John Calipari received a mixed response during his return to Rupp Arena on Saturday night, but he had the last laugh as his Arkansas Razorbacks defeated No. 12 Kentucky 89-79.
Calipari acknowledged the challenge of winning in Rupp Arena, admitting that he had to double-check the scoreboard a few times because he mistakenly kept looking at Kentucky instead of Arkansas. He also expressed his gratitude, stating that it was a privilege to coach at Kentucky and reflecting on the 15 successful years he spent with the program, which included leading the Wildcats to their eighth national title in 2012.
In his first season coaching Arkansas, Calipari had an impressive record of 410-123 during his 15 years at Kentucky before resigning last April. He then signed a five-year deal with Arkansas.
While the crowd in Lexington greeted him with mostly boos, there were also some cheers and applause as Calipari made his return.
In his first season coaching the Razorbacks, Calipari has faced difficulties in recreating the success he had at Kentucky, particularly in the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas has had a rough start, losing six of their first seven conference games this season.
“We just needed a win, it didn’t matter who it was against,” Calipari said.
John Calipari, the Hall of Fame coach, is currently the winningest active coach in men’s college basketball with an impressive 867-271 record across his time at Massachusetts, Memphis, Kentucky, and now Arkansas. He was particularly successful at Rupp Arena, posting a 248-26 record, and ended his tenure at Kentucky with a 93-77 win over Vanderbilt in his final home game on March 6 last year.
However, despite early success, Calipari faced challenges in his final two years at Kentucky, especially during the postseason. The Wildcats were eliminated early in both the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament, with Calipari’s last game as Kentucky’s coach being a 80-76 loss to Oakland in the NCAA Tournament.
Also present at the game was former Kentucky coach Tubby Smith, who led the Wildcats from 1997 to 2007, compiling a 263-83 record and winning a national championship in 1998. Smith, who was inducted into Kentucky’s Hall of Fame in 2013 and had his jersey retired in 2021, wrapped up his coaching career in 2022 at High Point.
Kenny Payne, the former Louisville coach who spent 10 seasons on Calipari’s staff at Kentucky, joined Calipari at Arkansas. Along with Payne, former Kentucky players Adou Thiero, D.J. Wagner, and Zvonimir Ivisic followed Calipari to Arkansas, as well as Calipari’s son, Brad, who is now part of the Razorbacks’ staff.
After Calipari’s departure from Kentucky, Mark Pope took over as head coach and has led the Wildcats to a 15-5 record in his first 20 games.