On April 8, the University of Arkansas hired a new basketball head coach. John Calipari, formerly the head coach of the University of Kentucky, accepted the Arkansas job. Calipari left behind a legacy at Kentucky, and this move is relatively surprising given Calipari’s track record, and Arkansas’ recent struggles.
Arkansas is historically a good program. The Razorbacks had their heyday in the mid 1990’s, when they reached the final four in 1990, 1994, and 1995. Arkansas won their only championship during this span (in 1994) and the Razorbacks were runners up the following year (in 1995).
Calipari leaves behind a relatively successful career at Kentucky. However, the Wildcats have been haunted by recent first round exits in the March Madness tournament. Calipari and the Wildcats have had very successful regular seasons in the SEC. But in March Madness, the Wildcats have not had success in the past years. That is a big reason he is leaving Kentucky and going to Arkansas. Despite the recent struggles, Calipari is one of the best coaches in college basketball history. Calipari coached at Kentucky for 15 seasons, winning a national championship in 2012.
In addition to his successful tenure at Kentucky, Calipari had successful head coaching careers with UMass, the New Jersey Nets (NBA), and Memphis. In 2008, Calipari led Memphis to the national championship game, only to fall to Kansas.
