Calipari says he won't coach Knicks
Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari shot down rumors that he'd coach the NBA's New York Knicks under Leon Rose.
"I've never heard anyone in 25 years say anything bad about Leon Rose. ... He's a gatherer, he's a culture-builder," Calipari said Friday, according to The Athletic's Kyle Tucker. "Because I'm so close (with Rose), I'd help him in any way I could being a resource. You want to call and ask me about college players, my players? I'm here. It just wouldn't be to coach."
Rose - who currently serves as a prominent player agent at CAA and represents a number of former Wildcats, including Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker - was reported to be finalizing a deal on Thursday to become Knicks president.
However, Knicks owner James Dolan subsequently released a statement saying the team's search is ongoing.
Calipari coached the NBA's New Jersey Nets for parts of three seasons from 1996-99, accumulating a record of 72-112.
He's also taken Kentucky to four Final Fours and won the national championship in 2012.