Facebook's Megan Calipari has learned ...

Any honorable reporter gives credit where credit is due.

So let me take this opportunity to congratulate Megan Calipari on her first big scoop.

JOSH PASTNER IS THE NEW COACH AT MEMPHIS!! YAY!!

That's what John Calipari's daughter, Megan, typed as a status update on her Facebook page Monday, which set off a whirlwind of speculation and phone calls, among them one from Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson to former Memphis coach John Calipari.

"R.C. called me," Calipari told CBSSports.com by phone early Wednesday. "He said, 'Do you know your daughter is on Facebook writing about Josh?"

Turns out, Johnson and Calipari had been in constant contact during the 24 hours leading up to Pastner's hiring. Ultimately, Johnson told Calipari he planned to tab Pastner as the Tigers' next coach after the school's interest in various other candidates was not returned.

"I was ecstatic," Calipari said.

So ecstatic, in fact, that he immediately called to tell his wife, Ellen.

Ellen was so ecstatic that she told her youngest daughter, Megan.

And Megan was so ecstatic that she told the world via Facebook.

JOSH PASTNER IS THE NEW COACH AT MEMPHIS!! YAY!!

"I called her and said, 'What are you doing!?!'" Calipari said. "She told me she was just saying yay for Josh."

Calipari learned of Megan's breaking news because of Johnson, who learned of it because Megan's status update had been copied and pasted on message boards, all of which was an eye-opening experience for the Calipari family. "You know what Megan said?" Calipari asked. "She said 'How gross is it that the whole world is watching what I do?'"

Note to Megan: This is the world in which you and your sister (Erin) now live.

Case in point, there are Facebook pages title We (heart) Megan Calipari and We love the Calipari sisters!!!

Both Erin and Megan are in college -- one at UMass, the other at Memphis.

"I told them that they have to get off Facebook," Calipari said. "This stuff is crazy."

Anyway, if you're reading, nice work, Megan.

Congrats on the scoop.

(And please shoot me an email if you hear anything about the Xavier hire.)

Ascrit Reputation: 91 Level: All-Star Since: Aug 22, 2006	Posted on: April 8, 2009 9:35 am Score: 42 Facebook's Megan Calipari has learned ... You forgot to mention that Megan is a stone cold fox. That's what's most important to me. [ Reply to Comment ]
jamammy Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Feb 15, 2009	Posted on: April 8, 2009 10:52 am Score: -100 This comment has been removed. Post Deleted by Administrator
jamammy Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Feb 15, 2009	Posted on: April 8, 2009 11:47 am Score: -100 This comment has been removed. Post Deleted by Administrator
jamammy Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Feb 15, 2009	Posted on: April 8, 2009 1:19 pm Score: -100 This comment has been removed. Post Deleted by Administrator
jamammy Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Feb 15, 2009	Posted on: April 8, 2009 3:42 pm Score: 49 Facebook's Megan Calipari has learned ... Yeah, Ascrit,he forgot to mention that Megan is a stone cold fox. That's what's most important to you. That is college basketball. [ Reply to Comment ]
iamlapointe Reputation: 89 Level: All-Star Since: Mar 24, 2007	Posted on: April 8, 2009 6:03 pm Score: 152 Facebook's Megan Calipari has learned ... The most significant aspect of this story is the revelation (by inference) that the long inviisible reach of John Calipari's hand was working on behalf of Memphis rather to the detriment during the search for a replacement. You can bet your bottom dollar that JC had substantial input on the eventual selection of Josh Pastner. The formerly signed and verbally commited athletes who opt of of their commitments to Memphis were not likely to stay after Calipari's departure regardless. Josh is still a fine hire.......and John Calipari and family are still friends of the University of Memphis. Please take note ye Tiger fans who have been so quick to denounce Coach Cal. [ Reply to Comment ]
jamammy Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Feb 15, 2009	Posted on: April 8, 2009 6:40 pm Score: 35 Facebook's Megan Calipari has learned ... Good grief!!!!!!!! I am going to have pinch my teabag on this one. See Gary. [ Reply to Comment ]
halo27legend Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Oct 16, 2007	Posted on: April 8, 2009 7:09 pm Score: 87 Facebook's Megan Calipari has learned ... You can bet your bottom dollar that JC had substantial input on the eventual selection of Josh Pastner. nice ignorant comment seeing as how JC tried to extort memphis into hiring his long time buddy Tony Barbee . Tony barbee probably would have been a candidate had he not done this. Pastner wasnt a Cal kid like Barbee and was concidered for the resume he had created on his own, not because of a recommendation from CAL. [ Reply to Comment ]
iamlapointe Reputation: 89 Level: All-Star Since: Mar 24, 2007	Posted on: April 8, 2009 8:37 pm Score: 162 Facebook's Megan Calipari has learned ... I beg to differ. A couple things wrong with your post beyond the fact that my comments are not ignorant.....and neither am I. First, Cal did not attempt to extort the UofM regarding Barbee. I have no doubt that he tried to exert leverage. At this point I would guess that he would admit to making a mistake on that one. Having joined his staff last year (at a very tidy 200K salary) Josh Pastner became one of Cal's pupil/proteges. Barbee or Pastner....one more limb on the thriving Calipari tree of head coaches. As for Barbee, when you get your own team you take him. Memphis is better off with Paz. Bottom line: you can rest assured that Cal had significant input as the Memphis coaching search continued on. It was not a case of R.C. Johnson simply saying 'oh gee, we've had this guy all along' or 'well, there's no one else left to consider-guess we'll go with the kid'. Now on the seperate issues of ethics. I've been having this argument with the CA's Geoff Calkins for several days. On the one hand, there is no doubt that Calipari has issues with ethics. At the same time, I say to you and all those who now want to pillory Cal, yes he was manuevering under the radar all along for his own benefit. Yes, most likely he did contact signed and verbally commited recruits before subbmiting his resignation to the UofM in order to take the Kentucky job. I say to that....so what. It's done all the time now and in any case the signees were not going to come to Memphis once Cal left. Some may end up at Kentucky, others elsewhere. Not Memphis. Otherwise, I truly believe that Cal values his time at Memphis and will continue to be a helpful friend to the university and it's admistration whenver he can. Most of all, the University of Memphis (my school) got everything it bargained for and more during Coach John Calipari's tenure there. Last note: I'm TIGER BLUE all the way and have been for nearly 50 years. I'm 54 and very few lifetime Tiger fans my age or younger can say this; I've seen the Tigers play varsity basketball in the Fieldhouse and varsity football in old Crump Stadium. That includes the legendary 1960 game against Ole Miss. [ Reply to Comment ]
jamammy Reputation: 96 Level: Superstar Since: Feb 15, 2009	Posted on: April 9, 2009 12:37 am Score: 51 Facebook's Megan Calipari has learned ... Do you like to lie to yourself, lapointe? Does SEC ring a bell? Seriously, how much more could you hate the Tigers program? [ Reply to Comment ]

Gary Parrish

Parrish: The Thoughts