Stephen A. & Shannon Sharpe are SHOCKED John Calipari is leaving Kentucky for Arkansas | First Take

ESPN
8 Apr 202413:29

Summary

TLDRThe transcript discusses John Calipari's move from the University of Kentucky to coach Arkansas, highlighting his achievements and the challenges he faced at Kentucky. The conversation includes various perspectives on whether this is a step up or down for Calipari, considering the tradition and expectations at both institutions. It also touches on the pressure of coaching at a blue-blood program like Kentucky and the impact of recent performance on his decision.

Takeaways

  • 📝 John Calipari is finalizing a five-year deal to coach Arkansas, with the expectation that the deal will be completed within the next 24 hours.
  • 🏆 Calipari is the second highest-paid coach in the country, only behind Kansas's Bill Self, who earns more than 8.5 million per year.
  • 🏀 Calipari had significant early success at Kentucky, advancing to the Final Four four times in his first six seasons and winning the title in 2012.
  • 📉 However, in recent years, Kentucky's performance under Calipari has declined, with a first-round loss to Oakland in the NCAA tournament this year.
  • 🤔 The decision to leave Kentucky for Arkansas is surprising to some, given the tradition and reputation of Kentucky's basketball program.
  • 🎉 Eric Musselman is credited for doing a great job at USC, despite not making the NCAA tournament this season, with several elite eight and sweet sixteen appearances.
  • 👏 There is speculation that Calipari's move to Arkansas might be due to a better environment rather than a better opportunity.
  • 🏆 Despite criticisms, Calipari remains the second all-time winningest coach in Kentucky basketball history.
  • 🤷‍♂️ The discussion includes a debate about the expectations and achievements of coaches at Kentucky, with a focus on the importance of reaching the Final Four and winning national championships.
  • 🤔 There is a call for consideration of the challenges in college basketball, including the impact of recruiting and the pressure to win with young players.

Q & A

  • Who is finalizing a five-year deal to coach Arkansas?

    -John Calipari is finalizing a five-year deal to coach Arkansas.

  • What is expected to be completed in the next 24 hours regarding John Calipari?

    -The deal for John Calipari to coach Arkansas is expected to be completed in the next 24 hours.

  • Where does John Calipari rank in terms of highest paid coaches in the country?

    -John Calipari is the second highest paid coach in the country, only behind Kansas's Bill Self.

  • What was John Calipari's earning at Kentucky?

    -John Calipari was earning more than 8 and a half million per year at Kentucky.

  • How many times did Calipari advance to the Final Four in his first six seasons at Kentucky?

    -Calipari advanced to the Final Four four times in his first six seasons at Kentucky.

  • What significant achievement did Calipari accomplish at Kentucky in 2012?

    -Calipari won the national title at Kentucky in 2012.

  • What has been the performance of Kentucky in the last few years under Calipari?

    -The performance of Kentucky has declined in the last few years under Calipari, with a first-round loss to Oakland in the NCAA tournament this year being a notable example.

  • What is the general sentiment towards Calipari leaving Kentucky for Arkansas?

    -The sentiment is one of surprise and shock, as many expected Calipari to stay at the more traditionally successful program of Kentucky.

  • Who is considered to have done a good job at USC despite not making the NCAA tournament this season?

    -Eric Muschamp is considered to have done a good job at USC, with a couple of Elite Eight appearances and three trips to the Sweet 16 during his five years there.

  • What is the comparison of Calipari's winning percentage in his first six years at Kentucky versus his last nine years?

    -In his first six years at Kentucky, Calipari's teams won 83.7% of their games, but in his last nine years, his winning percentage dropped by 11%.

  • What is the expectation from the new coach at Kentucky after Calipari's departure?

    -The expectation is that the new coach will be able to at least reach the Final Four or win a National Championship, given the high level of talent and resources available at Kentucky.

