John Calipari, the former head coach of the University of Kentucky, returned to Rupp Arena on Saturday as the opponent for his new team, the University of Arkansas. Despite hopes from some that fans would show warmth towards him, Calipari was met with a chorus of boos upon arrival. The sentiment lingered when he was introduced as the head coach of Arkansas.
However, in a surprising turn of events, Calipari’s first season at Arkansas has been marked by success, culminating in an 89-79 upset win over No. 12 Kentucky. Former Kentucky players Adou Thiero and D.J. Wagner led the way for Arkansas, with Thiero scoring 21 points and Wagner adding eight assists.
Despite his team’s triumph, Calipari expressed disappointment in some of his players for talking back to the Kentucky crowd during their post-game interview. The coach has a storied past at Kentucky, where he earned numerous accolades including a national championship, four Final Fours, and six SEC titles.
Calipari’s departure from Kentucky was widely anticipated after just one season, but he opted not to wait for his fate to be decided. His tenure with the Razorbacks has already shown promise, with the team holding a 13-8 record and a 2-6 record in SEC play.
With this win, Calipari proved he still has the skill to upset top-ranked teams, leaving Kentucky fans bitter about their former coach’s switch to Arkansas.
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/john-calipari-greeted-with-chorus-of-boos-in-return-to-kentucky-but-arkansas-gives-him-last-laugh-032611619.html