His detractors like to point out he’s long been one step ahead of the basketball law, the only coach to preside over two Final Four runs vacated by the NCAA (at Massachusetts in 1996 and Memphis in 2008).
His supporters, former assistants and players will tell you no one is better at developing young players. If recruiting and growing NBA talent is any guide, he’s unmatched among current college coaches.
Few college basketball coaches are more polarizing than Kentucky's John Calipari, which makes him a tremendous subject for a documentary. There have been previous reports of ESPN working on a 30 for 30 on Calapari—including this Louisville Courier-Journal piece from last May—and this week the network will announce the premiere date.