"I think some people were happy” — John Calipari on Big Blue Nation’s feelings after leaving Kentucky winning 'only one national title'

John Calipari moving on from the head coaching position with the Kentucky Wildcats to join the University of Arkansas was one of the biggest stories in the post-2024 NCAA tournament offseason.

The 15-year veteran led the team to a national title as well as four Final Four appearances, with the early 2010s seeing Kentucky remain a perennial threat in the SEC and the NCAA Tournament.

With his departure now in the rearview mirror, the four-time SEC Coach of the Year spoke to CBS Sports about the feeling in the Big Blue Nation about his tenure and departure:

"I think some people were happy. [Some were saying], 'We've had this guy 15 years, and we've only won 500 games. We only won one national title and four Final Fours and eight Elite Eights. What the hell is going on here?'"

However, it wasn't all hate and vitriol that Coach faced in his exit from Lexington. He also revealed some of the more heartwarming reactions he got from people. Some folks were yelling "We love you," while he told a story of a particular incident in Panera.

"One of the ladies came from the back in tears to hug me."

John Calipari finished his tenure in Kentucky with 410 wins, alongside the NCAA accomplishments he listed. A multi-time Coach of the Year, he led the Wildcats to six SEC regular seasons as well as tournament championships.

The NBA list for John Calipari

Beyond the success as a winner that Calipari found with Kentucky, his biggest contribution was developing players and making them NBA-ready. While still at UMass, a trend of first-round picks in the NBA draft coming from under his wing first began with Marcus Camby in 1996.

Since then, 39 other players have joined the list, with Cason Wallace serving as the latest example, as he went 10th overall in the 2023 NBA draft.

The complete list is as follows:

Marcus Camby (UMass)
Dajuan Wagner (Memphis)
Shawne Williams (Memphis)
Rodney Carey (Memphis)
Derrick Rose (Memphis)
Tyreke Evans (Memphis)
John Wall (Kentucky)
DeMarcus Cousins (Kentucky)
Patrick Patterson (Kentucky)
Eric Bledsoe (Kentucky)
Daniel Orton (Kentucky)
Brandon Knight (Kentucky)
Anthony Davis (Kentucky)
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Kentucky)
Terrence Jones (Kentucky)
Marquis "Jeff" Teague (Kentucky)
Nerlens Noel (Kentucky)
Archie Goodwin (Kentucky)
Julius Randle (Kentucky)
James Young (Kentucky)
Karl-Anthony Towns (Kentucky)
Willie Cauley-Stein (Kentucky)
Trey Lyles (Kentucky)
Devin Booker (Kentucky)
Jamal Murray (Kentucky)
Skal Labissiere (Kentucky)
De'Aaron Fox (Kentucky)
Malik Monk (Kentucky)
Bam Adebayo (Kentucky)
Kevin Knox (Kentucky)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Kentucky)
P.J. Washington (Kentucky)
Tyler Herro (Kentucky)
Keldon Johnson (Kentucky)
Tyrese Maxey (Kentucky)
Immanuel Quickley (Kentucky)
Isaiah Jackson (Kentucky)
Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky)
TyTy Washington Jr. (Kentucky)
Cason Wallace (Kentucky)

Do you think Calipari can have a similar impact with the Arkansas Razorbacks? Let us know in the comments below.