"I’m so happy": Arkansas HC John Calipari gets surprise visit from Razorbacks legend Nolan Richardson
For a change, John Calipari became the coaching mentee, as the Razorbacks' hall-of-fame coach Nolan Richardson visited the program. While Calipari is the Division I's winningest active coach, Richardson is the most successful coach to lead the Razorbacks. He coached them for 17 years, recording a nearly 70% winning record.
Moreover, Richardson also orchestrated an NCAA title run (1994) and second-place finish (1995). So when the program's beloved coach visited the campus, Calipari was brimming with joy.
"I’m so happy, great having Coach Richardson at practice today! It reminds me of my days in the gym with Coach Hall, Coach Bartow and Coach Leaman watching practice. Coach spoke to the team too, video to follow! I couldn’t be happier!!," Calipari wrote.
John Calipari met Jack Leaman through his first coaching stint at UMass. Rotation management and effectively utilizing fewer players in the lineup were a few of the things Leaman taught Calipari.
Gene Bartow and Arkansas’ coach met when Calipari was tasked with turning the Memphis Tigers into a powerhouse. Bartow was employed with the Memphis Grizzlies at the time. The two bonded over their love for basketball and the similarity in their ideologies.
As for Joe B. Hall, John Calipari met the former Kentucky Wildcats coach in 2009. Calipari was struggling to harmonize his roster of nearly 20 players in his first year in Lexington. Hall’s advice helped the coach recenter and find his comfort within the program.
Nolan Richardson believes John Calipari can lead Arkansas to a NCAA title
The 1994 NCAA championship under Nolan Richardson is the lone title in Arkansas’ history.
However, since Richardson’s departure, the program has only earned nine NCAA bids in 22 years. They failed to get past the first round under Stan Heath before John Pelphrey and Mike Anderson registered second-round exits.
However, as Eric Musselman joined, the Razorbacks saw three NCAA bids in five years, entering the Elite Eight twice. Richardson believes that John Calipari will build on that and deliver Arkansas its second title. He told ESPN in May:
"I don't see why it wouldn't be a job where [Calipari] could come in and win a national championship. I can see that they can. I don't know another coach who could do it better than Calipari because of his recruiting."
The program legend appreciated Caliapri’s recruitment acumen, citing it as the best in the nation.