2 Good Coaches

Squeaky Clean

“ Upperclassmen instead of children lead their teams at Maryland and Michigan State, and the men in charge, who seem mostly uninterested in securing the fleeting services of the next one-semester wonder, are almost ghosts in the profession. ”

The WaPost has an excellent story on Michigan State coach (and Al Gore look-alike ) Tom Izzo, and the Terp's Gary Williams -[Maryland Coach Gary Williams, Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo continue to run their programs the right way] . "Right way," meaning they don't cheat.  If the Terps have to lose, I want it to be by a team like MSU, and not, say, Kentucky. [see The Sleaziest Coach in a Sleazy Game] - excerpt:, and no it's not Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun.  “ John Calipari Even if Kentucky wins, historical precedent says that, sooner or later, they won't win. For example, in 1996, a 35-2 University of Massachusetts team coached by John Calipari made it all the way to the Final Four. A year later, because of a tangled scandal involving Marcus Camby, jewelry, and hookers, the NCAA stripped UMass of its tournament victories, forced the school to pay back $151,617 in tournament revenues, and expunged the team's accomplishments from the official record book. Then, in 2008, a 38-2 Memphis team coached by John Calipari made it all the way to the championship game. A year later, because of a tangled scandal involving papier-mâché SAT scores, the NCAA stripped Memphis of its tournament victories, forced the school to pay back more than $500,000 in tournament revenues, and expunged the team's accomplishments from the official record book. This is awe-inspiring. Two schools, at different times and in different places, both with their greatest seasons erased from the record books, and both of them coached by the same guy. None of college basketball's other historic buccaneers ever pulled this off. Not Jerry Tarkanian at Long Beach and UNLV. Not Norm Ellenberger, the New Mexico coach who came a cropper because he committed recruiting violations over a telephone that already had been tapped by the FBI. Not even the late Dana Kirk, one of Calipari's predecessors at Memphis, whose corruption was so blatant that he actually went to prison. None of these legends have accomplished what John Calipari's programs have. ” How's that for a resume.