Two days before his highly anticipated return to Rupp Arena, John Calipari received a show of support from an unlikely ally.
Rick Pitino, of all people, posted a video message to social media encouraging Big Blue Nation to treat Calipari with “respect and admiration” when the former longtime Kentucky coach brings his struggling Arkansas team to Lexington on Saturday.
Just over 30 seconds into his video, Pitino admitted, “As you all know, I’m not best friends with John Calipari,” alluding to the fierce rivalry and acrimonious history between the two hall of fame coaches. Pitino then went on to defend Calipari’s decision to bolt for Arkansas last spring after the atmosphere at Kentucky turned toxic following a string of underachieving seasons and early NCAA tournament flameouts.
“It was a mutual thing,” said Pitino, who coached at Kentucky from 1989-97 and is now the coach at St. John’s. “The fans wanted a change. John read the tea leaves. He needed a change. He really didn’t want to leave.
“But what did he do for you? He brought the best talent in the history of the game of any university in America to Lexington. He also won a championship. His style of play was extremely entertaining. So he’s coming back on Saturday and I want all of you to show the great class that you have — 23,000-plus people giving him a huge standing ovation.”
Calipari’s tenure at Kentucky was perfect, until it wasn’t. For almost a decade, he fulfilled Big Blue Nation’s wildest dreams. The revolving door of one-and-done talent he recruited won SEC titles, made deep NCAA tournament runs and even captured the 2012 national title. But the program that was two wins away from a historic 40-0 season in 2015 never approached those heights again. Demand for change in Lexington intensified after Calipari’s Wildcats lost to 15th-seeded St. Peters in the first round of the 2022 NCAA tournament and to 14th-seeded Oakland last year.
Deep-pocketed Arkansas boosters provided Calipari an offramp when they plunked down big money to lure him from Kentucky last spring. Armed with a war chest of NIL money that few other programs could match, Calipari lured elite freshmen and prized transfers to Fayetteville, but the talent has not meshed and the Razorbacks (12-8, 1-6) appear likely to miss the NCAA tournament.
Saturday’s Kentucky-Arkansas game is Calipari’s lone matchup against his former school this season. Calipari said during his weekly coach’s show earlier this week that “yes, there’s going to be some emotion” seeing old friends and walking into Rupp Arena through the “wrong door, the other door.”
“My guess is I’m going to get booed,” Calipari added. “But that’s all part of it. I mean, shoot. I’ve done this so long, I’ve got bazooka holes in my body. So when you shoot arrows, it doesn’t even hit skin.”
If anyone would know how it feels to hear boos in his return to Rupp Arena, it’s Pitino. Kentucky fans let him have it when he first came back as the head coach at rival Louisville.
At the time, Pitino insisted the boos and catcalls didn’t bother him. Said Pitino on December 29, 2001, “I’m the Louisville coach. They are not supposed to cheer me. They are supposed to cheer Tubby [Smith]. I get cheered in Freedom Hall. If they start booing me in Freedom Hall, then I am in trouble.”
In his video message on Thursday, Pitino conceded that the harsh treatment from Kentucky fans hurt more than he first admitted. After all, Pitino helped the Kentucky program recover from a major recruiting scandal under his predecessor Eddie Sutton, led the Wildcats to the 1996 national title and recruited the roster that would go on to win the championship again in 1998.
“Toughest day of my coaching career at Louisville was when I had to walk into Rupp Arena,” Pitino said. “Tried not to show it, but when I went home, the reception, it tore me apart because I love that place so much.”
While Arkansas might be experiencing some buyer’s remorse in year one under Calipari, Kentucky has flourished under his successor Mark Pope. The Wildcats enter Saturday with a 15-5 overall record, an ultra-efficient offense and credibility-boosting victories over Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville, Florida, Texas A&M and Tennessee.
How Kentucky fans should treat Calipari on Saturday has been a hot-button topic in Lexington for weeks, if not longer.
Count Pitino among those who hope Calipari receives only cheers.
“I know you have the class,” Pitino said to Kentucky fans. “I’ve always believed in you. Do it once again.”
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