The feud between Rick Pitino and John Calipari is the stuff of basketball legend. The decades-long beef, between the two accomplished coaches has been going on since the ’90s! How did it start? Well, calling it a rivalry would be more apt. After all, Pitino recommended Calipari for the head coaching position at the University of Massachusetts, even contributing $5,000 to facilitate the hire! The beef between the two intensified during the 2010s as they led Louisville and Kentucky. Now, the rivalry is back as their teams prepare to face off in the NCAA Tournament.

Calipari, after leading Arkansas past Kansas, now turns his attention to Pitino’s St. John’s squad. Pitino’s team, fresh off their first NCAA Tournament win since 2000, is ready for the challenge. The last time these two met was in 2016. It ended with Louisville winning over Kentucky. Interstingly, it is Calipari who is the winner in their head-to-head confrontations! He’s won 16 of their 28 matchups, including eight of the last ten. As the match draws closer, the ex-national coach has just made a huge revelation surrounding their beef.

As Steve Lappas recently shared on The Dan Patrick Show he shared his thoughts on the rivalry. “I think it went sideways a long time ago, to be honest,” Lappas said. He pointed to Calipari’s hiring at UMass as a turning point. explaining that Pitino had influence in the selection process but didn’t support Calipari for the job. In Lappas’ words, “it got out that Rick Pitino was not in Calipari’s corner… He wanted somebody else to get it.” Now that’s a twist! Pitino has not only claimed that he recommended Calipari for the job, but also that he contributed $5k! Whom should the fans trust?

Well, no matter what started the beef, the feeling of competition, made it so that they couldn’t settle their differences. “They’re both big personalities, as we know, and they both… feel like they’re great basketball coaches, which they are,” Lappas added. One interesting thing to note is that a recent piece from The Score also questioned whether the $5k check ever existed. Now, the basketball world is watching. Can Calipari continue his dominance, or will Pitino prove he still has the upper hand? One thing’s for sure—this matchup is more than just a game.

John Calipari & Rick Pitino’s Final Four Legacy

Did you know Rick Pitino and John Calipari have faced each other in the Final Four a few times? So, how did they stack up in the games? Pitino has made it to the Final Four seven times and while doing so has led three different programs. These are Providence in 1987, Kentucky in 1993, ’96, and ’97, and Louisville in 2005, ’12, and ’13. That last one made him the first coach ever to take three schools to the Final Four. Not too shabby, right?

Well, Calipari isn’t too far behind, with six Final Four appearances. He took UMass there in 1996, Memphis in 2008, and Kentucky in 2011, ’12, ’14 and the next consecutive year. And yes, he brought home the National title in 2012 with Kentucky. But here’s the twist—some of their Final Four appearances were vacated due to NCAA infractions. Which ones exactly? Louisville’s 2012 and ’13 and for Calipari, both the 1996 UMass and 2008 Memphis appearances were vacated by the NCAA. ​

Still, their coaching battle has been legendary. Interestingly enough, when the two came face to face in the Final Four, back in 1996, it was Pitino who came out at the top! He led his Kentucky team to knock out the UMass squad with a score of 81-74. From then on, their teams have already crossed paths several times. Now, even though Calipari might be holding more victories under his belt, this only further raises the stakes for the upcoming match!

So, who has the edge this time? One thing’s for sure—when these two legends clash, history is always made.