With John Calipari reportedly leaving Kentucky, one of his former players suggested a fellow Wildcats star should become the next head coach.
On His Bully Ball show, former Wildcats All-American DeMarcus Cousins said Rajon Rondo would be a “perfect hire” for Kentucky.
“I honestly think Rajon would be the perfect guy for this situation,” Cousins said. “Obviously he’s a Kentucky kid. He played, he’s an alumni. But he understands both sides, like probably better than anybody else ever will.”
Rondo played two seasons for the Wildcats under Tubby Smith before becoming a four-time NBA All-Star and two-time champion. The university’s all-time steals leader, who is currently finishing his degree at Kentucky, recently confirmed his retirement.
Cousins arrived at Lexington three years after Rondo, just in time for Calipari’s first season. However, they were NBA teammates on the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, and Los Angeles Clippers.
“He’s great at creating the standard,” Cousins said of Rondo. “He’s great at leading the ship. I don’t think there’s a better leader to lead Kentucky out of this spot than Rajon Rondo.”
Rondo would certainly be an unconventional hire. It’d be his first head coaching job at any level.
That’d make him a bold choice to replace Calipari, who led Kentucky to a 76.9 winning percentage, four Final Fours, and a national championship in 15 seasons.
However, Cousins isn’t the only person who has endorsed Rondo.
Another former Kentucky star, Anthony Davis, said he’s “surprised” the former point guard isn’t already an NBA head coach. His star Los Angeles Lakers teammate, LeBron James, recently said it’s “very weird” Rondo isn’t coaching “at a high level.”