Support your coach...

It really does amaze me how quickly the Memphis community has turned their back on their once and future king. The press, the fans, and even some of the school's administration have been outspoken about their former coach, and this was even before the announcement of the NCAA's decision to vacate the 38 wins and Final Four appearance from two years ago. Let's not forget, the administration at Memphis was fully aware of the NCAA's investigation into Rose's test score long before they had multiple closed door meetings with Cal, begging him to stay at Memphis, while also calling in big money from alumni and boosters to sweeten the pot. Meanwhile, fans flooded message boards and blogs, begging Calipari to stay at Memphis.

Clearly, all of this caused Calipari to struggle with the decision to leave Memphis. He had made it their home for over nine years, and it truly was home to him and his family. He poured blood, sweat and tears into not only the basketball program, but the school and the community that it represented. When having a press conference at the front gate of his Memphis estate, Calipari was visibly shaken, and had to retreat indoors to recompose himself. This wasn't a man running for the hills because of some investigation or a bigger pay check. No, this was a man wrestling with the decision to move his life from Memphis to Lexington, with the notion of transforming from a Tiger into a Wildcat.

Calipari was a millionaire before taking the UK job. He was a successful coach, author, and business man, and he certainly didn't need the Kentucky job to secure his family's future or his own financial security. No, that was already settled long before stepping foot on the bluegrass. He didn't even need the Kentucky job to win a National Title. He had already built Memphis into a perennial powerhouse, dominating the C-USA year in and year out before earning a high seed in the NCAA tournament each March. Eventually, he would have won a title at Memphis. No, this was a man leaving a good situation in Memphis for his dream job in Kentucky.

Before the public announcement of the Rose investigation, the Memphis fan base's complaints seemed like sour grapes, but afterwards (at least in their own minds), they had a legit reason to condemn their former savior. However, had Calipari stayed at Memphis, the Tiger fans and media would have been quick to rally around their coach and program and push away the naysayers. But Calipari isn't at Memphis, and the people that once supported him are now throwing stones.

No, Cal isn't in Memphis... he's in Kentucky, and now is the time for BigBlueNation to stand united around our new coach as we start down this Glory Road together.