Frank Martin gives John Calipari 'best advice anyone has ever given (him)'

UMass head coach Frank Martin and John Calipari have been close for years, regularly exchanging friendly jabs and standing up for one another when the ground has gotten shaky. The Kentucky head coach spoke on Martin’s behalf when he was fired at South Carolina in 2022, ending his ten-year career in Columbia, a run that included the school’s first Final Four appearance in 2017.

“Frank Martin should have been Coach of the Year in our league,” Calipari said at the time of his firing. “No disrespect to who got it, but his team was picked 12th and they finished 5th.”

Martin quickly took the UMass coaching job, signing a five-year, $8.5 million deal. Hoping to lead the Minutemen back into the national conversation as Calipari did from 1988-96, the new head coach’s rebuild started with a 15-16 record in 2022-23.

Martin offers Calipari perspective

As the program opens its ’23-24 campaign 2-0 with a 92-71 win over UAlbany and looks to compete in the A10, Martin says he recently offered Calipari some perspective after Kentucky’s Hall of Fame coach called him for a venting session.

“I told Calipari, he called me last year whining and complaining. He’s at Kentucky and he’s whining and complaining, ‘Frank, wah, wah, wah, wah,'” Martin said of the conversation.

The UMass head coach interjected, asking Calipari to think back to where he was before basketball took over his life, what he did before the fame and the fortune. And then think of how much time he actually spends being miserable at the University of Kentucky.

The best advice Coach Cal has ever gotten

Maybe one month out of the year overcoming bad losses, missing on an important recruit or two, checking monotonous boxes that come with being the face of arguably the biggest brand in basketball? The other 11 months are spent developing talent and changing lives, celebrating wins on the court and recruiting trail, maybe taking a vacation or two. And making generational wealth to do it all.

Martin’s message: It could be worse.

“I said, ‘Cal, you remember what you used to do before you got into college coaching?’ He said, ‘Well, yeah.’ I said, ‘Well, now you’re in a business where you’re miserable 30 days a year. So, enjoy it!’ He said, ‘That’s the best advice anyone has ever given me,'” Martin said.

The only problem? Martin struggles with the same thing.

“I said, ‘I wish someone would give me that advice because I can’t figure that out.'”

John Calipari called Frank Martin last year complaining and Frank had some awesome words of wisdom:

Remember… it’s a privilege to work in college basketball. pic.twitter.com/5JoMs42PyK

— Mid-Major Madness (@mid_madness) November 8, 2023

Fortunately for John Calipari, he may not have 30 miserable days this season at Kentucky. The Cats are looking pretty darn good.