Quick, without researching it, name seven coaches that won 300 games in their first 13 years as head coaches at the NCAA Division I level.

Adolph Rupp? John Wooden? Dean Smith? Mike Krzyzewski? Bob Knight? Lute Olson? Eddie Sutton? Well, you've struck out twice and have one strike on the third batter.

As amazing as it may seem, none of those coaching legends can claim to be a part of this coaching elite. However, one name that is among that list is the University of Memphis mentor John Calipari.

The architect of two reclamation projects at the collegiate level, Calipari joined Roy Williams, Everett Case, Denny Crum, Jim Boeheim, Tubby Smith and Nolan Richardson as the only college head coaches to win 300 or more games in their first 13 years. He has 308 wins in 13 college seasons as a head coach, and is in the No. 7 spot on that NCAA list. Calipari hit the 300-win mark in February of 2005 when his Tigers upset No. 9 Louisville 85-68 in Freedom Hall.

However, Calipari has repeatedly stated that the wins are about the players and not him. The Moon, Pa., native finds more pleasure in building the entire program. He did it at UMass, and his work is continuing as he enters his sixth season at Memphis.

From 1988-96 at UMass, Calipari not only led the Minuteman program to numerous wins, conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. His passion to build a program helped accelerate the construction of the Mullins Center, UMass' basketball and hockey facility. Calipari's desire also reached out to eastern Massachusetts and Boston and brought fans back to Amherst -- located in the picturesque Berkshire Mountains -- to watch a national powerhouse basketball team.

Calipari also encouraged his players to work toward earning their degrees, and many did graduate. He reached out to former UMass players and coaches, creating a bond between his squads and those of the past.

Well, he's doing the same at Memphis. Although the Tiger program wasn't as far down as UMass was when Calipari arrived, even the most loyal Memphis basketball supporters would admit their beloved Tigers had fallen on hard times in the mid-to-late 1990s. From 1993-94 through 1999-2000 (seven seasons), Memphis posted only two 20-win campaigns (1994-95 and 1995-96), and the Tigers had consecutive losing seasons in 1998-99 and 1999-2000.

The Tigers' fortunes had taken a nosedive from where they once were. But, in five short years, Calipari has not only revitalized the Memphis program itself, but also re-energized a city's love affair with Tiger basketball -- a relationship that is the very fabric of the Memphis community.

The Tigers have captured their fans with intense and competitive play under Calipari's tutelage. In Calipari's first five years, Memphis has won 115 games, posted five-straight 20-win season and earned five-consecutive postseason bids. For numbers close to that, a Tiger fan would have to look all the way back to the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Calipari's 115 victories and 23.0 wins per year are the most by a Tiger mentor in his first five seasons. And the last time the Memphis program had five straight 20-win seasons and five-consecutive postseason appearances was 1989-93. Calipari won his 100th game as the Memphis head coach midway through the 2004-05 season, and he reached that milestone the second fastest of any Tiger mentor.

Again, though, Calipari is not caught up in only the numbers and postseason appearances. Just as he did at UMass, he is attempting to rebuild the entire program, which also includes upgrading facilities and graduating players.

Since coming to Memphis in 2000, he has continually made improvements to the Larry O. Finch Recreation Center, the Tigers' practice facility. The practice courts, weight room and spacious players' lounge are used only by the men's basketball program. Memphis also made a move to FedExForum. The state-of-the-art facility is college basketball's top arena, and the players' locker room is comparable to those of NBA squads.

But, a walk down the basketball office hallway toward Calipari's office may be his greatest source of pride. Seven players -- those that played under Calipari and former players -- have their graduation photos on the wall and four more will be added with the recent graduations of Arthur Barclay, Duane Erwin, Marcus Moody and Simplice Njoya.

Since he took over in 2000, eight of 11 Calipari players have earned their degrees, and two others -- Anferenee Hardaway and Moody -- came back to graduate during Calipari's tenure. And, it hasn't stopped there. Calipari, with the help of the University, has asked several former players to come back and earn their degrees. Some of the beloved Tigers from the 1980s such as Bobby Parks and Andre Turner are taking Calipari up on his offer. Prior to Calipari arriving at Memphis, the basketball graduation rate was zero.

