“Be appreciative every time I don't come in and get your guy”: Former Kentucky HC John Calipari once had unfiltered response to cheating allegations

Former Kentucky head coach John Calipari has had around 50 of his players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. Between 2002 and 2018, every player coached by Calipari who decided to join the NBA after their college freshman year was picked in the first round of the draft.

It is no surprise that young players are eager to play for him and his recruiting prowess is unmatched by any other coach. In 2015, Gary Parrish, a college basketball journalist, reported that a colleague confronted John Calipari about his recruiting methods.

Calipari, a three-time national coach of the year, responded boldly to accusations and denied any wrongdoing in recruiting.

"I am the type of guy who can come in at the last minute and take any player I want from you," Calipari said. "You can spend your whole life recruiting a kid and at the end of the day, if I want him, I’ll get him. If we want him, we’ll get him. Don’t ever get that confused. Be appreciative every time I don’t come in and get your guy.”

"Yes you did say that. And it's fine, but just understand, nothing stupid went on. It's just that I'm me and we're Kentucky and we can come in and get the kid whenever we want," he added.

Paul Dee, chairman of the NCAA Committee on Infractions, said Calipari has always been found innocent, despite facing various accusations over the years.

"No allegations were made against the coach, so there were no findings against the coach," Dee said.

John Calipari once accused of manipulating referees

Arkansas head coach John Calipari has found himself surrounded by various allegations throughout his coaching career. In 1994, the then Temple Owls basketball coach John Chaney claimed Calipari manipulated referees, leading to a post-game clash.

After the game, Chaney threatened Calipari while he was speaking at a podium. Chaney entered the conference abruptly, called Calipari names, and accused him of influencing the match officials. When Calipari tried to defend himself, Chaney yelled at him to be quiet and tried to approach the stage before security intervened.

"Shut up goddammit!... When I see you, I'm gonna kick your a**!" Chaney shouted.

A few days later, Chaney apologized and they patched things up. They later became friends and sometimes posed for pictures, pretending to fight for their fans.

John Calipari left the Kentucky Wildcats this offseason after a 15-year reign in Lexington. He then joined Arkansas in April on a five-year, $7 million-per-season contract.