the Florida job.

    We’re talking the No. 1 sport in this here Atlantic Coast Conference. Bigtime — bigger time if you know what I mean.

    N.C. State cannot afford to have fans leaving the RBC Center with six minutes left in the UNC game because the Wolfpack won’t drive to the basket and its 3-point shooters are missing. It cannot have a coach losing 38 times to Duke and UNC and not wanting to put his fist through the nearest door.

    Fowler shouldn’t have to convince his next coach that the Wolfpack is starving for somebody who can beat Duke and UNC every once in awhile and who will inject more fun into watching the program.

    To target Calipari seems like a darn smart move by N.C. State.

  2. JoeDog 04/11/2006 at 12:49 AM #

    If this plays out like a normal coaching hire, Caliparri will inform the team(Memphis) tomorrow of his decision in the morning. Probably make a few calls to recruits, then board a plane to Raleigh. My guess is NC State will not announce a Press Conference until the plane has left the ground and its a done deal.

    So………. can someone, with the plane smarts, find this plane and inform the rest of us non-plane junkies of the plane tail letters?

    I also cannot sleep thinking this could go through. Its the missing piece of our Triangle. Coach K, Roy Williams, and ??? Could it be?!?! I’m afraid to say it and jinx the deal. Awesome for us nutty Bball fans!

  3. StateFans 04/11/2006 at 12:52 AM #

    You did post it, tmc

    Just trying to keep entries tight. Figure that some people would talk about the article after your post instead of here. Trying to keep it clean. Thanks for highlighting it!

  4. mrluvaluva2008 04/11/2006 at 2:25 AM #

    yeah those pretty boys on the lacrosse team right?

  5. WAWolf 04/11/2006 at 3:00 AM #

    Resurrected
    By
    Calipari

  6. wolfpackbball 04/11/2006 at 4:09 AM #

    We need the media to chime in with comments that make this hire sound logical. We are the WOLFPACK. We CAN hire the best in the country. It is not beyond our reach. I NEED TO KNOW NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HURRY UP AND WAKE UP YOU GUYS THAT FOLLOW THE PLANES!!!!!!!!!!!

  7. Tired in Florida 04/11/2006 at 6:13 AM #

    …well guys, he was here and the plane went back to Memphis late last nite……assuming SFN was correct and the staff came as well, the $64 question is whether or not ONE of them stayed in Raleigh last nite……

  8. camo-pack98 04/11/2006 at 7:06 AM #

    maybe we should come out with some SFN t-shirts. red and white with http://www.StateFansNation.com and Go Pack! across the front.

  9. camo-pack98 04/11/2006 at 7:10 AM #

    there is a link on packpride that shows where to get the lunatic fringe t-shirts.

  10. 86ncsu95 04/11/2006 at 7:37 AM #

    You’re right, SFN. Great follow up to Tudor’s article. Dacz..whatever is right. We and Calipari shouldn’t settle for less than the best in the ACC. I haven’t been this jazzed about Wolfpack basketball since the early 90s. I bought 5 new State shirts this weekend just salivating over the coming era, but I still want an SFN shirt, too. I hope the announcement comes today, I need some ZZZZZs.

  11. 1981packer 04/11/2006 at 7:53 AM #

    A -awaiting

    C- coach

    C- Calipari

    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  12. class of 74 04/11/2006 at 7:53 AM #

    Count on alot of good press from Frank if Calipari comes on board. Frank loves Pittsburgh, italians and ACC basketball.

  13. class of 74 04/11/2006 at 8:08 AM #

    WTSB is reporting the Calipari group did tour Raleigh last evening and the official offer of $1.7million was made. Coach C will respond today after talking with Memphis admin. We’ve done all we could and it’s in Coach C’s court now.

  14. Jacques_Strap 04/11/2006 at 8:21 AM #

    Post below is from the ESPN boards. FWIW.

    “Boith hosts on talk radio 560 in Memphis this morning seemed to believe that Cal went on a plane to NCSU last night. Neither seem too mad at Cal for possibly leaving. Peter (UM grad co-host) is some kinda steamed at RC. The other host (Ron T) is the Grizzly reporter so he’s pretty neutral on the whole deal. Neither seemed very sure what Cal would do… whether he was trying to milk max money out of Memphis or had decided to actually take the NCSu job.”

    Below is your morning Memphis paper. Cheers.
    http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/sports_columnists/article/0,1426,MCA_468_4612177,00.html

  15. class of 74 04/11/2006 at 8:22 AM #

    ^They can’t offer the ACC!

  16. class of 74 04/11/2006 at 8:24 AM #

    Per the radio show mentioned earlier, our admin and high dollar packers are convinced Calipari is coming. The old Yogi-ism applies but it sure looks good.

  17. NCSU4LIFE 04/11/2006 at 8:25 AM #

    “there is a link on packpride that shows where to get the lunatic fringe t-shirts.”

    Does anyone have the link to the “Luntatic Fringe” t shirt over at PackPride? I have searched and cannot find it. Thanks for your help.

  18. Pack92 04/11/2006 at 8:25 AM #

    Can anyone post a link to the lunatic fringe T SHirts?

    If only 1.7 was offered Jed ought to be slapped squarely in the face. He is WAY more coach than that yellow backed Rick Barnes and look what he was offered.

  19. Steven_1974 04/11/2006 at 8:25 AM #

    Someone was asking about a link for lunatic fringe t-shirts. Here it is:

    Lunatic Fringe Shirts

  20. Jacques_Strap 04/11/2006 at 8:28 AM #

    It looks like the link I posted is too long for the comment box.

    Try this and click on the sports section.

    Try this link

  21. class of 74 04/11/2006 at 8:29 AM #

    ^^it’s $1.7mil plus an annuity for staying 6 or more years.

  22. Pack92 04/11/2006 at 8:29 AM #

    Thanks Steven!

  23. marathonman 04/11/2006 at 8:30 AM #

    He’s gotta take the State job…there are just too many factors that give us the edge. Plus I think Memphis really screwed the pooch when they only gave him a 5% raise….and then up’d it to 55% just because we came along?…..that’s the ultimate insult…..who loves ya baby??…..

  24. Steven_1974 04/11/2006 at 8:37 AM #

    He certainly ought to come just for the simple fact that we have more fans that care about this than Memphis does.

  25. Jacques_Strap 04/11/2006 at 8:41 AM #

    Hmm. Cal & the Memphis AD seem to be mad at each other.

    “People just need to relax, take a few deep breaths and remove emotion from the equation,” said Rick Spell, a prominent UofM booster who is close with both Johnson and Calipari.
    “If it’s best for John to go to N.C. State, then that’s what I want him to do, though there are a lot of people advising him that it’s not the best business decision for him. But I just want him to make the best decision without emotion being involved.”

    The “emotion” Spell talked about was in reference to what sources said have become heated negotiations between Calipari and Johnson.

    Calipari, who has been at Memphis six years and led his team to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in March, publicly expressed his desire to rework his deal on March 27, and two days after that he was asked by The Commercial Appeal whether the deal was close to getting done.

    “No,” Calipari said.

    When do you want it done?

    “Yesterday,” Calipari answered.

    Shortly thereafter, Herb Sendek announced he was leaving N.C. State for Arizona State, and Calipari’s name surfaced as a possible replacement. But while N.C. State courted Texas coach Rick Barnes — for a reported $2.2 million annually that Barnes eventually declined — Calipari and Johnson made little progress. A source said the UofM initially offered to increase Calipari’s pay by less than $100,000 to an estimated $1.1. million. Calipari considered that insulting.

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