All Hogs

Were Razorbacks Simple Convenient Way Out for Calipari?

Lost in lots of noise around Hogs heading to Kentucky where many Wildcats' fans not missing him

Andy Hodges

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari reacting during game with the Oklahoma Sooners at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari reacting during game with the Oklahoma Sooners at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. / Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A lot of Arkansas fans are throwing up there hands over the hiring of John Calipari as coach last April. It should be pointed out a lot of them were so excited when John Tyson provided the means for this whole mess.

But let's not blame Tyson. He knew Calipari was catching fire from Kentucky fans because they weren't winning the way they expect to every year in Lexington. In reality they've been ticked off more than they've been happy at the end of the season.

"Look, those fans are so engaged, like [Arkansas] fans," Calipari told the media Monday. "Those fans travel. If you’re doing well, they’re crazy. If you’re doing poorly, they’re just as engaged. So, I accept … I was there 15 years, I loved the fans there, but they’re engaged."

Considering the Wildcats have been playing basketball for 122 years and won eight national championships. The Razorbacks could have prevented one, but lost at the Final Four on Kentucky's first title in 21 years. They didn't get the first one until 1948. While fans may strut around and talk about being the best program in the country, history doesn't exactly show they've won the most titles.

That's UCLA and most of those were piled up under John Wooden. Your feelings about how they were won don't matter because they still have the trophies.

Since Calipari had one of those, it made an attractice hire after the enjoyment of Eric Musselman's Elite Eight and Sweet 16 runs had soured. It also came out of the blue, which caught the college basketball world by surprise.

The only thing unexpected for Hogs' fans right now is a 1-6 record right now. It makes the UA's blatant money grab for basketball seats and tickets seem rather interesting from a timing standpoint, but that's not the point where.

It sounded Monday like Arkansas had an opening just as Calipari was starting to think a change of scenery after 15 seasons might not be that bad of an idea.

"What I did was right for me and my family, but it was also right for Kentucky," Calipari said. "Mark Pope has done a fabulous job. He knows that program because he played in it. He was the right guy for that job. I’m walking back into that environment, yeah, there may be some boos, there me be a lot of boos. That doesn’t change anything for me."

That's not even a wide gap to read between the lines. With the Wildcats' faithful losing confidence in Calipari, he was probably paying attention to the caller ID on his phone. When his buddy in Arkansas called, he answered the phone and after talking to Hunter Yurachek maybe the foothills of the Ozarks looked like a good place to go.

New Razorbacks coach John Calipari at first press conference
Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari with his first appearance with the media after being hired. / Craven Whitlow-allHOGS Images

That may have been the time when Yurachek decided to make a grab at raising more money, primarily from the biggest donors. Grand plans were drawn up to renovate Bud Walton Arena for all the people wanting to come see a winning team.

What may have de-railed it is Calipari not getting wins right off the bat. That was probably the component needed to launch all of this and a stumbling, bumbling start in SEC play may have put everybody in scramble mode trying to pull off increased prices and expenses for fans. It may be harder with a losing team.

But it did give Calipari an escape plan from Kentucky. Nobody should be blaming him for taking it. Now he's just got to figure out a way to get more wins, starting with beating the Wildcats on Saturday night.

"We need more from our front court," he said as things finally got around to the game Thursday just before launching into a verbal cul-de-sac. "We do. But we got the guys. Jonas is still getting over that surgery. If you asked me, I’d tell you he’s 90%, maybe less. TB has shown signs, Trevon has shown signs of being as good as anybody in the country.

"And Z has an impact on the game. He’s just got to play lower, be in there playing harder, longer. We do need to throw those guys the ball. We’ve worked on it, so yes, we need to throw them the ball. But we’re creating good shots for each other, we’re just… Let’s hope a bunch of them are dropping."

TRANSLATION: They have to get key guys the ball more and keep shooting, then everybody cross their fingers and hope they go through the hole.

Well, it's a plan, but sounds a lot like hope. Calipari said years ago "hope isn't a plan." Maybe he should have added there may come a time when hope is all you got left.

Tip-off for the game is 8 p.m. at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. The game will be televised on ESPN. Fans can listen on the Razorback Sports Network on ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.

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Andy Hodges
ANDY HODGES

Sports columnist, writer, former radio host and television host who has been expressing an opinion on sports in the media for over four decades. He has been at numerous media stops in Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi.

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