Nothing like receiving surprising news on the eve of the national championship game.
John Calipari is leaving Kentucky for Arkansas, where he will succeed Eric Musselman for five years.
Nobody could have predicted this series of events when SMU fired Rob Lanier after only two seasons, resulting in the Mustangs acquiring Andy Enfield from USC and Musselman leaving Arkansas for the Trojans’ vacancy. Arkansas made early offers to Ole Miss’ Chris Beard and Kansas State’s Jerome Tang, but both coaches declined and returned to their respective schools.
So, Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek reevaluated the search and came up with a new name at the top of his target list: Calipari.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf discuss the new move, what it means for the conference and the institutions, and who may succeed Coach Cal in Lexington.
Myron Medcalf: Following a string of dismal results (9-16 in 2020-21, the 2022 NCAA tournament defeat to Saint Peter’s, and this month’s first-round loss to Oakland), Calipari no longer had complete control in Lexington. Rather of giving Kentucky’s brass another year to decide if they wanted to keep him, Calipari did what several coaches do in this situation: he departed.
The thrill of coaching at Kentucky is the admiration, fame, and influence that comes from having a large fan base and basketball brand. But Calipari has lost that support in recent years. It felt as if Calipari and Kentucky had shared a home but were no longer together. Calipari made it official Sunday night.
