Calipari is the king of Twitter
Corey Tincher | Sep 07, 2012 | Comments 0
Twitter has become a substantial part of the sports world. Some fans may fight the Twitter trend, but to truly get the most information and interaction possible, a Twitter account is required as a fan. Athletes use them, fans abuse them, and Tom Crean seduces them. But when it comes to Twitter accounts in the world of college basketball coaches, there’s no one using the tool quite like John Calipari. He is the absolute king of Twitter according to Bloguin, with more than 1,000,000 more followers than the next-best coach.
You didn’t read that wrong. John Calipari has an extra one million Twitter followers compared to the second most followed coach in the country. Here’s the list of top 10 coaches and their Twitter followers.
1. Kentucky Wildcats – John Calipari – 1,203,136
2. Indiana Hoosiers – Tom Crean – 83,915
3. Florida Gators – Billy Donovan – 75,507
4. Kansas Jayhawks – Bill Self – 53,881
5. South Carolina Gamecocks – Frank Martin – 26,505
6. Butler Bulldogs – Brad Stevens – 23,460
7. Central Michigan Chippewas – Keno Davis – 23,134
8. Nebraska Cornhuskers – Tim Miles – 22,976
9. VCU Rams – Shaka Smart – 22,113
10. Tennessee Volunteers – Cuonzo Martin – 20,516
Outside of the top four positions on the list, there isn’t much of a trend. Random schools and some basketball-nobodies top the list. But the only two numbers that matter are the first two. There’s a pretty big difference between 1,203,136 and 83,915, if you hadn’t noticed. John Calipari absolutely trounces everyone else. It’s not even a competition. It’s actually quite a bit like Kentucky’s dominance on the basketball court now that I think about it.
To those saying Twitter followers don’t mean a thing, take a few moments to think about the significance those numbers have when it comes to recruiting, merchandising, and branding Kentucky basketball. Calipari’s social media reach transcends typicality and becomes something of a spectacle. It’s glamorous and appealing in a way that draws both fans and players into his world and his aura of success. It makes Kentucky a destination for athletes much like Hollywood is a destination for actors.
It’s clear that John Calipari is the king of Twitter and Tom Crean is nothing more than the court jester.
Filed Under: Basketball
