"Made the calls to make sure it would get done": When John Calipari showed love to rival Rick Pitino for role in UMass hiring
John Calipari and Rick Pitino have established themselves as some of the finest college basketball coaches on the circuit. The two have faced off on several occasions, including one time at the Final Four in March 1996.
At the time, Calipari was coaching at UMass, while Pitino was at the helm at Kentucky. Ahead of their NCAA semifinals clash that year, Calipari showered praise on Pitino.
"I'm the head coach at Massachusetts because he (Pitino) was on the committee and he thought I would be good on the job and he made the calls to make sure it would get done,'' Calipari said. "That will always be with me and my family. My wife knows it, my children know it. We're in a position right now as a family because of what Rick Pitino has done for me.''
Calipari also said he would respect Pitino before and after the game, but during their contest, he would want his UMass team to get the better of Kentucky.
"I would rather not play Rick Pitino unless it was the very last game for us,''Calipari said. "We have to do this, so we're going to play.
"Between now and game time, he's the other coach. When the game ends, I'll hug him, win or lose, and tell him how much I appreciate what he's done for me and my family. But, until then, we're both going for the jugular.''
Pitino's Kentucky defeated Pitino's UMass 81-74 to progress to the national title game. The Wildcats eventually beat Syracuse 76–67 in the championship game. It was Pitino's first national title of his coaching career.
John Calipari vs Rick Pitino H2H record
John Calipari holds a 16-13 lead over Rick Pitino in their head-to-head matchups, including in the NBA. Calipari also leads 13-10 against Pitino at the collegiate level.
Their last encounter was at the NCAA Tournament earlier this year. Calipari's Arkansas beat Calipari's St. John's in the second round of March Madness.
It will be interesting to see if Calipari can extend his H2H record over Pitino in the coming years. Pitino and Calipari are both inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.