After being gone for seven years, Orlando Antigua is back on John Calipari's staff. (UK Athletics Photo)
It was not a surprise when Kentucky announced that former UK assistant coach Orlando Antigua was coming back to John Calipari’s staff. Antigua was popular with players, fans and media during his time with UK when the Cats won the 2012 national title and lost in the 2014 title game to Connecticut. The Cats were 152-37 during his five years with Calipari before he left seven years ago to become head coach at South Florida. Kentucky reached the Final Four three of his five seasons.
What jumped out to me in Kentucky’s release about Antigua and Ron “Chin” Coleman both leaving Brad Underwood’s staff at Illinois to coach at UK was one simple statement from Calipari about Antigua.
“I am excited that he wanted to be back here with us to get our program back to where we know it needs to be,” Calipari said.
Back to where it needs to be. That’s a big admission from Calipari that the program has slipped. He never admitted that during the 9-16 season that just ended or in any season since UK’s last Final Four trip in 2015.
Antigua was also at Memphis with Calipari a year and knows what the UK head coach expects and doesn’t expect. He’s a relentless recruiter who relates well to players and their families. He’s a chemistry guy for the team members and his smile can be infectious but he’s also a no-nonsense guy who holds players accountable.
He’s also not a yes man. He will tell Calipari what he needs to hear, not what the head coach wants to hear.
Dan Hudson is executive director of the Grind Session, the national circuit that has some of the nation’s best prep talent each year. He knows what kind of respect Antigua, who has been at Illinois the last four years, has with elite players and their coaches.
“He is something else. All our guys really love Orlando,” said Hudson. “The record speaks for itself when he was at Kentucky. He knows how to recruit and develop players.
“I get to see many different people recruit out there and he just has a unique ability to form relationships. What makes him so special is that he tries to make everybody in the room feel comfortable. He told me he learned that at a very early age.
“He is just a special relationships person. If he says he will do something, he gets it done. People respect him and the way he goes about his job.”
Hudson says one big thing he’s noticed about Antigua is that he doesn’t forget players he’s built relationships with even if they do not come to play for him.
“Even guys that he didn’t get, they can call him later if they are needing whatever and he is there for them as a voice to listen to,” Hudson said. “Not many guys are that way. Once you are recruited by him, you are still in his network even if you do not go with him. That goes a long way right there with players and their coaches. I think he is really going to do a great job again at Kentucky.”
So do I and his presence could start paying off immediately.
Arizona Compass point guard TyTy Washington will make his college choice May 15th. He originally committed to Creighton but guess who was No. 2 on his list? That was Illinois. Both Antigua and Coleman know Washington well because they recruited players on the Grind Session and certainly will be on that circuit — over 50 former Grind Session players have been in the NBA — at Kentucky.
Now it will surprise me if Washington does not commit to UK and give the Cats the point guard they need for next season but the good news is that with Antigua back on the staff, more big-time talent should be headed UK’s way soon with Antigua, Coleman and Jai Lucas out on the recruiting trail for Calipari.
