Report: John Calipari Interested in Coaching in NBA

Mar 11, 2021; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari takes Kentucky Wildcats forward Keion Brooks Jr. (12) out of the game after a foul during the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Mar 11, 2021; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari takes Kentucky Wildcats forward Keion Brooks Jr. (12) out of the game after a foul during the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Report: John Calipari interested in coaching in NBA originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

John Calipari may have interest in coaching in the NBA again, according to a report from Yahoo Sports.

Calipari’s last NBA stint was during the 1999-2000 season when he served as an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers. As head coach of the then-New Jersey Nets from 1996 to 1999, he compiled a 72-112 record.

Calipari has been at the University of Kentucky since 2009, and won the national championship in 2012. Many of his top players at Kentucky spent one year in the NCAA and quickly proved themselves at the NBA level, including Anthony Davis and Devin Booker.

According to Yahoo Sports' report, an NBA executive said of Calipari's NBA interest, "College basketball is a sinking ship. He is much different than his first go-round but that ego is hard to tame."

Six NBA teams are currently looking for their next head coach, providing lots of opportunity for candidates both inside and outside the NBA. Other coaches who have gone from the NCAA to the NBA in the past decade include Billy Donovan and Brad Stevens. As teams start interviewing, we'll see if Calipari is truly interested in making the leap.

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