Certified Sales Professional

One day over winter break I gave my grandfather a hand with his Christmas decorations. Since he and my grandmother have about, oh, one hundred and twenty boxes of decorations, we had plenty to talk about. Pop asked about school, how I did in the fall, what classes I was taking in the spring, and so on.

After mentioning that philosophy was on my spring roster, he told me about his experience with the subject from his days at West Chester. He told me that one phrase, something his professor once said, has stuck him throughout the years: "We're learning more and more about less and less."

This professor meant, in the words of my grandfather, that everyone wants to be a "specialist." And he didn't mean it in a bad way, either. If someone has a heart condition, are they going to see a cardiologist or their family doctor?

The sports world has its share of specialists, too. There are long snappers in football, sharp shooters in basketball, designated hitters in baseball, and fist-throwing goons in hockey. And while specialists are typically good in sports, there's a certain kind that isn't.

Meet John Calipari, the new head coach at The University of Kentucky, America's winningest college basketball program. Many know him as the ultra-confident coach that's guided two different teams to the Final Four. Some know him as the guy that John Chaney went after in a post-game press conference. But Mr. Calipari -- who, by the way, has a degree in marketing -- is much more than that.

To his credit, Calipari is a great motivator. Whether at UMass or Memphis, he's consistently taken unheralded teams and turned them into contenders overnight. As far as motivation and preparation are concerned, he may be the best in college basketball.

But John Calipari is best known for being a master recruiter. No one convinces young athletes to sign on the dotted line better than this guy. Sure, being a great motivator will win a game here or there - but having great players is the key to sustained success.

Unfortunately, in this culture of steroid-abusing con artists and two-timing executives, being the best at anything -- and that includes the recruitment of high school athletes -- will surely draw skepticism from the public.

Lately, the skeptics have been overwhelmingly critical of Calipari. Exhibit A: The University of Memphis, Calipari's former employer, is facing allegations that Derrick Rose (one-year wonder guard at Memphis, last year's No. 1 overall pick, and the '08-'09 NBA Rookie of the Year) had someone take his SATs for him.

If there's any truth to these allegations, Memphis could have 38 wins and a Final Four appearance from '07-'08 erased from the record books. In the meantime, Calipari has been informed that he is not at risk in this investigation.

For those of you who are counting, this would mean that both of Coach Cal's Final Four appearances -- one at UMass, one at Memphis -- would be erased from history because of off-court scandals.

His first appearance was vacated because Marcus Camby (former NCAA Player of the Year and, to this day, Calipari's greatest NBA product) was found to have accepted cash, jewelry, rental cars, and prostitutes from two sports agents. Calipari was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing in the matter.

But these aren't the only instances of shady business involving Coach Cal. The latest scandal out of the Bible Belt involves former Memphis forward Robert Dozier.

According to several reports, The University of Georgia withdrew a scholarship offer to Dozier in 2004 after "fishy" entrance exam scores. His initial test score of 1260 (out of a possible 1600) raised red flags because they didn't coincide with his high school GPA.

When Georgia had Dozier re-take his SATs, his score dropped 540 points - rather, he had someone take his first test for him. And as soon as Georgia removed themselves from the situation, Calipari and the Memphis Tigers were quick to land the prep star.

If these allegations -- the second of such kind regarding a member of Calipari's '07-'08 Final Four team at Memphis -- are found to be true, the resume of college basketball's greatest salesman will feature yet another asterisk.

Some will defend John Calipari. They'll claim he can't control the sticky situations in which he's been involved. And to some degree, that's a fair remark.

But there's one thing he can control: the type of student-athlete he recruits. I don't expect college coaches to babysit, hold hands, or tuck their athletes in at night. I do expect them to know the type of kid they're giving a free scholarship.

Young men aged eighteen to twenty-one -- regardless of whether or not they play a sport in college -- are going to drink alcohol, smoke marijuana, or get in a fight on occasion. The average kid participates in these, let's call them, "extra-curricular" activities.

However, the average kid does not commit premeditated crimes such as accepting money from agents, having sex with prostitutes, cheating on SATs, or lying to admissions offices.

The alleged missteps of the oft-maligned coach, his former players, and the institutions they represented don't surprise me. The most shocking part of this ongoing saga is that The University of Kentucky has taken a chance on such a controversial figure. Based on his checkered past, Coach Cal doesn't seem to have much regard for grade point averages or graduation rates.

But because basketball (and football, for that matter) at the Division 1 level earn so much money for their schools, conferences, and the NCAA, the market is highly competitive. So in that sense, I can empathize with the pressure to succeed.

The longer a program such as UK basketball struggles to rise above mediocrity, the more likely they are to lower their standards. But at some point a line needs to be drawn. When will schools such as Kentucky put integrity before dollar signs? The University of Kentucky could very well be the victim of the next high-profile recruiting scandal.

There should be no place for slick salesmen like John Calipari in college athletics. If the NCAA wants to crack down on illegal dealings and hold onto whatever purity remains, they need to come down hard on the individuals that threaten the values of their organization.