University of Memphis President David Rudd released a statement on Twitter Thursday afternoon that said the University no longer planned to honor former Tiger basketball coach John Calipari.
“I apologize for the unnecessary upset, embarrassment and genuine distress generated by the issue of honoring Coach John Calipari on the occasion of his installation into the College Basketball Hall of Fame,” Rudd wrote in response to the social media backlash from fans unhappy with the University’s decision to honor Calipari. “We will not be recognizing Coach Calipari at the University of Memphis. I recognize this will not end the debate and discussion, but it will put this chapter to rest for our University, fans and community.”
The cancellation comes one day after Rudd announced via Twitter Wednesday night, “Will be honoring Hall of Fame coach @UKCoachCalipari in Memphis, Dec 28-29. Stay tuned for details. Will be a great homecoming.” Thursday morning, the U of M announced they would honor Calipari at a benefit dinner, for the Memphis men’s basketball program, Dec. 28.
Calipari, who coached Memphis from 2000-09, is arguably the program’s best ever coach. However, his departure in 2009 to the University of Kentucky and the Tigers losing their 2008 Final Four banner, following the Derrick Rose ACT scandal, left many Memphis fans with bitter feelings toward Calipari.
The Daily Helmsman originally had a roundtable to discuss the Tigers’ decision to honor Calipari. The 180-degree turn by the University scrapped the roundtable at the last moment, but here were some of the highlights.
“The decision to honor Calipari is pretty laughably tone deaf and comes with perhaps the worst timing possible,” Daily Helmsman sports reporter Austin Reynolds said about the original decision to honor Calipari. “Memphis is poised to have a down year that may be even worse than the one a year ago, and Calipari is coaching what might be the best team in the country. Not to mention, he just stole away Skal Labissiere, the Tigers top-recruiting target. And then, on top of all of that, how bad of a look is it to honor Calipari when the current head coach is on the hot seat? It makes no sense at all.”
All four Helmsman staff members agreed the decision to honor Calipari would’ve been far too early.
“One day, the wounds John Calipari left behind will heal,” Daily Helmsman news reporter Jonah Jordan said about when would be the right time to honor Calipari. “When that will be is still in question. The best time would be after a National Championship banner is put up in the rafters of the FedExForum, but that is most likely not happening any time soon.”
The views on whether he should ultimately be celebrated in Memphis were mixed.
“I know many people in this city hate him, and I ultimately don’t think this is a good idea, but sure he deserves to be celebrated in Memphis,” Daily Helmsman sports reporter J.T. Mullen said. “He is the most successful coach in Tiger basketball history. He led the Tigers to the ‘promise land’ and without him at the helm it’s like another world.”
Former University of Memphis coach John Calipari