Outlines

00:00

🏀 Coaching Changes and Kentucky's Struggles

The paragraph discusses John Calipari's move from the University of Kentucky to coach Arkansas, highlighting his achievements and recent struggles at Kentucky. It mentions his high salary, early success with multiple Final Four appearances and a championship win in 2012, but notes a decline in performance in recent years, including first-round exits in the NCAA tournament. The conversation includes reactions from show hosts and guests, emphasizing the surprise of Calipari leaving a storied program like Kentucky for Arkansas and speculating on the reasons behind his decision.

05:00

🌟 Recruiting and Expectations at Kentucky

This paragraph delves into the discussion of John Calipari's recruiting success at Kentucky, mentioning numerous first-round NBA draft picks that he coached. However, it contrasts this with the expectation of winning championships and the criticism Calipari faces for not meeting those expectations, despite his impressive rosters. The conversation also touches on the pressure of coaching at a high-profile program like Kentucky and the comparison with other successful college coaches.

10:02

🤔 Evaluating Coaching Success and the Future of Kentucky Basketball

The paragraph continues the debate about John Calipari's coaching success, considering his win percentage and championship record at Kentucky. It addresses the high standards and expectations at Kentucky, where not winning a championship or making the Final Four is seen as underachievement. The discussion also explores potential replacements for Calipari and the challenges any new coach would face in living up to the legacy and expectations of the Kentucky basketball program.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡John Calipari

John Calipari is a prominent college basketball coach who, according to the transcript, is finalizing a five-year deal to coach Arkansas. He is noted for being the second highest-paid coach in the country, previously coaching at Kentucky. His move from Kentucky to Arkansas is a central topic of discussion in the video, with various opinions on why he made this decision.

💡Arkansas

Arkansas is the state and university where John Calipari is expected to coach after finalizing a deal, as mentioned in the transcript. The discussion around this keyword revolves around the comparison of the Arkansas basketball program to that of Kentucky, with participants expressing surprise at the move due to the perceived difference in the prestige and tradition of the two programs.

💡Kentucky

Kentucky is a renowned college basketball program that John Calipari has coached in the past. The keyword is significant in the transcript as it is the program that Calipari is leaving, and the discussion contrasts its history and reputation with that of Arkansas. The success and struggles of Calipari at Kentucky are a major point of the conversation.

💡Coaching

Coaching is the profession and activity that John Calipari is involved in, and it is the central theme of the transcript. The discussion revolves around his coaching career, achievements, and the impact of his move from Kentucky to Arkansas. The term is used to analyze his performance, salary, and the expectations associated with his coaching role.

💡Final Four

The Final Four is a reference to the last stage of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, where the top four teams compete for the national championship. In the transcript, it is used as a measure of success for college basketball coaches, particularly in discussing John Calipari's achievements and the expectations for his coaching at both Kentucky and Arkansas.

💡NCAA Tournament

The NCAA Tournament refers to the annual championship event of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I men's basketball competition. In the context of the transcript, it is a significant measure of a coach's success and the performance of their team. The discussion includes the performance of Calipari's teams in the tournament and how it factors into his move to Arkansas.

💡Salary

Salary is the compensation paid to an individual for their work, in this case, referring to the income of John Calipari as a basketball coach. In the transcript, it is used to highlight the financial aspect of his profession and the implications of his move from Kentucky to Arkansas.

💡Tradition

Tradition, in the context of the transcript, refers to the historical success, reputation, and established customs of a sports program. The discussion contrasts the tradition of the Kentucky basketball program with that of Arkansas, highlighting the significance of this factor in the decision to hire a new coach.

💡Recruiting

Recruiting in college basketball refers to the process of attracting high school athletes to join a college team. The transcript discusses the level of talent that Calipari has recruited to Kentucky, including numerous first-round draft picks, and how this relates to the expectations of success for the program.

💡Performance

Performance in this context refers to the outcomes and achievements of a sports team under the guidance of its coach. The transcript analyzes Calipari's performance at Kentucky, particularly in the NCAA Tournament, and how it has changed over time, influencing his move to Arkansas.

💡Success

Success in the context of the transcript is used to evaluate the achievements and accomplishments of a coach and their team, particularly in terms of winning games, championships, and reaching significant milestones like the Final Four. The discussion revolves around whether Calipari's recent record at Kentucky aligns with the expectations of success for a program of its stature.

