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Success Is the Only Option: The Art of Coaching Extreme Talent
Kentucky’s charismatic coach shares the secrets of creating one of the premiere programs in college basketball, revealing how he transforms a group of former high school superstars into selfless, cohesive teams—including a remarkable squad last year that fell just one game short of a perfect season.
Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari is known for his unparalleled ability to recruit the nation’s best young players, some of whom will spend just one year with him before going to the NBA, and convincing them to commit to the team without sacrificing their personal goals. It is a promise he makes to "Fully invest in the present—and each other—and I guarantee it will serve your future."
Here, for the first time, he distills his team-building methods in ways that apply to CEOs, business owners, coaches, teachers and leaders of all kinds—lessons for anyone seeking to inspire talented individuals to reach for their best selves and contribute to a greater good.
A basketball team is an intimate workplace, in which blend is everything and character matters. As such, it is a window into the nature of successful leadership. Calipari views each new team like a startup business—one composed of new players, new relationships, and new challenges. Each season is a series of discoveries as he learns how to unleash the extreme talent in each of his players and mold them into championship material as college basketball comes to a crescendo every spring. While he can’t control everything, he is responsible for everything—just like a CEO.
An enlightening look at leadership, management, and team building, Success Is the Only Option offers the keys to winning, on and off the court.
Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari is known for his unparalleled ability to recruit the nation’s best young players, some of whom will spend just one year with him before going to the NBA, and convincing them to commit to the team without sacrificing their personal goals. It is a promise he makes to "Fully invest in the present—and each other—and I guarantee it will serve your future."
Here, for the first time, he distills his team-building methods in ways that apply to CEOs, business owners, coaches, teachers and leaders of all kinds—lessons for anyone seeking to inspire talented individuals to reach for their best selves and contribute to a greater good.
A basketball team is an intimate workplace, in which blend is everything and character matters. As such, it is a window into the nature of successful leadership. Calipari views each new team like a startup business—one composed of new players, new relationships, and new challenges. Each season is a series of discoveries as he learns how to unleash the extreme talent in each of his players and mold them into championship material as college basketball comes to a crescendo every spring. While he can’t control everything, he is responsible for everything—just like a CEO.
An enlightening look at leadership, management, and team building, Success Is the Only Option offers the keys to winning, on and off the court.
249 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2016
21 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
About the author
John Calipari
14 books14 followersJohn Vincent Calipari (born February 10, 1959) is an American basketball coach. Since April 2009, he has been the men's head coach at Kentucky. He was the head coach of the Dominican Republic national team in 2011 and 2012.
Calipari is the former head coach of the University of Memphis Tigers, the University of Massachusetts Minutemen, and the National Basketball Association's New Jersey Nets. Calipari has officially been to 3 Final Fours, all three with Kentucky (2011, 2012, 2014). He had previously led UMass in 1996 and Memphis in 2008 to the Final Four, but those appearances were later vacated. Consequently, Calipari is the only head coach to have Final Four appearances vacated at more than one school, although Calipari himself was not personally implicated by the NCAA in either case. As a college coach, Calipari has 20 (19 officially) 20-win seasons, 8 (7 officially) 30-win seasons, and has been named National Coach of the Year 3 times. Calipari is widely regarded as one of the best recruiters in college basketball history.
In the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Calipari led Kentucky to its 8th NCAA Tournament Championship, and the first of his career.
From 1982 to 1985, Calipari was an assistant at the University of Kansas under Ted Owens and Larry Brown. From 1985 to 1988, he was an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh under Paul Evans. From 1988 to 1996, he was head coach at the University of Massachusetts. From 1996 to 1999, he was head coach and Executive VP of basketball operations for the NBA's New Jersey Nets. During the 1999–2000 season, he was an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers under coach Larry Brown, before moving on to his next position at the University of Memphis. He was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
In his 21 official seasons (22 seasons overall, 21 official, with one entire season later being vacated) as a collegiate head coach, Calipari's record is 548–171 (.762). His record in the month of March is 98–37 (.726). His record in the NCAA tournament is 38–13 (.745), and in the NIT is 15–6 (.714). His teams have made 14 NCAA tournament appearances (12 official, due to 2 later being vacated), including reaching the Sweet Sixteen 11 times (9 official, due to 2 later being vacated), the Elite Eight 9 times (7 official, due to 2 later being vacated), the Final Four 4 times (2 official, due to 2 later being vacated), the NCAA Championship Game twice (once officially, with the 2008 Championship Game appearance while at Memphis being vacated by the NCAA), winning the NCAA Championship at Kentucky in 2012.
