John Calipari had a ton of success over his decade and a half long run with the Kentucky Wildcats but ESPN’s Paul Finebaum believes fans won’t be too hurt to see him go.
Appearing on Monday morning’s “Get Up,” the SEC Network commentator went as far as saying that folks in Lexington are probably happy to move off of the three-time Naismith Coach of the Year given how the program has underachieved in recent years.
Amazingly, I think both fanbases are happy this morning. You say, ‘How could that be? Cal is a legend.’ Well, he’s a legend who had really played out at the University of Kentucky. Fans were tired of him when he got knocked out by Oakland, that was the second time in three seasons he lost in the first round. That is unforgivable, and I think he came within a whisker of getting fired. The only reason he stayed there — a $33 million buyout.
Finebaum added that he thinks this could be a win for both sides given what the Razorbacks have been able to build on the hardwood.
“Arkansas has been a great program. We know about Nolan Richardson and that epic era, but Eric Musselman had taken them to two Elite Eights and three Sweet 16s and when he left the other day people were going, ‘Where can this program go?’ They get John Calipari, who on one hand might be diminished but when you give him a chance to restart it will be welcome to that fanbase. But the University of Kentucky this morning has an opportunity to upgrade the program after Calipari.
Calipari went 410-123 as UK’s head coach. Regardless of how it ended, Big Blue’s next coach will have some big shoes to fill.