Highlights

John Calipari finalizing a five-year deal to coach Arkansas.

The deal is expected to be completed in the next 24 hours.

Calipari is the second highest-paid coach in the country at Kentucky.

Calipari earns more than 8 and a half million per year.

Calipari had a lot of success early on at Kentucky, advancing to the final four four times in his first six seasons and winning the title in 2012.

Kentucky faced a loss to Oakland in the first round of this year's NCAA tournament.

USC is lucky to have Eric Mussim, who did a great job despite not making the NCAA tournament this season.

Calipari is friends with an Arkansas alumni member who is a billionaire, which may have influenced his move.

In Calipari's first six seasons at Kentucky, they won 83.7% of their games, three 35-win seasons, four final four appearances, and one national title.

In his last nine years, Calipari's winning percentage dropped by 11% and zero in every category including 35 wins, final fours, and NCAA titles.

Kentucky has had two first-round exits to a number 14 and a number 15 seed in the last four years.

There were rumors and dissatisfaction with Calipari's performance at Kentucky.

Calipari is the second all-time winningest coach in Kentucky basketball history.

Despite having numerous first-round picks and top recruits, Calipari's team couldn't consistently reach the final four or win championships.

The discussion highlights the challenges and expectations of coaching a high-profile college basketball program like Kentucky.

The conversation suggests that even with a roster full of talented players, winning a national championship is not guaranteed and depends on various factors.

The debate includes the impact of the college basketball landscape changes, such as the portal, on coaches' success.

The discussion points out the high standards and pressure associated with coaching at a blue-blood program like Kentucky.

The conversation reflects on the legacy and future prospects of coaches like Calipari and the importance of adapting to the evolving dynamics of college basketball.

