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John Calipari rules out coaching Davis and Cousins on the Pelicans

By David Rouben

Sep 13, 2015; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Demarcus Cousins (15) and North Carolina guard Dexter Strickland (1) during the North Carolina and Kentucky Alumni Game at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 13, 2015; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Demarcus Cousins (15) and North Carolina guard Dexter Strickland (1) during the North Carolina and Kentucky Alumni Game at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /
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Even with a Kentucky reunion of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, John Calipari insists he won’t coach the New Orleans Pelicans.

The most stunning trade in recent years happened after the NBA All-Star Game. Just minutes after he won the All-Star Game MVP, Anthony Davis found out that he’s now teammates with DeMarcus Cousins. The package the New Orleans Pelicans gave up for him was incredibly light, too, with the inconsistent rookie Buddy Hield the biggest piece they traded away.

Cousins is the superstar the Pelicans desperately wanted to give Anthony Davis some help, but a big part of why they’ll succeed together is because they came from the same one-and-done factory in Kentucky. Alvin Gentry may not last much longer in New Orleans, so it stands to reason they should target John Calipari to lead them since he knows all about Davis and Cousins, right?

They could do that, but according to Cal himself, it won’t work:

"I’d rather be in the situation that I’m in to … be a mentor, whatever they need me to be. I’ve got a position where it’s more than just basketball. What moves me now at my age is we’re creating hope for people and kids."

There’s no coach who’s more proud of his kids than Calipari. He often likes to boast about the embarrassment of riches he has at the NBA level. But as a coach, Cal’s lone blemish on his resume came in the NBA. He was the head coach of the New Jersey Nets from 1996-1999, and his record there was an unspectacular 72-112. He prefers the college level, where the schedule is lighter, the system is different and he can help develop players into superstars.

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Moreover, as good as Davis and Cousins have been, they only have one playoff appearance between the two of them. Gentry may not be the coach to get them there, but Calipari shouldn’t be, either. They should get someone who’s experienced at the NBA level. Surely, Kentucky’s coach shouldn’t be the only one who knows how to run a system through Davis and Cousins.

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