Report: John Calipari cannot be ruled out as candidate to coach Knicks

John Calipari has shut down any and all speculation about a return to the NBA multiple times over the last several years, but there may just be a situation that poses a different story this time around.

In a report on Sunday, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News mentioned the Kentucky men’s basketball coach as a possible candidate to coach the New York Knicks. While also noting that Calipari has publicly rejected the idea of leaving Lexington, Bondy says that Calipari is “so close” to new Knicks president Leon Rose that he should “never” be ruled out.

The 61-year-old Calipari, who has coached Kentucky since 2009, previously served as the head coach of the New Jersey Nets from 1996 until his firing in 1999. He was also briefly an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers before returning to the college ranks.

Calipari has been linked to teams such as the New Orleans Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings in the past but has always emphatically shot them down. A glamorous franchise like the Knicks with former Calipari players like Kevin Knox and Julius Randle might be a juicy draw however, especially with Calipari’s apparent fondness for the team.