NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 11: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats gestures against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half of their second round game in the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 11, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Kentucky's Calipari open to NBA return

Brett Carlsen / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Kentucky head coach John Calipari is open to an NBA return, sources told Yahoo Sports' Ben Rohrbach and Vincent Goodwill.

The 62-year-old had a less-than-memorable first run in the Association, going just 72-112 in three seasons as the then-New Jersey Nets' bench boss during the late 90s.

Calipari also spent the 1999-2000 campaign with the Philadelphia 76ers as an assistant under Hall of Fame head coach Larry Brown.

"He may have maxed out at Kentucky," a high-ranking executive told Rohrbach and Goodwill.

Calipari has captured one national championship in five Final Four appearances since returning to the NCAA in 2000.

The three-time Naismith Coach of the Year has guided the Wildcats to a dominant 339-93 mark over his 12-year tenure, including six SEC regular-season titles and six SEC Tournament championships.

Calipari remains one of college basketball's top recruiters. Numerous players have achieved great success in the NBA after a year under his tutelage, including Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Devin Booker.

Calipari inked a lifetime contract with Kentucky in April 2019, which reportedly included a 10-year contract extension as head coach.

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