Calipari outshines the spotlight

He eats. He tweets. He lives among the mere mortals ...

By Jerry Tipton / jtipton@herald-leader.com

Charles Bertram | Staff

New University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari arrived at the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, May 2, 2009. Photo by Charles Bertram

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He took a star turn in the Governor's Mansion. He rode a special train to the Kentucky Derby. He recruited the nation's No. 1 class of prospects.

He was named an honorary member of the Lexington Rotary Club. He coaxed a shy employee of Wheeler Pharmacy to pose with him for a picture. He created a deafening buzz around Kentucky basketball.

He goes to church each morning. He calls a newfound friend from Kentucky daily to check on his ongoing battle with bone cancer. His Twitter audience is 80,000-plus.

He bought a house, hired a basketball staff, returned to Memphis to visit his wife, watched his son play youth basketball, dropped in unexpectedly at an on-campus charity event and sat with UK softball players in a Lexington restaurant as they watched ESPNU's unveiling of the NCAA Tournament bracket.

Asked how John Calipari is doing as the new basketball coach for the University of Kentucky, school president Lee Todd said, "Oh, I think he's doing great. I think there's about six of him."

The seemingly omnipresent Calipari seems to be the total package: coach, father, husband, friend, ambassador, promoter, comforter of the afflicted, confidant of the comfortable.

He made a big splash when he accepted Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear's invitation to attend a reception. Todd, who also attended the event, came away doubly pleased.

Before making a few remarks, Calipari got Todd aside to ask whether there were any university projects the president wanted mentioned.

"So I found him to be someone who's wanting to embrace the whole university," Todd said.

The UK president also soaked in the scene of Calipari shaking hands, posing for pictures and charming the governor's guests.

"Someone asked me a question," Todd said. "I told him, I'm actually just standing here enjoying seeing everybody happy."

No one seemed happy two short months ago. Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart spoke of former coach Billy Gillispie, a solitary figure in every sense, needing to make "adjustments." Gillispie recoiled at the suggestion of being a celebrity/public figure. Maybe most importantly, the team failed to receive an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since 1991.

Now it all seems like a bad dream.

Billy Wilcoxson, a former Board of Trustees member for 21 years, likened Calipari's arrival as "a fresh drink of water from the head of a stream."

Perpetually parched Kentuckians have chug-a-lugged Calipari.

Luther Deaton, the long-time chairman, president and CEO of Central Bank, rode the train to the Kentucky Derby with Calipari. He recalled a stop at Valhalla Golf Club, where the new UK coach suggested they get off the train and mingle.

"He was like a magnet," Deaton said. "Ninety percent of the people were saying, 'John, thank you for coming and saving us.' "

The messianic fervor surrounds a man who talks about himself as Joe Bag-o-Dunkin' Donuts. At his introductory news conference, he told UK fans about his love for Dunkin' Donuts and his desire to reduce his caffeine intake.

Rick Corman, whose Nicholasville-based company builds railroad tracks and cleans up accident sites, was asked to send one of his private planes to Memphis when Calipari agreed to become UK coach.

To avoid media detection, Corman set a flight plan for a trip from Nicholasville to Houston. As the plane began a descent into Memphis, an FAA controller radioed the pilot: "Please don't take our coach."

Corman did not know Calipari. He noticed the new UK coach insisted on carrying his own bag onto the plane. He heard "Cal" make sure his son, Bradley, said "please" and "thank you" when offered a soft drink.

Corman and Calipari became friends. Calipari spoke of how he goes to Catholic mass each morning, and goes to a Methodist church on Sunday. His wife, Ellen, was raised a Methodist.

Corman spoke of his bone cancer and how he's undergone two bone marrow transplants.

Now Corman and Calipari talk or text-message every day.

"He prays for me every day," Corman said. "He'll call and say, 'Did you feel it?'