Transcripts

00:00

to the men's game now ky's John Cal

00:02

Perry finalizing a five-year deal to

00:04

coach Arkansas according to our Pete

00:05

thill and Jeff Bello the deal is

00:07

expected to be completed in the next 24

00:09

hours Cal Perry is the second highest

00:11

paid coach in the country at Kentucky

00:13

only behind Kansas's Bill self earning

00:15

more than 8 and a half million per year

00:18

Cal had a lot of success early on at

00:20

Kentucky advancing to the final four

00:22

four times in his first six seasons and

00:24

winning the title in 2012 but things

00:26

have gone South the last few years

00:28

culminating with a loss to Oakland in

00:30

the first round of this year's NCAA

00:34

tournament Jay will joining the show now

00:36

live from Arizona Steph are you

00:39

surprised that Cal left Kentucky for

00:41

Arkansas I'm shocked I was shocked

00:44

because Arkansas is not Kentucky um you

00:47

know tradition wise and what have you

00:49

first of all let me say USC is lucky

00:51

Eric musim is a hell of a coach and he

00:53

did a hell of a job they didn't make the

00:54

NCAA tournament this season but in his

00:56

five years there a couple of elite eight

00:59

appearances three to the Sweet 16 he did

01:01

a damn good job for that program and I

01:03

think that uh he's going to do a hell of

01:04

a job at USC so congratulations to him

01:07

but kapari succeed him I know that

01:09

kapari is is is is Friends uh with one

01:12

of the alumni members that happens to be

01:14

a billionaire uh at from Arkansas I get

01:17

that part and maybe that had a lot to do

01:19

with this but I think that the reason

01:21

I'm shocked is because Kentucky is blueb

01:23

is blue blood but in the end I I just

01:26

listen I I love kipari I've known him

01:28

for close to 30 years um but he's

01:30

underachieved over the last decade uh

01:32

haven't made it to a final four since

01:34

2015 hasn't won a national championship

01:37

since 2012 was the only Championship

01:40

he's the national championship he's won

01:42

despite getting the final fours over six

01:44

years and I'm going throw this out at

01:45

you Jay and Shannon in calipari's first

01:48

six seasons at Kentucky they won 83.7%

01:52

of their games they had three 35 win

01:55

Seasons they had four final four

01:57

appearances and they won a national

01:58

title in his last nine years he's

02:01

dropped by 11% in winning percentage and

02:04

zero in every category the 35 wins the

02:07

final fours the NCAA titles and when

02:09

you're at Kentucky and you see North

02:11

Carolina and Duke keeping themselves

02:14

relevant even when they don't win

02:15

they're knocking at the door they're in

02:17

the mix and over the last four years

02:19

you've had two first round exits to a

02:22

number 14 and a number 15 seed you

02:24

didn't make the tournament once and then

02:25

you got to the second round and that's

02:27

all you have to show for it at Kentucky

02:30

they were saying it's unacceptable and

02:31

there was Rumblings about kipari so it

02:33

does give you the impression that he's

02:35

running away from something rather than

02:38

be pushed out even though they weren't

02:39

going to push him out because they would

02:40

have owed him a $33 million buyout but

02:43

in the end it still found I found myself

02:45

shot Jay Shannon because to go from

02:49

Kentucky to Arkansas that's not about a

02:52

better opportunity as much as it is a

02:55

better environment for you because the

02:57

environment where you were evidently

02:59

soured on you and that's why you left

03:02

that's the impression that I've gotten I

03:04

don't know anything I haven't reported

03:06

on it I haven't talked to anybody about

03:08

it but that's the impression that I

03:09

walked away with when I heard this news

03:11

last

03:12

night Stephen A and ank I I just want to

03:16

say it out loud and very slowly so we

03:18

can let it all just marinate you know I

03:21

know you like to cook we going let that

03:23

meat marinate in these good uses for a

03:25

second okay go ahead okay yeah all right

03:29

John calip Perry the second all-time

03:32

winningest coach in Kentucky basketball

03:36

history Stephen A you can tell me about

03:39

the lack of success over the last couple

03:41

years in the tournament my man has won a

03:43

championship he's gotten to four final

03:45

fours now Bill self has won two

03:48

championships Dan Hurley is about to win

03:50

two if he's able to get it tonight ain't

03:52

too many two championship dudes out

03:54

there a a lot of one championship guys

03:57

out there okay with the success he's

04:00

okay has left Kentucky for Arkansas yeah

04:05

has left Kentucky

04:07

basketball for Arkansas no disrespect to

04:10

Arkansas I love Nolan Richardson I love

04:12

40 minutes of hell I was a Scotty

04:14

Thurman fan but left

04:17

Kentucky Arkansas yeah

04:21

yeah that's all I'm saying here like so

04:24

I I everybody's going to say well you

04:26

know this is a great move who y'all

04:27

