"Firing him is not enough": Kentucky's catastrophic collapse against No. 14 seed Oakland makes fans demand more than just sacking of John Calipari
Kentucky shockingly lost to No. 14 seed Oakland, 80-74 in the first round of March Madness. As a result, furious Kentucky fans are demanding the dismissal of head coach John Calipari. This loss marks a series of disappointing March Madness performances for the Wildcats under Calipari.
Amidst the first-round loss against Oakland, fans reacted online by asking for more than just firing the head coach. One fan said:
"Firing him is not enough he needs to stand trial of some sort in front of the state."
The defeat has left a deeper issue within the program and has raised questions about Calipari's leadership, as well as their main player Reed Sheppard, who only managed to score three points in the game.
Calipari has had an impressive NCAA record in the past with the Wildcats, including four Final Four appearances and a national championship in 2012. However, his recent records have somewhat tarnished his past achievements.
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This loss had fans reacting with frustration on X, formerly Twitter. Here are some of the reactions:
"That Calipari kiss the ring sh*t is over. He's a pretender," said a fan.
"Calipari needs to listen to Taylor Swift's 'Anti-Hero' on repeat," added another.
"Calipari deserves all he gets."
"John Calipari is washed."
"Can't trust a Calipari led team."
"FIRE CALIPARI."
"Why don't you walk your happy a*s out of KentuckyMr.Calipari!"
"John Calipari has not existed since 2015."
"Not many people in sports I hate more than John Calipari."
"Looks like my last act of the night is muting "Calipari to WVU"..."
"Why tf 2 top 5 lotto pickscomingoff the bench?????? Fire this mf Calipari."
"Calipari coaches his players to make it to the NBA , not to win in "March."
"Maybe it was fitting we lost in Calipari's home town, we should leave him there."
"Sadly I am beginning to think that this is thelevel that Calipari can coach at.
Kentucky basketball's NCAA history
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball program has a rich NCAA history. They have won the NCAA championship eight times, holding the best all-time winning percentage and the most victories.
They have been led by legendary coaches in the past like Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Rick Pitino, Tubby Smith and, of course, John Calipari. Under them all, they have made a total of 17 NCAA Final Four appearances, tying with Duke for the third-most.
They lead the table when it comes to the most Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen appearances. They were also the first team to achieve 1,000 and 2,000 wins, with some conference championships along the way.
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Do you think John Calipari should be fired following Kentucky's March Madness exit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.