University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari has expressed in becoming President of the the New York Knicks, sources told ESPN’s Ian Begley:
Kentucky head coach John Calipari reached out to knicks through intermediaries to express interest in the Knicks presidency, per ESPN league sources. The Knicks do not have interest in Calipari at the moment, per league sources. Presumably, Calipari would want to coach as well if he took over as president. The Knicks parted ways with president Phil Jackson earlier this week. Current GM Steve Mills is handling the club’s day-to-day operations and is expected to lead them through free agency.
Calipari has been linked to other various NBA gigs in the past, but has never worked for a team as president in the league before.
He denied the ESPN report shortly after it was published, tweeting, “No one has contacted the Knicks on my behalf. I am the coach at Kentucky and will be for a long time!”
One of the most respected coaches in college basketball, Calipari has served as Kentucky’s head coach for the past eight seasons.
The Knicks have reportedly expressed interest in several names across the league — Toronto’s Masai Ujiri and Oklahoma City’s Sam Presti among them — but are primarily focused on free agency at the moment. They aren’t in any rush to replace Phil Jackson, who was let go earlier in the week.
General manager Steve Mills has been handling the majority of business for the Knicks since Jackson and the team parted ways.
