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College Hoops Fans React to John Calipari Reportedly Leaving Kentucky for Arkansas
As the 2023-24 men's college basketball season comes to a close with Monday's title game between UConn and Purdue, a bombshell report dropped off the court that promises to shake up the sport.
Longtime Kentucky coach John Calipari is reportedly leaving the program for the head coaching job at Arkansas, as the sides agreed to terms on a five-year contract late Sunday night.
College basketball fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to react to the stunning move.
This user on X believes Calipari, ninth on the all-time wins list among men's college basketball coaches, will find the same amount of success he had with the Wildcats.
John Calipari is a Hall of Fame coach. He’s gone to six Final Fours across three different schools and won a national championship at Kentucky.
— JC Hoops (@JacksonCollier) April 8, 2024
Can he find that type of success again at Arkansas?
Absolutely.
Calipari can win a national title at Arkansas.
Another user expressed the opinion that both Calipari and Kentucky, which hadn't been back to the Final Four since 2015, needed fresh starts.
Both Kentucky and Cal needed a fresh start
— SPG (@SPG9814) April 8, 2024
Then, in a lighthearted twist, multiple fans joked that Calipari had to make Monday's national championship about him somehow.
John Calipari on the day of the natty even though his team(s) aren’t playing in it pic.twitter.com/vZQiaLD8xE
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) April 8, 2024
Leave it to Calipari to make the national championship about him
— Moosey (@0nlyMeez) April 8, 2024
Last but certainly not least, ESPN college basketball commentator Dick Vitale weighed in on the Calipari news.
Thoughts on @UKCoachCalipari heading to @RazorbackMBB : BBN & all of Kentucky’s passionate fans will realize how really good JOHN CALIPARI was for KENTUCKY BASKETBALL . ( check out his entire resume )Also ARKANSAS made a SLAM DUNK CHOICE! @ESPNPR @PeteThamel @HoopsWeiss
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) April 8, 2024
One thing is for sure. Calipari's move from Kentucky to Arkansas figures to be the talk of college basketball for the next few days, national championship game or not.
Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.