After 865 official wins in his 31 seasons as a collegiate head coach, John Calipari has built a legacy that most coaches can only dream of. It’s hard to imagine that Cal would have wanted such an ending to his glorious career, but here we are. This season, the SEC plays in his first year coaching at Arkansas have been a nightmare, and fans are already calling for him to hang up his boots. 

Arkansas entered the game against LSU with an 11-5 record but a dismal 0-3 start in SEC play. LSU wasn’t doing any better. Both teams were desperate for a win. This game was supposed to be the turning point, the moment one of these squads finally grabbed some momentum. But it wasn’t Arkansas.

Things actually started out pretty well for the Razorbacks. Transfers Jonas Aidoo and Johnell Davis were playing out of their minds. Aidoo pulled down eight rebounds in the first half alone, solving the rebounding woes that had plagued Arkansas in SEC play. 

Davis, who had been scoreless against Florida, showed up big-time with 10 points in the first half, including two threes. The team jumped out to a 28-16 lead with seven minutes left before halftime. But LSU wasn’t about to roll over. 

Their leading scorer, Cam Carter, caught fire, dropping 27 points in total. LSU closed the first half on an 18-8 run. Fast forward to the second half. Arkansas seemed to seize control again with an 11-0 run. At one point, they led 50-43. 

But, LSU came roaring back with a 20-3 run. Cal’s crew tried to stage a furious comeback in the final minute, but it wasn’t enough. The Hogs fell 78-74. After the game, Calipari tried to shoulder the blame. 

“They’re trying,” he said. “I just gotta do a better job. I feel bad for them. I’m going to have to drag them across the finish line on some of these games. I just have to do it.” But you know, fans aren’t exactly buying it. Many are openly calling for Calipari to step down.

Top Comment by joedoe

he couldnt make it as a coach in the (don’t keep score) upward bound league.

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Is John Calipari’s time up? Fans aren’t holding back

It’s not just the scoreboard that’s giving John Calipari a hard time. The fans are piling on, too. One fan bluntly said, “It’s unfortunate, but the game has passed John Calipari by. He should’ve retired.” The Razorbacks have dropped four crucial SEC games in a row against Tennessee, then Ole Miss, then Florida, and now LSU.

Another fan didn’t hold back either, “I mean this with my whole heart: John Calipari should have retired in April.” Back in April, Cal left Kentucky and took over at Arkansas, replacing Eric Musselman. Musselman’s tenure was a hard act to follow. In just five seasons, he had a better postseason run at Arkansas than Calipari did at Kentucky over the same stretch. 

Sure, Calipari’s reputation as a top recruiter remains intact, but fans are questioning whether he should have taken the Arkansas job at all. “John Calipari, you’re washed and should’ve retired and not gone to ruin another College Basketball program,” another fan vented. Harsh? For sure! But there’s history here.

Coach Cal was Kentucky’s head coach since 2009, and let’s not forget he led them to a national championship in 2012. Still, things went downhill fast. By 2015, Kentucky’s Final Four runs came to a screeching halt, and the program struggled to regain its footing. 

Reports even surfaced that Kentucky’s management wasn’t happy with his performance, which likely played a role in his departure. Leaving a blue-blood program like Kentucky, under those circumstances, was bound to leave fans skeptical.

“John Calipari needs to be fired,” one fan declared. Recently, Calipari also made a controversial statement about not knowing his team’s game schedule. Fans took this as a sign that he’s not even handling the basics of his job. Combine that with Arkansas’s losing streak, and it’s no wonder people are calling him out.

Lastly, the disappointment runs deep for Arkansas fans. “Arkansas fans really thought they were getting something hiring John Calipari. All he did was take the same outdated formula from Kentucky and brought it to Arkansas 😭,” another fan commented. Arkansas was supposed to be a fresh start for Calipari, but instead, the SEC has exposed his struggles. 

Meanwhile, Kentucky is thriving under new coach Mark Pope. So, what’s next for John Calipari and the Razorbacks? Their upcoming game against Missouri is a chance to turn things around, but with the weight of fan frustration and a string of losses, it’s not going to be easy. Hope they can bounce back!