Old Rivalry Ought to Keep Calipari Away From Potential UConn Opening

Deep hatred between old rivals should keep Arkansas coach home

Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari prior to the game against Eric Musselman's Arkansas Razorbacks in 2022. / Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Talk around the basketball community Thursday is UConn coach Dan Hurley's possible departure to coach the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA.

Razorbacks coach John Calipari was linked to the Lakers job a few years ago during the height of his run with Kentucky. The Huskies head coaching position will be a highly sought after job this offseason if Hurley indeed departs for the West Coast.

Dan Hurley has informed his team that he is in talks with the @Lakers to become its next coach, per @John_Fanta.

This would be another coaching change which would rock the college basketball world again. pic.twitter.com/PnIs7Mbcdn

— Jacob Davis (@JacobScottDavis) June 6, 2024

An internal hire at UConn makes the most sense for continuity purposes. However, if the school chooses to do a national search, Calipari won't be on the wishlist for the school. Entrenched is an old rivalry between the Arkansas coach and former Huskies head man Jim Calhoun.

Calhoun spent nearly three decades in Storrs, Connecticut from 1986-2012. Before that stint, he was at Northeastern for 14 seasons from 1972-86. He knew the fertile northeastern recruiting landscape like no other coach in the region at that time. Then, a small school with no previous basketball success in UMass hired a youthful Calipari and it changed things.

Calipari was dead set on making the Minutemen one of the best college basketball programs. He even referred to UMass as 'Kings of New England,' which rubbed Calhoun the wrong way. Calhoun had already experienced early success with the Huskies with an Elite Eight run during the 1990 NCAA Tournament.

"John [Calipari] came here from Moon Township in Pennsylvania and said that UMass was the king of New England," Calhoun said in a Lexington Herald report in 2015. "He didn't know what 'chowda' was, with an a. You got to know what 'chowda' is before you start saying (you're the king). Especially for a guy from South Boston, it's pretty tough to (hear) that.

"But you know, we had a healthy rivalry about domination. We were moving up to become one of the dominant teams, and the dominant team in New England, and John was making a run at UMass to become the dominant team in New England. Inevitably, we were going to clash."

Sadly, despite all the hatred on the recruiting trail, the two basketball juggernauts of the 1990's met only twice on the hardwood while in the Northeast. Both games were played before UMass made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament under Calipari. The Minutemen would then go onto earn five consecutive bids and make a Final Four run in 1996.

Perhaps, it was the competitive program Calipari built during his time at UMass Calhoun did not like. Once the Minutemen landed McDonald's All-American and future second overall NBA Draft pick, Marcus Camby, the trajectory of the program changed.

"We were the first New England team to be No. 1 in the country," Calipari told ESPN in 2011. "And at that point, I didn't want to play them. Why give them a chance to beat us and say they're better than us?"

The two coaches would match up in a non-conference tilt in Madison Square Garden while Calipari was at Memphis is 2007. The Tigers, led by Derrick Rose, defeated UCONN 81-70 during the 2007-08 campaign. Memphis was strong that season, coming seconds from winning a national title.

Following the year, Calipari left Memphis for greener pastures and a national championship at Kentucky. Calhoun did clear the air about his relationship with Calipari. They do get along but don't necessarily see eye-to-eye when it comes to building a team. The former UConn coach went on WEEI’s Dennis & Callahan morning show to share his thoughts of his old rival.

"The good thing about John, you know, John can become a bull****er," Calhoun said. "That’s why I actually have a better relationship with him than I used to many years ago, John kind of knows that. At least I think he knows that. He’s actually kind of a tolerable guy to be around. He’s actually a pretty good guy to be around. I don’t do business the way he does. But he’s done a good job coaching. His way, one-and-done, most institutions are not going to allow to do what Kentucky does. But that’s okay. That’s a lot of kids to leave early. But he can coach. He gets his kids to play. He’s done a good job certainly getting talent.”

Since Calipari was hired as Arkansas' coach in April, he has changed his approach to the modern world of college basketball. Use of the transfer portal, developing a few players in his system and adding fewer superstar freshmen is now his preferred way. A different way, but one that Calhoun might be able to identify with better than years prior.

Almost four decades have passed since their rivalry began. The two Hall of Fame coaches may have buried their hatchet. If people still believe Calipari will return to the Northeast to help UConn to a third straight title, there is ocean front property in Arkansas for someone to buy.

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