On the court, it had been a progression during Calipari's first four years. The first year saw Memphis make the NIT final four. In the second season, the Tigers took care of a little unfinished business, taking home the NIT national championship. Year No. 3 had Memphis make a trip to the NCAA Tournament, the program's first in seven seasons. Calipari's fourth year at the helm in 2003-04 saw the Tigers not only earn an NCAA Tournament bid, but also win their first NCAA Tournament game since 1995.

The 2004-05 campaign began with a lot of promise, but several setbacks forced Calipari to face one of his most challenging years as a head coach.

The Tiger head coach, however, turned the fortunes around mid-season, and Memphis became one of the nation's most dangerous teams down the stretch. The Tigers won six of seven during a late January/early February span, including an upset of No. 9 Louisville in Freedom Hall.

Memphis hit a short tailspin late in the season, but the Tigers put together an incredible Conference USA Tournament run that was one for the ages. Memphis, as a No. 7 seed, defeated Saint Louis, Charlotte and USF en route to the program's first Conference USA Tournament championship game appearance. Although the Tigers fell short of the title, the team's competitive fire raised the hopes of Tiger fans as the squad headed to the NIT.

In the postseason, Memphis defeated Northeastern, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt to reach the NIT semifinals in Madison Square Garden, where the Tigers fell to a hot St. Joseph's squad. It was the Tigers' third NIT final four trip under Calipari.

Since Calipari took over in 2000-01, the Tigers have ranked among the nation's top 10 in attendance four of five years. The 2001 squad averaged 17,110 to rank sixth nationally, while the 2002 team averaged 16,225 to rank 10th. In 2002-03, Memphis ranked seventh with an average of 16,643 per contest. In Calipari's tenure, Memphis has drawn over 1 million in total paid attendance.

The large attendance figures gave Memphis a true homecourt advantage as the Tigers put together a 24-game winning streak over parts of three seasons (2003-05) in their friendly confines The Tigers posted a perfect 15-0 record at The Pyramid in 2003-04.

Under Calipari, the Memphis program has enjoyed many success stories in a short amount of time, but maybe the best to date in when the Tigers captured the school's first national championship with the 2002 NIT crown and the subsequent celebration in the city of Memphis.

The Tigers defeated Temple 78-77 in the NIT semifinals then cruised to a 72-62 victory over South Carolina to capture the University's first postseason title in any intercollegiate sport.

In addition to a 27-9 record in 2002, Memphis captured its first of two straight National Division titles with a 12-4 record. The Tigers rolled off a then school-record 10-consecutive wins to begin Conference USA play. The U of M would end up winning the division by three games.

Capping off the season was a Victory Parade down Memphis' most famous street and a presentation of the NIT trophy to Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton's office.

In 13 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Calipari's record stands at 308-126 (.710). But what matters even more in the college game is what coaches and teams do in the month of March, and Calipari excels there as well. His record in March is 60-26 (.698) record when it counts the most.

By wins, Calipari has the seventh-best career start in NCAA history with his sparkling 304-125 record (.709). Through 13 collegiate seasons, only North Carolina coach Roy Williams, former North Carolina State legend Everett Case, Louisville Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum, Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, Kentucky's Tubby Smith and Arkansas' Nolan Richardson have won more games than Calipari.

The Tigers' mentor is only five wins shy of entering the list for the best coaching starts through 14 seasons when he begins his 14th year of collegiate coaching in 2005-06. He has 304 wins, and former Utah head coach Rick Majerus is in the No. 10 spot with 309 victories. Calipari is averaging 23 wins per season at Memphis, and if the Tigers should reach that average in 2005-06, he would move up to at least the No. 7 spot on this list.

Calipari had the fifth-best career start in NCAA history through nine and 10 seasons, the sixth-best through 11 seasons, and the seventh-best start through 12 seasons.

THE MEMPHIS BEGINNING
In an instant, Calipari had the city of Memphis abuzz about Tiger basketball.

Local television and radio stations went live at the press conference to introduce Calipari as the University of Memphis' 16th head basketball coach on Mar. 11, 2000. He was introduced to an overflow audience of fans in The Pyramid's Tiger Club Room later in the day.

