John Calipari Shuts Down Reports claiming he wants a $120 million NBA Coaching Contract

John Calipari, head coach of the Kentucky basketball team, has shut down rumors that he will only take a coaching job in the NBA if he was offered a $120 million contract.

The report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports! stated:

"For Calipari to consider the Nets -- and, yes, the Sacramento Kings, too -- league sources tell Yahoo Sports that the teams have been informed of his asking price: 10 years, $120 million."

Wojnarowski reported that Brooklyn Nets CEO Brett Yormark was "pushing" the team's owner, Mikhail Prokhorov to make an offer to Calipari after the Nets parted ways with head coach Lionel Hollins on Sunday. Yormark reportedly believes that bringing a star coach could attract people back to Barclays Center.

In the report Wojnarowski explained how Calipari could convince the Nets to invest so much in him:

"Calipari's sell will be this: As his old Kentucky stars - DeMarcus Cousins (2018), John Wall (2019) - become free agents, he'll have the Nets positioned to sign them. His former players have largely kept excellent relationships with him."

Wojnarowski cautioned that if Calipari makes the transition back to the NBA, he would also have to make some changes to his coaching style.

"There are those close to them who say that most of his ex-stars remain reluctant to committing to 82 games a year of Cal's abrasive style. It wore out players fast in the 1990s in New Jersey, and Calipari would need to bring a different disposition to the NBA and prove that he's willing to treat NBA players like men, not teenagers," Wojnarowski wrote.

Since the report surfaced, Calipari quickly took to Twitter to discredit it.

His back-to-back tweets read:

"I am not negotiating with ANYBODY. My total focus is on this team and winning the next game."

"You may have heard me say this before: I absolutely have the best coaching job in sports and I plan on being at Kentucky for a long time."

Wojnarowski's report also claimed that the Kentucky coach turned down an offer from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. The offer was worth $80 million over 10 years. Wojnarowski alleged that Calipari told the Kings that he would only consider taking the head coaching position if the contract was at least $11 million per year.

Calipari has coached for the Nets before, when they were known as the New Jersey Nets. Calipari, who signed a five-year, $15 million contract, had a 72-111 record.

Calipari has been the head coach at Kentucky since 2009. His record with the Wildcats is 200-40.