As a college coach, Calipari has 19 20-win seasons (18 official) and 8 30-win seasons (7 official). He has also coached 6 teams to the NIT, winning the NIT Championship at Memphis in 2002. He is one of only four coaches in NCAA Division I history to direct three different schools to a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Calipari is the former head coach of the University of Memphis Tigers, the University of Massachusetts Minutemen, and the National Basketball Association's New Jersey Nets. Calipari has officially been to 3 Final Fours, all three with Kentucky (2011, 2012, 2014). He had previously led UMass in 1996 and Memphis in 2008 to the Final Four, but those appearances were later vacated. Consequently, Calipari is the only head coach to have Final Four appearances vacated at more than one school, although Calipari himself was not personally implicated by the NCAA in either case. As a college coach, Calipari has 20 (19 officially) 20-win seasons, 8 (7 officially) 30-win seasons, and has been named National Coach of the Year 3 times. Calipari is widely regarded as one of the best recruiters in college basketball history.
In the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Calipari led Kentucky to its 8th NCAA Tournament Championship, and the first of his career.
From 1982 to 1985, Calipari was an assistant at the University of Kansas under Ted Owens and Larry Brown. From 1985 to 1988, he was an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh under Paul Evans. From 1988 to 1996, he was head coach at the University of Massachusetts. From 1996 to 1999, he was head coach and Executive VP of basketball operations for the NBA's New Jersey Nets. During the 1999–2000 season, he was an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers under coach Larry Brown, before moving on to his next position at the University of Memphis. He was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.
In his 21 official seasons (22 seasons overall, 21 official, with one entire season later being vacated) as a collegiate head coach, Calipari's record is 548–171 (.762). His record in the month of March is 98–37 (.726). His record in the NCAA tournament is 38–13 (.745), and in the NIT is 15–6 (.714). His teams have made 14 NCAA tournament appearances (12 official, due to 2 later being vacated), including reaching the Sweet Sixteen 11 times (9 official, due to 2 later being vacated), the Elite Eight 9 times (7 official, due to 2 later being vacated), the Final Four 4 times (2 official, due to 2 later being vacated), the NCAA Championship Game twice (once officially, with the 2008 Championship Game appearance while at Memphis being vacated by the NCAA), winning the NCAA Championship at Kentucky in 2012.
As a college coach, Calipari has 19 20-win seasons (18 official) and 8 30-win seasons (7 official). He has also coached 6 teams to the NIT, winning the NIT Championship at Memphis in 2002. He is one of only four coaches in NCAA Division I history to direct three different schools to a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 5, 2017
TODO:
+ Excellent account of team management, when the team is comprised of elite young talent, and the focus is split between talent development and competing in a closed market.
+ Why young takent matters? Can young talent succeed in pro life? (read in combination with other books analyzing success at young age, such as Boys among Men)
+ How to recruit and retain young talent? A: Focus on development through competition. Talent attracts talent. Understand the next professional step for your talent, and focus on them reaching it. Present a larger than individual goal. Form a team.
+ How to develop young talent? A: plan long-term goals, but focus on current performance. Track performance and discuss metrics and process to improve. Give confidence by focusing on strengths, but strengths useful for the next professional step and not perceived strengths. Expand from core strengths whenever possible, by changing another strength into an elite skill or capability; do not focus on weaknesses much, because they can be masked by the team and will anyway not be converted into elite skill or capability.
+ How to both develop talent and win in your market? A: metrics, focus, ability to tell everyone the truth, ability to decide for the team.
