John Calipari’s tenure at Arkansas is not off to a good start, and some rival SEC coaches do not see it getting much better.
Arkansas fell to 0-5 in SEC play Saturday after a loss to Missouri, and Calipari has begun to face more questions about those results. Aside from a win over Michigan, Calipari has not really notched a signature win in his first season at Arkansas, and critics are questioning when and if it will get better.
One anonymous SEC coach had a scathing comment about Calipari, telling Jeff Goodman of Hoops HQ that the fear is gone when facing Calipari, and that the legendary coach is becoming “archaic.”
“There’s just no fear now when I see him on the other sideline,” the coach said. “The game has changed and he is becoming archaic.”
Calipari has succeeded in bringing top talent to Arkansas, which was always his strength. The results, however, have not been good. That is an alarmingly similar pattern to the one that led Kentucky to sour on him. While he has suggested that his approach to roster-building could change, things look the same now as they have in the past.
Arkansas is 11-7 overall after their latest loss. They will have two more chances to get an SEC win before Calipari returns to Rupp Arena to face Kentucky on Feb. 1.
