Zarzour: Today is the Day

This is a short one…so, while you are here take a look around and have some fun.

I don’t live in the Triangle anymore, so I don’t have the opportunity to listen to a lot of local sports radio. But, from what I can gather, Taylor Zarzour of 1090AM has done a very commendable job of covering the NC State coaching search.

Evidently, this morning Zarzour reported the following:

* Confirmed the obvious that Calipari was in Raleigh last night to visit facilities.

* Discussed Cal’s strained relations with Memphis’ AD and frustration with not being paid market value without so much prodding.

* Shared that NC State refused to offer Calipari a contract in Memphis. Told Cal that if he came to visit that he would be offered a contract.

* NC State offered the contract that pays $1.7 million a year with incentives that can get him to $2.0 million. The incentives were not ridiculous to achieve.

* I did not hear Zarzour, but my friend told me that Zarzour shared that he would guess/predict that Calipari would accept and be NC State’s next coach. That is not the same as the people on the idiot boards saying that Zarzour reported that Calipari was going to be our next coach.

* The answer will come today.

Hold on tight.

General NCS Basketball

255 Responses to Zarzour: Today is the Day

  1. WP 01 04/11/2006 at 12:44 PM #

    ^ commercial appeal link still doesn’t work for me. can someone please copy and paste the text and post on here.

  2. WP 01 04/11/2006 at 12:44 PM #

    note, I’ve tried copying and pasting the enitre link. It still doesn’t work

  3. Jeremy Hyatt 04/11/2006 at 12:44 PM #

    that’s not the problem, it leads to a blank page, in IE or firefox, its blank

  4. Jeremy Hyatt 04/11/2006 at 12:45 PM #

    can you paste the story here please

  5. monte kiffin 04/11/2006 at 12:45 PM #

    got the same

  6. cfpack03 04/11/2006 at 12:45 PM #

    Other interesting news going on

    Jason Capel takes Oklahoma head coaching job. [wtf are they thinking?]
    http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137835276046&path=%21sports&s=1045855934844

    and Haith gets a big raise [who cares? we have Cal… hopefully]
    http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-haith041106,0,2134887.story?coll=sfla-sports-front

  7. BladenWolf 04/11/2006 at 12:46 PM #

    I doubt seriously that Memphis can counter our intial offer of $2.0 mil (averaged with incentives) per year. Our Athletics budget is roughly $37 million compared to Memphis’ $24 million per year.

    Add to that the RBC, our practice facilities, coaching/satff offices, and from what I hear is a pretty excited fan base (LOL)…

    need I say more?

  8. hoop 04/11/2006 at 12:47 PM #

    JIM ROME just said on his radio show (seconds ago) that he thinks Cal will stay in Memphis. And if he does go it will be because Memphis didn’t take care of business.

    He said nice things about his coaching and recruiting ability.

    He said the NC State job is not as good as we fans think it is.

    “Why would he want to go there and play third fiddle. At Best”

  9. BladenWolf 04/11/2006 at 12:49 PM #

    Jeremy – it’s pretty long, but here you go…

    Tigers prepare offer for Cal
    Story Tools
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    * All eyes on Calipari

    AD tries to counter big N.C. State deal
    By Gary Parrish
    Contact
    April 11, 2006
    University of Memphis officials spent Monday assembling a financial package to counter North Carolina State’s lucrative offer in an attempt to keep Tiger men’s basketball coach John Calipari from bolting to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

    Multiple sources told The Commercial Appeal several prominent boosters have informed Tiger athletic director R.C. Johnson they are willing to present a package that would advance Calipari’s annual base salary to between $1.5 and $1.7 million. That would still be less than the nearly $2 million per year N.C. State reportedly is offering, but the sources believed it could be enough to show Calipari the school is committed to being a Top 10 program, which is what Calipari said would be the only prerequisite to remaining at Memphis.

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    “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.

    Then N.C. State moved in, and chancellor Larry Oblinger and athletic director Lee Fowler met with Calipari on Sunday in Memphis. That’s when they offered the job with a contract reported to span as many as six years.

    Late Monday there were conflicting reports about whether Calipari visited N.C. State.

    ESPN.com reported Calipari and his staff toured the N.C. State campus early Monday. But as of 9:30 p.m., a source close to Calipari told The Commercial Appeal that Calipari had not left Memphis all day, although it was possible he could make a late-night trip to Raleigh.

  10. Jeremy Hyatt 04/11/2006 at 12:50 PM #

    who the f is Jim Rome and why should we care what he thinks

  11. WP 01 04/11/2006 at 12:50 PM #

    They have significant booster support. Fed Ex money and beyond. Don’t underestimate their ability to match—I think they could do it. Memphis will also pay Cal’s assistant’s well. I worry about this being a pissing match between the AD and Cal over not being able to come to terms before now and this being Cal’s way of jabbing back at the AD—but kissing and making up in the end. That said, I think Cal is impressed with what he sees and is looking forward to stepping up onto the largest stage in America for college hoops

  12. Jeremy Hyatt 04/11/2006 at 12:52 PM #

    i’m going break away from this and just see if something happens later, this is too counter-productive ; }

  13. BladenWolf 04/11/2006 at 12:54 PM #

    Agreed WP 01:

    Memphis does have deep enough pockets to match our 2.0/year, however I believe that Calipari is a top level coach that wants the biggest stage he can find to showcase his talents (ref: NJ Nets). That said; I think he’ll be wearing the Red Blazer pretty soon.

  14. Jeremy Hyatt 04/11/2006 at 12:55 PM #

    nc state is a step up, regardless of what the duke-carolina-loving media would have you think.

    why again did he ever leave UMASS?

  15. Winston Wolf 04/11/2006 at 12:55 PM #

    If Cal leaves, their AD will be run out of town by that evening.

  16. primacyone 04/11/2006 at 12:57 PM #
  17. class of 74 04/11/2006 at 12:57 PM #

    I now know why I never listen to Jim Rome what an ignoramus.

  18. NeverGiveUp 04/11/2006 at 12:57 PM #

    Where’s Micky McCarthy?
    I need someone to calm me down.

  19. BladenWolf 04/11/2006 at 12:58 PM #

    Cal left UMASS to pursue “the bigger stage” of the NBA (NJ Nets). Now that he realizes his talents are better suited for the NCAA, he will covet coaching the Pack!

  20. mrluvaluva2008 04/11/2006 at 12:58 PM #

    i can’t do this anymore, i’m going to fail all of my exams because of this

  21. NCSU4LIFE 04/11/2006 at 12:58 PM #

    “why again did he ever leave UMASS?”

    For the fame and fortune of coaching the New Jersey soon to be Brooklyn Nets. LOL

  22. Jeremy Hyatt 04/11/2006 at 12:58 PM #

    i found this old article about when Cremins resigned at GT and Calipari said no to consideration in 2000:

    http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_9_224/ai_60026757

  23. Winston Wolf 04/11/2006 at 1:00 PM #

    Jeremy, link not working. At least for me.

  24. hoop 04/11/2006 at 1:00 PM #

    That link doesn’t work!

  25. hoop 04/11/2006 at 1:02 PM #

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