Calipari named to Conference USA Hall of Fame

Coach Cal is being honored for his accomplishments at Memphis.
FILE - In this March 26, 2009, file photo, Memphis coach John Calipari yells to officials as...
FILE - In this March 26, 2009, file photo, Memphis coach John Calipari yells to officials as his players look on during an NCAA college basketball tournament regional semifinal game in Glendale, Ariz. The NCAA Tournament is bringing coach Calipari back to the town where fans still hate him for ditching the Memphis Tigers for Kentucky in 2009, a decision all the more painful because the coach's best season was wiped off the books just months after leaving. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)(Mark J. Terrill | AP)
Published: Jul. 18, 2022 at 10:33 PM EDT
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LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer John Calipari has been named to the Conference USA Hall of Fame.

C-USA created its Hall of Fame in 2019 and the 2022 class features five inductees. Coach Cal is being honored for his accomplishments at Memphis. He coached from the 2000-01 season through 2008-09. Calipari led the Tigers to the 2008 NCAA title game, including 38 wins that season, making him the winningest coach for a single season in NCAA history.

As a result, he earned his second Naismith National Coach of the Year honor, becoming only the second coach to earn the honor multiple times since its inception in 1987. He was also C-USA Coach of the Year that season.

“Ellen and I relish our time in Conference USA and this honor does not happen without support of the tremendous staff and players we had, as well as the support of a great athletic director like R.C. Johnson,” Coach Cal said. “Thank you Conference USA and all of my staff and players for your role in this.”

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