+ Which metrica to use? A: if it exists, a metric easily understood and carried through the entire market (here, wins), plus a metric under your control and that typically translates into external results (effort in practice). Also, detailed metrics quantifying desirable behavior, but also focus on the metrics the industry unerstand; for the latter, focus exclusively on efficiency metrics.
+ How to address high churn, when young talent develops and are hired to become professionals? A: recruit early, even at risk to have too much talent.
+ Other elements? A: mission in life, projection of strength, pragmatism.
Excellent book, much of which is aligned with my own vision. Calipari has a different market and a domain that is much easier to measure, but also operates in a smaller market. I do not agree with focusing only on today, instead of long-term higher intellectual goals; imo, this would not work in creative markets, where at the top the spark of creativity is the main currency, and is also not what we should do in the academia.
+ Excellent account of team management, when the team is comprised of elite young talent, and the focus is split between talent development and competing in a closed market.
+ Why young takent matters? Can young talent succeed in pro life? (read in combination with other books analyzing success at young age, such as Boys among Men)
+ How to recruit and retain young talent? A: Focus on development through competition. Talent attracts talent. Understand the next professional step for your talent, and focus on them reaching it. Present a larger than individual goal. Form a team.
+ How to develop young talent? A: plan long-term goals, but focus on current performance. Track performance and discuss metrics and process to improve. Give confidence by focusing on strengths, but strengths useful for the next professional step and not perceived strengths. Expand from core strengths whenever possible, by changing another strength into an elite skill or capability; do not focus on weaknesses much, because they can be masked by the team and will anyway not be converted into elite skill or capability.
+ How to both develop talent and win in your market? A: metrics, focus, ability to tell everyone the truth, ability to decide for the team.
+ Which metrica to use? A: if it exists, a metric easily understood and carried through the entire market (here, wins), plus a metric under your control and that typically translates into external results (effort in practice). Also, detailed metrics quantifying desirable behavior, but also focus on the metrics the industry unerstand; for the latter, focus exclusively on efficiency metrics.
+ How to address high churn, when young talent develops and are hired to become professionals? A: recruit early, even at risk to have too much talent.
+ Other elements? A: mission in life, projection of strength, pragmatism.
Excellent book, much of which is aligned with my own vision. Calipari has a different market and a domain that is much easier to measure, but also operates in a smaller market. I do not agree with focusing only on today, instead of long-term higher intellectual goals; imo, this would not work in creative markets, where at the top the spark of creativity is the main currency, and is also not what we should do in the academia.
December 28, 2016
I won this book through GoodReads First Read program.
Coach John Calipari gives you a glimpse into the University of Kentucky's basketball program. How do you balance 12 of the best recruits in the nation in one program? Calipari covers recruiting the star players and the obstacles he faces from other coaches and the recruit's family and friends. Don't feel too sorry for the guy. Despite these "obstacles" he almost always has the top recruiting class in the nation.
Kentucky has become a one and done program with the top recruits coming to Kentucky to play one year and then declare for the NBA. I personally think it is too bad that you don't see many great four year players anymore. It just doesn't make sense for them to play additional years and risk their earning power. Kentucky is a program that gets young men ready for the NBA.
Coach Calipari tries to make his book applicable to leadership of corporations or businesses. That just doesn't fly for me. Any comparison is forced to try and sell books to those who aren't huge Kentucky basketball fans.
Coach John Calipari gives you a glimpse into the University of Kentucky's basketball program. How do you balance 12 of the best recruits in the nation in one program? Calipari covers recruiting the star players and the obstacles he faces from other coaches and the recruit's family and friends. Don't feel too sorry for the guy. Despite these "obstacles" he almost always has the top recruiting class in the nation.
Kentucky has become a one and done program with the top recruits coming to Kentucky to play one year and then declare for the NBA. I personally think it is too bad that you don't see many great four year players anymore. It just doesn't make sense for them to play additional years and risk their earning power. Kentucky is a program that gets young men ready for the NBA.
Coach Calipari tries to make his book applicable to leadership of corporations or businesses. That just doesn't fly for me. Any comparison is forced to try and sell books to those who aren't huge Kentucky basketball fans.
