Calipari salutes Larry Brown after SMU resignation
Larry Brown's resignation from SMU left a sour taste in the mouths of many, but one man will stand in his corner no matter what.
"Larry Brown - a mentor to me, a friend, a supporter, a confidant and a basketball lifer - has resigned and is stepping away from SMU," Kentucky coach John Calipari wrote on CoachCal.com. "There's no doubt in my mind that he still has gas left in the tank. My guess is his next stop will be with an NBA franchise in some capacity. He's one of the most self-disciplined, driven and curious people I've met, which has kept him young beyond his age."
Related: Larry Brown shocks nobody with abrupt SMU departure
The relationship between Brown and Calipari goes back several years to when the former hired the latter as an assistant on his staff at Kansas in 1982. It was Calipari's first coaching job, and he spent three years with the Jayhawks before moving on to Pitt in 1985. Calipari landed his first head coaching gig with UMass in 1988.
The two found themselves on the same bench again several years later when Brown invited Calipari - who had been fired by the New Jersey Nets - to join his staff with the Philadelphia 76ers.
"I always say that was one of the greatest years of my life because all I focused on was doing anything I could to help him have success," Calipari wrote.
"Again, throughout his whole career, I would say he is one of the most respected and well-liked coaches. Many of us just want to help the people within our organization and let no one else in. He's never been that way. I never have witnessed him comparing himself to another coach. He doesn't have that personality. It's always, 'How do we make the game better? How do we coach better?' He takes things from every coach because he's curious and wants to learn. He's a true, life-long learner."
Brown was one of three presenters for Calipari's induction into the Naismith College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.