St. John’s coach Rick Pitino sent a somewhat surprising message to Kentucky fans on Thursday about the upcoming return of John Calipari to Lexington.
Calipari, now head coach at Arkansas, will coach at Kentucky on Saturday for the first time since his departure at the end of last season, and nobody is sure how he will be received. Pitino, for his part, appealed to Kentucky fans to give Calipari a warm reception despite their somewhat checkered history with each other.
“Toughest day of my coaching career at Louisville was when I had to walk into Rupp Arena. Tried not to show it, but when I went home, the reception, it tore me up because I love that place so much,” Pitino said. “As you all know, I’m not best friends with John Calipari. I respect him, certainly. But it was a mutual thing. The fans wanted a change. John read the tea leaves. He needed a change. He really didn’t want to leave. But what did he do for you? He brought the best talent in the history of the game of any university in America to Lexington. He also won a national championship. His style of play was extremely entertaining.
“He’s coming back on Saturday, and I want all of you to show the great class that you have. 23,000-plus people giving him a huge standing ovation. Show him what respect and admiration’s all about. I know you have the class. I’ve always believed in you. Do it once again.”
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) January 30, 2025
That Pitino would stick up for Calipari at all is quite something. They have a long-standing rivalry from when Pitino coached Louisville at the same time Calipari led Kentucky, not to mention their shared status as former Wildcats coaches. They are also two of the most successful coaches ever, as Pitino is well aware. They have, at times, shown warmth toward each other, such as when Calipari pushed for Pitino to return to Kentucky to be properly honored for his contributions there.
Calipari left Kentucky at the end of last season following a string of disappointing seasons and NCAA Tournament underachievement. Some reports suggested that fan hostility played at least some role in pushing him out, so a big reception would probably mean a lot to him. Whether he gets it is another question.