In a matter of a few hours, the University of Memphis had seized March Madness. With his down-to-earth demeanor, his knowledge of Memphis basketball history and his expectations for the future of the program, folks left The Pyramid that March afternoon knowing Tiger basketball was in good hands.

In his first year, Memphis exceeded expectations. The U of M won 20-plus games for the first time in five seasons, posting a 21-15 record. The Tigers advanced to the Conference USA Tournament semifinals for the first time since 1996 and capped the year with a third-place finish at the TiVo NIT.

For the first time since becoming a charter member of Conference USA, Memphis swept four, two-game series against National Division opponents. In Calipari's four seasons, the Tigers have swept 13 two-game series.

How Calipari had his first Tiger team playing at season's end was a far cry from the U of M's 4-8 start. Memphis played three NCAA Sweet 16 teams, and faced five other opponents that advanced to postseason play during the first weeks of the season.

Memphis would roll off eight-consecutive wins to begin the new year and were in contention all season for a league championship. The U of M finished the season just a game out of first place, marking the squad's highest finish since capturing a share of the inaugural conference title in 1996.

In Calipari's first season, the U of M also broke both the season total (290,864) and season average (17,110) records for paid attendance.

OFF THE COURT
Calipari's endeavors in the community and on the University of Memphis campus have rivaled the strides the Tigers have made on the court during the coach's five seasons in the Mid-South.

Early in his tenure at the U of M, Calipari began developing a relationship with Memphis-based FedEx. The overnight courier has employed Memphis student-athletes in its internship program during the past five summers. It is a program where the Tigers gain valuable experience in an area related to their field of study.

Calipari has also founded a program called NetWorks. The program brings together business leaders from throughout the community to network, find employment opportunities and place former U of M players following their playing careers.

Calipari has made several financial contributions to the University and has been honored by the Friends of the Ned McWherter Library on the U of M campus. In April of 2004, Calipari and his family made a $100,000 contribution to help endow athletic scholarships at the University. He also presented the U of M a check for $40,000 which resulted from a partnership between Calipari and Pace Cooper, president and CEO of Cooper Companies, the owner of the restaurant, Cal's Championship Steakhouse in the Hilton East Memphis.

At the conclusion of his first season at Memphis, Calipari joined several area business leaders to form the Y.E.S. Foundation, an organization designed to educate middle school students about the importance of academics and athletics. Y.E.S., an acronym for Youth Education Through Sports, held its first camp on the U of M campus in August of 2001. Over 25 schools are currently taking part in the program which is in its fifth year.

Calipari has also been responsible for raising money and making donations for improvements at the U of M's tennis complex, air conditioning in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse and having courts resurfaced for use by Memphis students for outdoor basketball.

Not only did Calipari secure a shoe and apparel contract for the basketball program, he also has helped with similar arrangements for several Olympic sports programs at the University.

A couple of years ago, Calipari teamed up with Philadelphia 76ers star guard Allen Iverson to renovate basketball courts in the community. The courts were dedicated in the Orange Mound community of Memphis as well as a four-plex of courts adjacent to Halle Stadium in southeast Memphis. The first courts built during the continuing project were at two housing projects located near downtown, Foote Homes and Dixie Homes.

When he arrived, the University of Memphis had just opened a new practice facility. In the past five years, Calipari has directed improvements which makes the Larry O. Finch Recreation Facility one of the best of its kind and on a scale with some of the top practice facilities in the NBA. Calipari's latest vision for the Finch Center is to turn the entrance area into a memorabilia center that will chronicle Tiger basketball history. Also, with the Tigers' move to its new home, FedExForum, Calipari designed the team's locker room at the facility. The locker room is one of the nation's best and includes a players' lounge, meeting room and training room along with other amenities.

He received the Lombardi Award from UNICO National in the summer of 2003. UNICO was founded in 1922 to provide scholarships to worthy students and to give strength and force in fighting discrimination against Italian-Americans. UNICO's Lombardi Award recognized an outstanding individual of Italian-American heritage who is involved in athletics.

