ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF
John Calipari has officially been hired as the men’s basketball coach at the University of Arkansas. This deal comes just a day after he stepped down as head coach at the University of Kentucky.
Cal’s Kentucky Era
Calipari was the head coach at Kentucky from 2009 to 2024. He led the program to six Final Fours, three national championship games, and one NCAA Championship in 2012.
Calipari was named Naismith College Coach of the Year three times, and AP Coach of the Year in 2015. He is the winningest active coach in men’s college basketball with a career record of 855-263.
He has been very vocal about his decision to leave Kentucky’s program. “It is a dream job, it was my dream job,” he said. “The last few weeks we’ve come to realize that this program probably needs to hear another voice. The university as a whole has to have another voice giving guidance about this program.”
Calipari said he leaves with nothing but love for his time in Lexington. “We loved our time there, we gave every ounce of everything we had to that job, that state, and that school. I walk away sad, but not regrets. We left nothing on the table.”
We are working diligently to hire a proven, highly dedicated coach who embraces the importance of this program to our fans and the state of Kentucky.
— Mitch Barnhart (@UKMitchBarnhart) April 9, 2024
Arkansas Awaits
Calipari follows Eric Musselman, who left Fayetteville for a head coaching job at the University of Southern California.
Arkansas is not necessarily a downgrade for Calipari; the Razorback’s program has a rich history, having been to six final fours, two national championship games, and one NCAA Championship in 1995.
However, in recent years the program has needed a new spark. Will this spark be John Calipari?
“I’ll be honest when I thought about coming here and building this program and making it something special, it got me excited,” Calipari said. “I look at trying to create that love affair. A love affair between this program and this campus, this program and this state.”
https://twitter.com/RazorbackMBB/status/1778060489127575903
Looking Ahead
Fans will eagerly await the 2024-2025 season to see how Calipari’s Arkansas era will play out; and if Kentucky will find the “new voice” Coach Cal mentioned they so desperately need.
