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Sports
New Orleans Pelicans
John Calipari Gets 1-Year Extension That Pushes Contract Through '22
Fire Head Coach Monty Williams
Kentucky Wildcats coach John Calipari has agreed to a one-year extension worth $8 million, a source confirmed to ESPN's Andy Katz.
The extension locks in Calipari through the 2021- 22 season, as he signed a seven-year deal prior to this season that previously would have kept him at Kentucky through 2021.
News of the extension was first reported by Ken- tucky Sports Radio.
Calipari is also set to earn a $1.6M longevity bonus on July 1.
Calipari lost seven play- ers from this year's team that went 38-1 and suffered its only loss in the Final Four to Wisconsin.
With nine McDonald's All-Americans on his team this past season, Calipari elected to platoon his 10- man rotation by having two separate five-man units. De- spite the success, Calipari has said he won't employ the same technique this coming season.
Returning players Tyler Ulis, Marcus Lee and Alex Poythress will be
joined by the No. 2-ranked recruiting class in the coun- try. Heading to Lexington for this coming season are Skal Labissiere (No. 2 in the ESPN 100), Isaiah Briscoe (No. 13), Charles Matthews (No. 42) and junior college shooter My- chal Mulder.
and management.
Paul wound up being
traded to the Los Angeles Clippers before the 2011-12 season after making it clear he would not sign an exten- sion with New Orleans.
Time will tell if Davis re- acts similarly over the depar- ture of Williams, who also has coached the Pelicans' power forward as an assistant on Team USA.
A day after the Pelicans were eliminated from the first round of the playoffs by top- seeded Golden State, Davis called Williams "a great coach," adding, "The whole team loves him."
Demps said Davis' rela- tionship with Williams was considered by ownership and management, "and obviously we still made the decision."
The change came only weeks after owner Tom Ben- son congratulated Williams and the entire basketball op- erations staff for "a job well done" following a season in which New Orleans qualified for its first playoff berth since 2011.
"Monty did a great job. He's done some really good things for us, but going for- ward we just felt like we needed something different to get to the next level," Peli- cans executive vice president Mickey Loomis said.
Williams has an overall record of 173-221, with two playoff appearances since landing his first heading coaching job with the Peli- cans in 2010.
JOHN CALIPARI
(1) Hawks vs. (5) Wizards
Series: Wizards leading 3-2
Game 1: Wizards 104, Hawks 98
Game 2: Hawks 106, Wizards 90 Game 3: Wizards 103, Atlanta 101 Game 4: Wizards 101, Atlanta 106 Game 5: Hawks 82, Wizards 81 Game 6: Fri., May 15
(TBD, ESPN)*
Game 7: Mon., May 18
(8 p.m. ET, TNT)*
(1) Warriors vs. (5) Grizzlies
Game 1: Warriors 101, Grizzlies 86 Game 2: Grizzlies 97, Warriors 90 Game 3: Grizzlies 99, Warriors 89 Game 4: Warriors 101, Grizzlies 84 Game 5: Warriors 98, Grizzlies 78 Game 6: Fri., May 15
(2) Cavaliers vs. (3) Bulls
Series: Cavaliers leading 3-2
Game 1: Bulls 99, Cavs 92 Game 2: Cavs 106, Bulls 91 Game 3: Bulls 99, Cavs 96 Game 4: Cavs 86, Bulls 84 Game 5: Bulls 101, Cavs 106 Game 6: Thu., May 14 (TBD, ESPN)*
Game 7: Sun., May 17
(TBD, TNT)*
(2) Rockets vs. (3) Clippers
Game 1: Clippers 117, Rockets 101 Game 2: Rockets 115, Clippers 109 Game 3: Clippers 124, Rockets 99 Game 4: Clippers 128, Rockets 95 Game 5: Rockets 124, Clippers 103 Game 6: Thu., May 14
(3 p.m. ET, ESPN)*
Game 7: Sun., May 17 (TBD)*
Series: Warriors leading 3-2
Series: Clippers leading 3-2
(TBD, ESPN)*
Game 7: Sun., May 17
(TBD)*
* if necessary
MONTY WILLIAMS
METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Pelicans fired head coach Monty Williams on Tuesday, part- ing ways with a coach who has a strong relationship with the franchise's marquee player, Anthony Davis.
General manager Dell Demps, who'll lead the search for a new coach, said he informed Davis of the de- cision in a one-on-one meet- ing after the move was made. When asked about Davis' re- action, Demps said, "That'll stay between us."
Davis, already a two-time All-Star at age 22, is entering the final year of his contract before he becomes a re- stricted free agent. He can sign an extension as early as July, but also could choose to wait until next offseason.
Basketball fans in New Orleans have seen one super- star -- guard Chris Paul -- become alienated by the han- dling of a coaching change. That was the firing of Byron Scott early in the 2009-10 season, when the team was under different ownership
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