By Keith Taylor
Special to NKyTribune
John Calipari isn’t afraid to “dream big.”
The Kentucky coach joined the Timeset app and unveiled an updated bucket list of items he wants to reach mostly on and off the court. In an innovated effort to become even more transparent with Big Blue Nation, Calipari saw the app as another way to reach fans and followers of the Wildcats through social media.
“When I sat down and really looked into this, it gives us another way and another platform of showing what we’re about at Kentucky and where we’re headed,” he said. “It’s a unique way to let our fans in and will even give me a personal list – a bucket list, if you will – to help guide myself. And then I loved the fact that this is something new and something no one else is doing yet. Now I know that will change once our fans get a hold of it, but we take pride in being the first to do something when it’s something special like this.”
That bucket list includes eight lofty goals he wants to achieve for the remainder of his coaching career and Calipari said he plans to use the platform “to give you an inside look at what this program is about” and added that he’s not afraid to “dream big.”
Calipari’s goals are as follows:
* To win multiple championships at UK.
Calipari won his first national title at Kentucky in 2012 when he went 38-2
* Raise $50 million for charity through the Calipari foundation.
That should be an attainable goal considering his popularity in Kentucky.
* Produce six consecutive 30-win seasons.
In his first eight years with Kentucky, Calipari has captured at least 30 victories in four of his eight seasons in Lexington.
* Six picks in the first round of the NBA Draft.
During his first season in 2009-10, five of his former players were first-round draft picks, including top pick John Wall, the school’s first top selection in the yearly draft.
* Achieve a 40-0 season.
Calipari came close during the 2014-15 season when the Wildcats finished 31-0 during the regular-season, but lost to Wisconsin in the Final Four. Kentucky finished 38-1 that season. Kentucky’s national championship team in. 2012 finished with a remarkable 38-2 record.
* Back-to-back No. 1 draft picks.
Calipari has produced three top picks in the draft with Wall (2010), Anthony Davis (2012) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2015) but none in consecutive fashion.
* 1-2-3 picks in same draft.
Calipari had the first two with Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in 2012, but pulled off the top three picks in the same draft would be a tougher task.
*Coach one-half guys from the same team in the NBA All-Star game.
As he adds more players in the league, the feat becomes more of a reality than a fantasy.
Always an innovator
Last season, Calipari began a podcast, which was well-received. Calipari’s list of guests included Louisville coach Rick Pitino and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Rothleisburger.
Calipari said the podcast took “about 30 minutes a week.”
“We had friends of mine on. It’s like two guys drinking coffee, and you’re a fly on the wall,” he said. “There’s been over a million listens. Did you hear what I just said? People are like crazy out there. We don’t know that. There were a million listens to these podcasts.”
Although a success in the first season, Calipari isn’t sure if he will continue the podcast next year.
“Will I do it again next year? I don’t know,” he said. “I’m hoping 20 other coaches do them so I can stop doing it. Then I don’t have to do it. But right now, I’m like the only coach that does it.”
Keith Taylor is a senior sports writer for KyForward, where he primarily covers University of Kentucky sports. Reach him at keith.taylor@kyforward.com or @keithtaylor21 on Twitter