In 2004, Calipari was inducted to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame and UMass Athletic Hall of Fame. He was also recognized by the West Tennessee Arthritis Foundation and Tennessee Health Care Association for his work and contributions to both organizations.

Away from the University, Calipari is a sought after speaker. He has made countless appearances on programs such as ESPN's Outside the Lines, Jim Rome's radio and television shows as well as countless interviews on national radio programs.

PRIOR TO MEMPHIS
Calipari returned to college basketball in 2000 after working the previous season as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers and two-plus seasons as the head coach of the New Jersey Nets.

Prior to moving to the NBA, Calipari built a basketball program from the ground up at the University of Massachusetts (1988-96).

During an eight-year stint at UMass, he took the Minutemen from being a team which had struggled in the Atlantic 10 Conference to being a national powerhouse. UMass went to five-straight NCAA Tournaments (1992-96), advancing to the Final Four in his last season. UMass advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 on three occasions and two Elite Eights. The school became just the second NCAA Division I program to win five-straight, regular season and conference tournament championships.

Calipari compiled a 193-71 record (.731) during his career at Massachusetts, including a 108-44 mark (.684) in Atlantic 10 play.

In addition to five-straight NCAA Tournaments, UMass also made two appearances in the NIT, advancing to the NIT Final Four in 1991. The 1990-91 season was the first of six-straight seasons in which the Minutemen won at least 20 games.

Calipari's personal 20-win streak has reached the 10-season mark as his four Memphis clubs have won 20-plus games.

In his final season at UMass, Calipari was named the 1996 Naismith National Coach of the Year and The Sporting News Coach of the Year. He was also named the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year for the third time in four years as well as Basketball Times East Region Coach of the Year.

During the Minutemen's 35-2 season in 1995-96, UMass posted wins over Maryland, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Louisville. UMass ended the regular season ranked No. 1 in the nation in the final regular season poll after being the top-ranked team for nine weeks earlier in the year. The Minutemen also won their first 26 games of the season, setting a school record for most consecutive wins.

In addition to his national coach of the year honors in 1996, Calipari was a Naismith Coach of the Year Finalist in 1994 and 1995. He was the USBWA District I Coach of the Year in 1993.

Calipari's accomplishments are made even more impressive when you consider what he started with at UMass. Prior to his arrival, UMass had suffered through 10-straight losing seasons.

At 29, when he was named head coach, Calipari began to build a program from the ground up, going 10-18 his first season before posting a 17-14 record his second year and receiving a bid to the NIT. UMass made a late season run in 1991, advancing to the NIT's Final Four.

The Minutemen won their first A-10 championship in 1992 with a 30-5 record, including a 13-3 mark in league play. With a 77-71 overtime win over Syracuse in an East Regional second-round game, UMass made its first Sweet 16 appearance.

Off the court, UMass' graduation rate for its basketball players was close to 80 percent.

Calipari left UMass in June of 1996 to become Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach of the New Jersey Nets. He led the Nets to a second-place finish in the NBA's Atlantic Division and the playoffs in 1998, ending a five-year postseason drought for the franchise. The Nets' 17-game turnaround from the previous year was the best that season in the NBA.

He joined the Philadelphia 76ers coaching staff in 1999, rejoining Philadelphia coach Larry Brown, who Calipari was an assistant for at Kansas.

Calipari began his coaching career at Kansas as a volunteer assistant under Ted Owens. In 1983, he was hired as the recruiting coordinator at the University of Vermont, but was swayed back to the nation's heartland when Brown was hired as head coach at KU. He spent three seasons at Kansas (1982-85) before another three-year stint as an assistant coach to Paul Evans at Pittsburgh (1985-88).

The 46-year-old lettered two years at North Carolina-Wilmington before transferring to Clarion State. He played point guard at Clarion during the 1981 and 1982 seasons, leading the team in assists and free throw percentage. The Eagles were ranked in the Division II Top 20 both years and participated in the 1981 NCAA Division II Tournament.

Calipari and his wife, Ellen, have two daughters, Erin Sue and Megan Rae, and a son, Bradley Vincent. Erin began her first year of college at UMass this fall.