The Calipari Circus Memphis falls in love with a coach it hasn’t yet met. by Dennis Freeland First of all, let’s pronounce the guy’s name correctly. It is Cal-i-pear-i. The third syllable is pronounced like the fruit, not like the golf term. That’s the way he says it: Cal-i-pear-i. Second, if John Calipari can create this much buzz just by holding a meeting in the Atlanta airport, imagine what will happen if he takes the Tiger head coaching job and wins some games. Forget the talk about interest waning in the Tiger basketball program. The city of Memphis was in a tizzy when reports surfaced on George Lapides’ radio show early Monday morning that V. Lane Rawlins and R.C. Johnson were flying in a private jet to speak with Calipari in Atlanta. By afternoon the initial report had ballooned into reports of a “done deal.” People were calling the U of M to see if a press conference was scheduled. A caller to the Flyer newsroom said, “They’ve signed Calipari! It’s on the radio!” We had to tell him that Memphis radio is about as reliable as the Internet. One Tiger fan I know was telling everyone who would listen: “We’re back! We’re back!” All this before Calipari sees the campus, before his wife and daughters visit the community, before they look at things like schools, housing, and crime. A family this much in demand can afford to be selective about such things. Remember, these are people who have spent the past 13 years living in the areas surrounding Boston, New York City, and now Philadelphia. It can be quite a culture shock moving to Memphis, or many other cities, from those cosmopolitan parts of the country. Mrs. Calipari is likely to have a say in whether her family moves to Memphis. As major as this decision is for the U of M, it is just as momentous for Calipari, who turned 41 earlier this month. His coaching career suffered a derailment last year when he was canned as the head coach of the New Jersey Nets. Today he is sitting at the right hand of his friend and mentor Larry Brown, head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. Brown was engaged in a similar courtship with Memphis State in 1979. And just like now, a major buzz was created when it looked like the famous vagabond coach had cast his lot with the Tigers. But the deal fell apart — some say it was salary, others say it was Mrs. Brown — and the university hired the much-less-well-known Dana Kirk. John Calipari is not the only man for the job. There are plenty of people in coaching who would do well at the University of Memphis. Coaches who have been mentioned and some that have not (like Appalachian State’s young Buzz Peterson). But Memphians have had the idea of a brand-name coach dangled in front of them, and they will be sorely disappointed to have to settle for someone less famous. They are used to being disappointed, but if Calipari says no — for whatever reason — it would be a devastating blow for the school and its supporters, not to mention the city’s constant need for affirmation. Unlike some, I won’t pretend to know what will happen next. There may be a signed contract before this paper is printed. Or the process could drag on for another few weeks. But at least R.C. Johnson and the University of Memphis are trying to get the best coach available, and the city is showing it really cares about the program. That’s the good news. Meanwhile Johnny Jones Is trying to keep his team focused in the middle of the Calipari circus. In fact, news of the Rawlins-Johnson mission to Atlanta came less that 12 hours after Memphis’ 78-67 win over UNC Charlotte. It was a particularly heartening win for Jones after the 27-point embarrassment at UAB just four days earlier. Jones was exuberant after the win. He offered his hand to several reporters after the press conference. That Jones and his assistants could get these players up under the circumstances — which included a five-game losing streak and a record of 2-8 since a win over Arkansas on January 3rd — is nothing short of a miracle. Many in Memphis thought the Tigers were finished for the year and might not win another game. The players were motivated, in part, by the dedication of the Larry O. Finch Center on Thursday and by a speech delivered to the team by former assistant coach Dorsey Sims. The former Finch aide, now confined to a wheelchair, was mobbed by happy Tiger players after the win over Charlotte.