"He'd be great at it": Kentucky HC John Calipari drops his verdict on former Wildcats star moving into a coaching role
Kentucky coach John Calipari said that former Wildcat John Wall will be a great coach if he chooses that path.
In an episode of the "Point Game" podcast, Calipari gave his thoughts on the possibility of Wall venturing into coaching.
"If that's what John would choose to do, he'd be great at it," Calipari, who coached Wall in his only season with UK in 2009-10, said.
The veteran coach said that the former No. 1 NBA draft pick has the talent and capacity to mentor aspiring players who want to play in the professional ranks.
"You would be great around college kids because of the resources and all of the things that you've had," he said.
John Calipari, John Wall settle for Elite Eight finish in 2009-10 season
The John Calipari-John Wall partnership in the 2009-10 season fell short of expectations as Kentucky, which was an NCAA-best 35-3, succumbed to West Virginia 73-66 in the Elite Eight. UK was the No. 1 seed in the East, while the Mountaineers were a No. 6 seed.
Wall played with future NBA players DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Patrick Patterson, Daniel Orton, DeAndre Liggins and Josh Harrelson that season. One of the top teams in the nation, the Wildcats briefly held the No. 1 spot in the AP and ESPN/Coaches poll.
The loss shattered what could have become a dream season for Calipari, who set a record for the most consecutive wins for a first-year Kentucky basketball coach at 19. They topped the Southeastern Conference two games above second-placed Vanderbilt.
During his time with the Wildcats, Wall averaged 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 37 games.
After his one-and-done season, the 6-foot-3 playmaker declared for the NBA draft and was selected as the top pick by the Washington Wizards.
Wall played well with the Wizards, as he and Bradley Beal became a fearsome guard combo. They guided Washington to four playoff appearances between 2014 and 2018.
However, Wall suffered a left heel injury in December 2019 that cut short his 2018-19 season. He then developed an infection from that surgery and suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon and was ruled out for 12 months.
He was traded to the Houston Rockets in December 2020 for Russell Westbrook. In July 2022, he signed with the LA Clippers and was traded months later to the Rockets.
On the other hand, Calipari helped the Wildcats win the NCAA championship in 2012 and has six SEC Tournament titles under his belt. He remains one of the top coaches in this era.