Players First

John Calipari has long been one of the most winning coaches in NCAA basketball, and in this book he takes readers inside his work at the University of Kentucky. He writes about the program's first six seasons under him, a stretch that brought a national title in 2012 and a run to the championship game in 2014. The book is also about the pressures that shape the modern college game. Calipari describes coaching in the era of the "one-and-done" player, when top recruits often spend a single season on campus before leaving for the pros. He argues that the NCAA too often seems to rank the athletes' interests below everything else, and he explains why he built his approach around putting players first. Along the way he shares stories about what it takes to win at the sport's highest level, and about the standout players and fierce rivalries that have given his career its meaning. This edition adds a chapter on Kentucky's comeback at the 2014 Final Four.