going to replace him with yeah who who

04:31

who they going to replace him with

04:32

everybody keeps telling me Oh

04:34

underachieved give me a name is Jay

04:37

Wright gonna come out of his cush job

04:39

for CBS because every time I hear Jay

04:41

Wright talk about coaching he's like man

04:42

that's stressful is Billy Donovan gonna

04:45

leave Chicago even if the situation

04:47

isn't great to come down to Kentucky

04:49

like that's the job you GNA I would if I

04:50

was Billy

04:51

Donovan Stephen A Jay can I ask you

04:54

this yes hell I can I can I can come out

04:58

of my job and get down in the first

05:00

round lose to Oklahom Oakland I can lose

05:03

hold on you talk about who you going to

05:05

replace hold on out out you said there's

05:07

not a whole lot of guys to win national

05:10

champions how about this for a roster 35

05:12

first round picks since he's been to

05:14

Oklahoma Anthony Davis dein Booker Shay

05:17

gilis Maxi Randall John Wall bam Murray

05:20

blo DeMarcus Cousins Carl Anthony Town

05:24

Derek Rose number one overall draft

05:26

picking Dereck Rose number one overall

05:28

draft picking car towns Anthony Davis

05:31

John Wall and you give me one title if

05:34

Nick Sabin if Kirby Smart if dbos s with

05:38

all the guys they put in the first round

05:40

game different game different game

05:42

different game Shannon different game

05:44

when you go to college football playoffs

05:45

you go to win two games you win two

05:47

games you got win six games here and by

05:50

the way the co towns team they were

05:52

undefeated they lost in the chip they

05:54

lost in the final for to Wisconsin

05:57

random I hear what all y'all saying

05:59

about the tal

06:00

okay go ahead go ahead J I can get I can

06:03

get any coach to go to the SEC and make

06:06

the NCA tournament and get kicked out

06:09

just like Cal did now you so when he

06:12

went to when he went to Kentucky did he

06:14

say we gonna get all these guys all

06:16

these guys are gonna be number one picks

06:18

or did he say he gonna hang banners like

06:20

Mr rup did or is he gonna do what JB

06:22

Hall did continue was he gonna do with

06:25

uh what's it tubby Smith they got tubby

06:28

up out of there

06:30

why didn't I get him up out of there

06:31

tubby Smith won a title why didn't tubby

06:34

get the state they ran JB Hall up out of

06:36

there why didn't he get the state why do

06:38

Cal get the state because he gets five

06:41

first rounde five star five star five

06:43

star why did he get the state Jay just

06:45

ask me why did he get to State all all

06:48

I'm saying is sometimes you don't know

06:50

how good you got it until it's gone all

06:52

right well and I think there are certain

06:53

level of people that cuz ky's been so

06:56

relevant I caught a lot of flack this

06:58

year when I was like oh they're like the

06:59

Dallas Cowboys of college basketball not

07:02

saying that the lack of success in the

07:04

tournament I'm talking about the fact

07:06

the relevancy of how we talk about them

07:08

every single day because of the brand

07:10

names brand names can always translate

07:12

the championship now every single year

07:14

you got to win a championship or if you

07:15

Ain winning championships you're

07:17

considered a bum I'm just saying it

07:19

don't don't diminish how great it C's is

07:22

second alltime winning his coach in

07:24

Kentucky basketball history Shannon next

07:27

to Adolf Ru I got off R of water at my

07:30

house that says something though that's

07:32

all I'm saying J Jay Jay let me let me

07:34

say this

07:35

bro I respectfully disagree with you I'm

07:39

not saying and no one should say kipy is

07:42

a bum kipy has been a great coach kire

07:45

has been a great coach we understand

07:47

what his resume entails the respect is

07:50

given and the g the college basketball

07:52

landscape has changed particularly

07:53

because of the portal and I think that

07:55

you know what he might be in a better

07:56

situation than Arkansas for all we know

07:58

but here's the point

08:00

he wouldn't think about leaving

08:03

Kentucky had he been more successful the

08:07

Rumblings down in Lexington existed

08:10

because it's been since

08:13

2015 so there is Credence to Shannon's

08:16

point that if you're at a program like

08:19

Kentucky and you're getting all of these

08:22

festar

08:23

recruits one should be able to expect

08:27

that in a 9-year span

08:30

you'd at least visit the final four

08:32

again you're talking about the last four

08:35

years they didn't even make it to the

08:37

Sweet 16 now you got you you got to take

08:41

you got to take that into consideration

08:43

there's no way to get around that Jay

08:46

four years at the University of Kentucky

08:49

and you can't get to the Sweet 16 nine

08:51

years and you can't get to the final

08:53

four let alone win a National

08:54

Championship that does matter and all of

08:58

a sudden it can get to a point point

08:59

where those festar recruits that you got

09:02

will suddenly be held against you