January 23, 2017
Great book, very motivational and great insights into successful thinking process. You don't have to know much about basketball to read this, however, being a fan of Kentucky basketball definitely helps as it is clearly the topic of reference throughout the book. Huge UK fan and I really enjoyed reading this book. Very Motivational!
December 29, 2016
Excellent quick read on identifying and recruiting extreme talent, getting those individuals to become the best versions of themselves and servant leaders, which oh by the way usually results in final fours and NBA lottery picks. Great read for college basketball fans and business leaders.
August 14, 2024
I'm just a basketball fan so I enjoyed reading all the stories about his former players. There's some decent business minded advice in there as for how he runs his teams that can be applied to a team in any setting, sports or not, but I mainly just read it for the basketball stories
January 19, 2017
An interesting and easy read for Kentucky basketball fans, but I was pleasantly surprised by some good life lessons, too.
March 20, 2017
This book is probably more for the business owners, coaches, etc but could also apply to everyday life. I liked it because it chronicled the past few seasons of Kentucky basketball a little more in-depth. If you're interested in a deep dive into the mind of a coach/leader, this book is for you.
November 9, 2016
I’M LOOKING FOR LIVELY MINDS
In SUCCESS IS THE ONLY OPTION, John Calipari provides us his "pearls of wisdom" on coaching and nurturing young, budding athletes. The title suggests that the coach is bottom-line driven, and will stop at nothing to achieve it--but that's not really the case. This book reveals that the author considers his players a lot more than just a means to an end.
The author takes his coaching job seriously; in fact, he really looks out for the whole life of the athlete--not just his ability on the court: "I consider myself an educator as well as a coach." Each chapter in the book covers a certain theme about coaching. Some are about giving fatherly advice, whilst some are more about career guidance.
Besides what makes a player really good, the coach explains what repels him. A player who only cares about himself won't be on the coaches' list: "I don’t recruit anyone who I believe is inherently selfish." The author also really dislikes kids who are disrespectful: "I have red flags in recruiting, stuff that leads me to just walk away. A big one is disrespect."
Another bad sign is a player who won't take responsibility for their actions: "Refusing to accept blame and shifting it to others is about the worst trait you can have on a team or in any work environment."
On the plus side, there are certain attributes that catch the coach's eye. Number 1? "The essential thing I am seeking is passion." He also really want's someone with a positive spirit, who contributes to the esprit de corps of the group: "When I’m recruiting, I’m looking for a kid who’s alive. He’s got a bounce in his step. A smile on his face. Love for his teammates. . . On the court, among their teammates, when they are off the court and out in the world, I want every one of them to be a person who lifts up others."
In Chapter 8: "Empowering Your Team," the coach talks about building up the team. The coach sets up fundamental principles for the team to work around. These ideas are a small set of easily understood themes that serve as a major focus point.
All in all, I found SUCCESS IS THE ONLY OPTION to be an interesting perspective from a great coach. I wasn't surprised to find that the author is really a caring person--not just interested in athletic ability, but the well-being of his team members. Many of his ideas are not extreme or unusual or startling, but still good ideas nonetheless.
I thought this one section sums up the author's philosophy:
"My goal, and one I believe we’ve been successful in achieving, is to set their sights ever higher and then send them off into the world with the skills, confidence, and poise they will need to succeed in their careers—and as human beings who contribute to the greater good."
Advance Review Copy courtesy of the publisher.
In SUCCESS IS THE ONLY OPTION, John Calipari provides us his "pearls of wisdom" on coaching and nurturing young, budding athletes. The title suggests that the coach is bottom-line driven, and will stop at nothing to achieve it--but that's not really the case. This book reveals that the author considers his players a lot more than just a means to an end.
The author takes his coaching job seriously; in fact, he really looks out for the whole life of the athlete--not just his ability on the court: "I consider myself an educator as well as a coach." Each chapter in the book covers a certain theme about coaching. Some are about giving fatherly advice, whilst some are more about career guidance.
Besides what makes a player really good, the coach explains what repels him. A player who only cares about himself won't be on the coaches' list: "I don’t recruit anyone who I believe is inherently selfish." The author also really dislikes kids who are disrespectful: "I have red flags in recruiting, stuff that leads me to just walk away. A big one is disrespect."
