John Calipari off the hot seat? ESPN analyst updates his status, Texas interest
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John Calipari and the Wildcats have had a tough year, but things appear to be looking up in Lexington.
After being on the hot seat earlier this season, Calipari now has Kentucky in position to comfortably make the NCAA Tournament and possibly make a deep run.
Kentucky has won 3 games in a row against NCAA Tournament hopefuls, including a home victory over one of the country’s elite teams in Tennessee.
That momentum has brought Calipari’s name off the hot seat for the immediate future, according to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello. However, it remains to be seen if Calipari will have interest in the Texas vacancy this offseason.
Here’s some analysis from Borzello:
Of course, if Calipari leaves Kentucky for Texas, as was rumored several weeks ago, the carousel would go haywire. There seems to be some level of interest on both sides, according to sources, but Texas hasn’t advanced too far in its search, and it’s premature to say Calipari is even involved. The heat on Calipari’s seat from the Kentucky fans has also cooled considerably in recent weeks as the Wildcats went from the wrong side of the bubble to perhaps wearing home jerseys in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Firing him was not really a feasible option anyway; his buyout is in the $40 million range.
Texas parted ways with Chris Beard earlier this season. The Longhorns are expected to conduct a national search for a permanent replacement.
Kentucky is 19-9 overall and 10-5 in SEC play. The Wildcats have 3 games remaining in the regular season, plus the SEC Tournament before Selection Sunday.
Kentucky will look to extend its winning streak at home on Saturday vs. Auburn.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
