Calls Mount Against John Calipari as His Careless Attitude Exposed With Another Crushing SEC Loss

After guiding six teams to the Final Four, leading one to a national championship, and boasting over 15 years of experience, you’d definitely not expect 3 consecutive SEC losses from a veteran coach like John Calipari. But with Arkansas now 11-5 overall and dropping its third straight SEC game, frustration is boiling over, and not just because of the losses. What’s really rubbing fans the wrong way is Cal’s baffling post-game excuse.

Saturday’s matchup against the No. 8 Florida Gators ended in a 71-63 defeat at Bud Walton Arena. Razorbacks men shot a season-low 30%, hitting just 18 of 60 attempts against Florida’s defense. The Gators, now 15-1 and 2-1 in SEC play, held Arkansas to its worst shooting performance this season. 

For Arkansas, it’s a troubling trend. This is their first 0-3 SEC start since the 2021-22 season. And for Calipari, it’s an even rarer low point. The Hall of Fame coach hasn’t started conference play 0-3 since his inaugural season with the 1988-89 UMass Minutemen. But what made the loss sting even more for fans was Calipari’s post-game remarks. 

When asked about the matchup, the HC said, “I didn’t even know when we play. I was hoping it was Wednesday.” Really, coach?! Well, we do understand that the team lost all of its matchups against ranked opponents. First to No. 1 Tennessee, then 23 Ole Miss and 8 Florida, but Razorbacks have potential too, and most importantly, it’s being led by coach Cal, who apparently seems to be not even keeping track of the schedule. 

Hence, naturally, the seasoned coach’s comments didn’t sit well with fans. One fan posted the HC’s post-game conference video writing, “Someone has got to tell John Calipari that his ‘Aww shucks, I don’t even know our schedule’ schtick is not as endearing as he thinks it is.”

They pointed out that for a coach of his caliber, not knowing the schedule feels like the bare minimum. And using it as a “boast” or “rescue” is not exactly inspiring confidence. And others carrying a similar rage rallied in the comment section. 

John Calipari’s fall from grace, Post-game comments spark fury

A very predictable comment read, “I’m a Kentucky fan! SO THANKFUL cal is gone! Worst coach in this era Period!” Coach Cal was at Kentucky since 2009 and even led them to the 2012 championship, so his link to the Wildcats can never be out of the picture. 

However, fans will never forget how, over the years during his tenure, things really started to slide downwards. He just couldn’t keep it together and the team never even made a Final Four run since 2015. So, this frustration is understandable as new Wildcats coach Mark Pope continues to win hearts.

Another one wrote, “I just can’t believe he’s fallen this far. Will he be at Arkansas next year?” You know, the previous HC, Eric Musselman, had a better postseason run in just five seasons at Arkansas than Calipari did at Kentucky over the same stretch. Sure, Calipari’s always been a top recruiter, and that’s likely to continue wherever he goes. 

But honestly, his attitude and carelessness and this comparison might threaten his job. Although he has a five-year deal, fans are starting to doubt it. The third comment was rather from an upset fan than furious as he penned, “This is really sad to see. I’ve always supported Coach Cal.”

It’s tough to watch for those who’ve been backing him all these years. We know that Kentucky basketball is a brand with a massive fan base. But unfortunately, over time, Calipari lost that support he once won. The fans who once adored him are now drifting away.

The next one straight-up called him out, saying, “Spoken like a coach that doesn’t really care about winning anymore. And it shows.” Coaching unspoken rule, number one, is not to let your opponents see you sweat. When a coach shows that they’re unprepared, especially when facing a top-tier team, it’s like handing the other side an advantage right away. 

Now, coaches and teams will always see Calipari and his team as an opponent that’s not even sure when their next match is, let alone how ready they are for it. This almost makes it look like he doesn’t care about winning, and the losing streak adds fuel to it. Another expressed fury with humor. “i’m gonna sleep in tomorrow when my boss calls i’ll say oh man didn’t know we was working today.” 

This was a little joke about a situation that feels all too familiar. Sometimes, the approach to a job can feel like that. But at the end of the day, it’s part of the job, and looking ahead at what’s coming up is a basic coaching responsibility. 

Going forward and after this backlash, Coach Cal must refrain from sharing such details. And we trust he remembers they face LSU on Tuesday. While the ESPN predictions might not be in their favor, we all hope they can turn things around.