Another bad sign is a player who won't take responsibility for their actions: "Refusing to accept blame and shifting it to others is about the worst trait you can have on a team or in any work environment."
On the plus side, there are certain attributes that catch the coach's eye. Number 1? "The essential thing I am seeking is passion." He also really want's someone with a positive spirit, who contributes to the esprit de corps of the group: "When I’m recruiting, I’m looking for a kid who’s alive. He’s got a bounce in his step. A smile on his face. Love for his teammates. . . On the court, among their teammates, when they are off the court and out in the world, I want every one of them to be a person who lifts up others."
In Chapter 8: "Empowering Your Team," the coach talks about building up the team. The coach sets up fundamental principles for the team to work around. These ideas are a small set of easily understood themes that serve as a major focus point.
All in all, I found SUCCESS IS THE ONLY OPTION to be an interesting perspective from a great coach. I wasn't surprised to find that the author is really a caring person--not just interested in athletic ability, but the well-being of his team members. Many of his ideas are not extreme or unusual or startling, but still good ideas nonetheless.
I thought this one section sums up the author's philosophy:
"My goal, and one I believe we’ve been successful in achieving, is to set their sights ever higher and then send them off into the world with the skills, confidence, and poise they will need to succeed in their careers—and as human beings who contribute to the greater good."
Advance Review Copy courtesy of the publisher.
Read
February 4, 2017Coach John Calipari is a very successful coach for the Kentucky Wildcats, he has led them to 4 final fours and a national championship in 2012 versus Kansas. In order to have success in the business of coaching NCAA Div. 1 basketball he talks about recruiting extreme talent to his program that will lead the team far in the season and the tournament and eventually going on into the NBA. Coach Cal also discusses the importance of having good character while playing the game and being able to do simple stuff like pointing out one’s mistakes, making good decisions, and treating the team like brothers. Coach Calipari faces a challenge every year because his players end up leaving after a year to go into the big leagues and lead successful futures for themselves. Every year Cal has to bring in young new talent that is able to handle the pressures of playing with extreme talent and living up to the KENTUCKY on their jerseys. Coach Cal and his players also have to deal with the NBA and the careers of his players. They will not be in college forever so Calipari wants to make sure that thy have a long and successful career for them and their families.
The people who might be interested in this book are people who enjoy reading about sports especially college basketball. College B ball is very difficult and has a lot of moving parts that makes it almost impossible for one to coach a team there. People who are not particularly basketball fans would still enjoy this book because Coach Calipari discusses the inner workings of success and the importance of a leader and what he brings to the table in a business. Coaches and CEO of popular businesses praise Calipari for his success and how he recruits some of the best talent in the country
This book that I have read is one of the best books ever written. I am not saying this because I am a wildcat fan but I truly praise what Calipari has done with the program. This book has taught me a lot about College Basketball and how hard it is to be successful in the business. Coach Cal uses comedy to get his points across and he also uses stories from past season that make the reader say, “I remember that” or “that was a great season”. Taking a team from the bottom to the top every year with little basketball experience is truly exceptional but sometimes he makes it look so easy. If Coach Cal were to release another book I would most likely read that one too.
The people who might be interested in this book are people who enjoy reading about sports especially college basketball. College B ball is very difficult and has a lot of moving parts that makes it almost impossible for one to coach a team there. People who are not particularly basketball fans would still enjoy this book because Coach Calipari discusses the inner workings of success and the importance of a leader and what he brings to the table in a business. Coaches and CEO of popular businesses praise Calipari for his success and how he recruits some of the best talent in the country
This book that I have read is one of the best books ever written. I am not saying this because I am a wildcat fan but I truly praise what Calipari has done with the program. This book has taught me a lot about College Basketball and how hard it is to be successful in the business. Coach Cal uses comedy to get his points across and he also uses stories from past season that make the reader say, “I remember that” or “that was a great season”. Taking a team from the bottom to the top every year with little basketball experience is truly exceptional but sometimes he makes it look so easy. If Coach Cal were to release another book I would most likely read that one too.