09:04

because when do we stop looking at

09:07

youngsters looking at their youth as an

09:10

excuse at some point in time isn't it

09:12

you it's got to be you especially when

09:15

we're talking about great coaches a

09:17

shashy a Roy Williams a self and others

09:20

I'm talking now J I'm not talking about

09:21

a national championship I'm not talking

09:23

about that I'm talking about not not

09:25

even the sweet 16 that's what I'm saying

09:29

that's a problem man I I I I all those

09:33

are factual essay I I'm not disagreeing

09:36

with you on the facts brother all I'm

09:37

trying to say though in comparison we

09:40

had two coaches in the final four I know

09:42

Nate oats is hot right now with the way

09:44

he's won I just saw them two months ago

09:46

man like they they were nowhere close to

09:47

that team we had Kevin Keats in the

09:49

final four that dude was about to be

09:51

fired so like sometimes lightning in

09:53

bottles occur and I hear that but I'm

09:56

looking at the totality of the work and

09:58

by the way everybody's like well you

10:00

just can't win with young players y they

10:02

had an old team two and a half years ago

10:04

stacked with transfers so like he's done

10:07

it different ways It's just sometimes

10:09

it's hard to win the tournament it

10:11

doesn't always translate Coach K only

10:13

have five of them man I mean he had five

10:15

we're not talking always Bill self has

10:17

two we're not talking just got his

10:19

second two years ago we're not talking

10:21

his second two years ago yeah yeah but

10:22

we're not talking national titles and

10:24

we're not talking always we're saying

10:25

that over the last nine years you

10:27

haven't even been to a final four and

10:29

over for the last four years you haven't

10:30

even gotten to a sweet 16 I'm saying

10:33

when that comes about we talk about Kip

10:36

per like those things are impossible to

10:39

occur but they have occurred and we

10:41

can't ignore that that's all I'm saying

10:44

okay who you replacing him with well

10:46

here's and you know what my response is

10:48

what Shannon said in this regard if

10:51

you're not even getting to a sweet 16 at

10:54

the University of Kentucky there's a lot

10:56

of coaches I can replace you with

10:58

there's a lot yeah guess what guess what

11:01

he's the second winning this coach all

11:03

time and he has the same number of

11:04

national championships as tubby Smith at

11:07

Kentucky he's the second win in this

11:08

coach all time he has the same number

11:10

Championship as JB Hall so tell me what

11:13

am I getting for eight and a half

11:14

million what am I getting or I get a B I

11:17

get a bunch of five stars and do what

11:19

get bounced in the first round get

11:21

bounced in the second round is that what

11:23

I'm getting so guess what if I can get

11:25

bounced in the first or second round I

11:27

can get me a coaching paying $4 million

11:29

and do that I hear you Shan all I'm

11:32

saying I remember a day in time when

11:34

people were about to go hard on Jay

11:37

Wright people were saying oh Jay Wright

11:39

can never win it and then he lightning a

11:41

bottle Chris Jenkins boom boom boom he

11:43

makes two now he's on the all time

11:45

winning his coaches I'm just saying

11:46

there there's luck that goes into he

11:48

wasn't at Kentucky with the top two

11:50

recruiting class in the nation we got

11:52

leave J one more jay jay jay jay he's

11:56

winning National Championship with

11:58

Jaylen Bronson Josh Hart Dante Jinzo you

12:02

get you got Anthony Carl Anthony towns

12:04

you got Anthony Davis you got John Wall

12:07

Boogie cous muray Shay Gil come on he

12:10

won it with ad he won it with ad with C

12:13

that got all to the final four they were

12:16

undefeated they were undefeated and lost

12:18

in the four point point made first

12:21

class that's why left St a he didn't

12:24

want that pressure well that's that's

12:26

different Shannon that's different now

12:27

he want that pressure combo that's a

12:30

different combo Kentucky had 35 first

12:33

round draft picks during his how many 35

12:37

Jay du was second with 27 Jay before we

12:39

let you roll uh who do you have tonight

12:41

you're going Purdue or Yukon and you two

12:44

answer later in the show so your spad

12:45

molly I'm going your spad molly I'm

12:47

going your gonna be Clos they get it

12:49

done Dan Hurley's the face of college

12:50

basketball next year that's what he is

12:53

we know it better happen because if it

12:55

doesn't Molly is just going to be

12:56

miserable to America I bet you won't

12:58

come to work

12:59

Shannon Shannon you you Conor the field

13:02

don't forget about that bet I have that

13:06

tap to we the yuk here today how come to

13:09

we the Yukon I wanted to C South

13:11

Carolina today I wanted South Carolina

13:13

to have their moment you know I showed a

13:15

lot of shoulder it was you know yeah

13:17

yeah

13:21

[Music]

13:27

yeah

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