John Calipari: Building a Dominant Defensive System

with John Calipari,
University of Arkansas Head Coach;
University of Kentucky Head Men's Coach from 2009 to 2024;
.771 winning percentage at Kentucky;
2020-21 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Guardians of the Game Award for Inclusion;
2015 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee;
2015 AP College Coach of the Year;
2012 NCAA Men's Basketball National Championship;
2011 Telly Award for 'MVP Basketball with Derrick Rose' instructional video;
4x Final Four (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015);
3x Naismith College Coach of the Year ('96, '08, '15);
2015 AP College Coach of the Year;
3x NABC Coach of the Year ('96, '09, '15);
2x Basketball Times Coach of the Year ('96, '15);
2x Adolph Rupp Cup ('10, '15);
2009 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year;
2009 Sports Illustrated National Coach of the Year;
6x SEC Regular Season Champions;
6x SEC Tournament Champions;
4x SEC Coach of the Year ('10, '12, '15, '20);
Memphis Head Coach from 2000 to 2009;
3x C-USA Coach of the Year ('06, '08, '09);
4x C-USA Tournament Champions;
5x C-USA Regular Season Champions;
2008 Final Four;
2002 NIT Champions;
Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) Assistant Coach from 1999 to 2000;
New Jersey Nets Head Coach from 1996 to 1999;
UMass Head Coach from 1988 to 1996;
1996 Final Four;
3x A10 Coach of the Year ('93, '94, '96);5x A 10 Regular Season Champions;
5x A 10 Tournament Champions;
played college basketball for UNC Wilmington and Clarion

To the average fan, John Calipari's teams win because of their powerful offensive system. The truth is that Calipari's teams rely on defensive pressure and disruption to create scoring opportunities. The ultimate goal of Calipari's defense is to create a faster game without giving up lay-ups.

This instructional basketball video presents drills, from 1-on-1 to 5-on-5, that Calipari uses to build his defensive pressure from the ground up.

Learn how to incorporate the lunge, early help, and close outs to assemble a disruptive defense. Using the shell drill, Calipari shows you how the post double down forces turnovers and bad shots by the offense. He puts players through game like intensity drills to prove their defensive effectiveness. Through this pressure defense, every offensive system can be guarded including the flex offense and the motion offense.

65 minutes. 2009.