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John Calipari writes about impact Mike Slive had on his life
Former Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive passed away on Wednesday after a lengthy illness. Slive’s passing impacted so many on Wednesday, including Kentucky coach John Calipari.
Slive spent thirteen years as commissioner of the SEC before retiring in July 2015. Shortly after, he began treatment for prostate cancer, something he was first diagnosed with in the late 1990’s.
Under his direction, the SEC turned into the most dominant conference in college sports. From 2006-2012, the conference won seven straight BCS Championships in football. Additionally, Kentucky won the 2012 NCAA Championship, and the league won multiple titles in other sports. Slive’s passing was devastating to the leagues coaches, but Calipari felt led to share what he meant to him.
Calipari decided to write a note about what Slive, which he published on CoachCal.com. In the note, Calipari says that Slive played an instrumental role in him landing the coaching job at Kentucky.
“I am devastated tonight over the passing of my friend and mentor, Mike Slive,” said Calipari. “I knew Mike was not feeling great and, earlier this week, I wrote about his impact on my life. I shared this with Mike earlier today and wanted to share it with you, as well.”
Read the full letter by John Calipari at the link below.
A note about my friend and mentor, Mike Slive