February 3, 2019
I really liked this book about the coaching theories and ideas of John John Calipari. I have played basketball my whole life, but never gave much thought to Kentucky Basketball and why John Calipari is legendary in what he do. He goes through each step of his organization and that can all be applied to a company or any other place that you are attending often. I really enjoyed the chapters where he practically is laying out steps of how to handle with star players that suddenly has to merge into a team that win games and stays together. Even though many players only stay for one year, does he still create that team that each year makes it far into March madness. I know that many things have been said about his intensity and ways of talking to people, but because I am not in the same coaching situation that he is in, I would not be able to say anything or make an issue out of it. I can really recommend this book because it’s awesome and wonderful, and it js not just a book for basketball lovers or coaches of basketball, but also for people involved in creating company structures and creating dna.
Enjoy and get ready to learn
Enjoy and get ready to learn
October 30, 2018
I found this book encouraging, but if and only if you have a goal in mind that you're not particularly actively pursuing. Naturally, it is filled with basketball analogies. It is probably something I would have liked much more had I read it a dozen years ago. (It had not been published twelve years ago, about when I was just getting out of high school.)
Essentially, this gentleman gives his pro-tips on how to channel your talent towards a greater good.
Now that I am looking towards the future into my actual options, I suppose he is right and I can just agree overall and carry on, just noting I didn't really agree with everything.
Essentially, this gentleman gives his pro-tips on how to channel your talent towards a greater good.
Now that I am looking towards the future into my actual options, I suppose he is right and I can just agree overall and carry on, just noting I didn't really agree with everything.
December 5, 2016
Insights about helping people
Coach Cal shares his coaching insights, and his tips translate far beyond basketball. In fact, this is not a basketball book, or even a coaching book. This is a collection of stories about how to help talented people help themselves by helping others. He is right. We are here for a reason, and it is a leader's job to create self-awareness and nurture ownership for pursuing one's passion.
Coach Cal shares his coaching insights, and his tips translate far beyond basketball. In fact, this is not a basketball book, or even a coaching book. This is a collection of stories about how to help talented people help themselves by helping others. He is right. We are here for a reason, and it is a leader's job to create self-awareness and nurture ownership for pursuing one's passion.
January 17, 2017
Used to like to read business improvement books. Not so much anymore as I am nearing retirement. I did like the way that Calipari used his players to give their say in parts of the book. How you could take great players and look at what they were missing to advance well at the next level. And his disappointment in losing to Wisconsin after going 38-0. If the book is true, he really cares about his players.
December 3, 2018
This is Gilderoy Lockhart’s kind of book!
Coach Cal talks all about how he leads “his guys”. Discusses the immense difficulty he had at Kentucky, especially when several players decided to wait a year to go to the NBA and he had to figure out how to play so many 5* kids all at once. Oh the horror. Talks about his great dream (which he notes will surely be achieved very soon) of having 12 players in an NBA all star game. 3/5. 😐
Coach Cal talks all about how he leads “his guys”. Discusses the immense difficulty he had at Kentucky, especially when several players decided to wait a year to go to the NBA and he had to figure out how to play so many 5* kids all at once. Oh the horror. Talks about his great dream (which he notes will surely be achieved very soon) of having 12 players in an NBA all star game. 3/5. 😐
December 6, 2019
Great book
Cal spends a lot of time in the book giving tons of examples from players that he’s had to coach in the past and how to get the best out of them
I was impressed at how he has the team structured and he pushes the kids towards what they want most in their life, not fully what is in interest as a coach
I would recommend this book to any basketball coach
Cal spends a lot of time in the book giving tons of examples from players that he’s had to coach in the past and how to get the best out of them
I was impressed at how he has the team structured and he pushes the kids towards what they want most in their life, not fully what is in interest as a coach
I would recommend this book to any basketball coach
December 22, 2016
This is a Goodreads win review. This book is about Kentucky basketball coach and how he recruited awesome players and turned them into a high-performance team. He has a special way of turning coaching that really works.
February 5, 2017
Very good book. Plenty of good basketball insight. Calipari does an excellent job of expressing his vision of the program and how he leads young men.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews