Kentucky’s John Calipari Invites Coal Miner, Son From Viral Photo to Rupp Arena

The Wildcats coach was touched by a photo of a fan and his son at the team’s scrimmage in Pikeville, Ky.

Kentucky basketball continued its preparation for the upcoming season over the weekend with a scrimmage in front of fans in Pikeville, Ky., and you never know who will come to watch the game.

Wildcats coach John Calipari shared a picture of what appeared to be a coal miner who came directly from work to watch the game with his son. Calipari was touched by the photo. So on Monday morning, he offered the man and his family VIP tickets to a future home game in Lexington.

“Don’t know who this is,” Calipari tweeted, “but I have tickets for him & his family at Rupp to be treated as VIPs!!”

Calipari later revealed that he was able to identify the fan as Michael McGuire through his wife, Mollie, and invited the entire McGuire family to a future game.

Thank you everyone for your incredible response to this. No one rallies like the #BBN!

We are looking forward to hosting @mcguire_mollie9, her husband Michael and their family at a game soon!! https://t.co/2OpC5tkjag

— John Calipari (@CoachCalArk) October 24, 2022

Calipari wrote that his family’s “American dream” started in a West Virginia coal mine, connecting him to the fan.

The Wildcats’ season begins in two weeks with home games against Howard and Duquesne.

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