John Calipari is on the hot seat at Arkansas, claims ex-NBA pro: “I don’t care it’s his first year, what his record is, what his resume is”
Former NBA player Theo Pinson slammed Arkansas coach John Calipari following his team's 83-65 loss to Missouri on Saturday. The Razorbacks are 0-5 in Southeastern Conference play and Pinson believes that the legendary coach is on the hot seat.
Speaking on his "To The Baha" podcast on Tuesday, Pinson delivered a scathing assessment of Calipari's tenure at Arkansas and the loss to the Tigers.
"That's a game that puts Cal (John Calipari) on the hot seat," Pinson said (02:18). I don't care that it's his first year, I don't care what his record has been, or his resume has been. That's a bad loss. To get whooped like that?"
Pinson, who recently announced his retirement from basketball, played in the NBA with the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks, but he spent most of his time with the Dallas Mavericks, appearing in 59 games. He’s best known for his college career at North Carolina, where he won a national championship in 2017.
Pinson was also part of the Mavericks’ 2022 run to the Western Conference finals, where they defeated the No. 1 seed Phoenix Suns.
John Calipari off to rough start at Arkansas
The Arkansas Razorbacks have lost their first five SEC games — their worst start since the 1985-86 season. This is a sharp contrast to John Calipari's success at Kentucky.
Despite big expectations and a roster filled with talented recruits and former Kentucky players, Arkansas has struggled.
The Razorbacks offense has been a major issue. They have only scored 70+ points in one conference game and are 91st in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Many are blaming Calipari for not adjusting his coaching style to fit his players, and some anonymous SEC coaches have criticized the team’s lack of chemistry.
Arkansas has a tough road ahead, with nine challenging games still on the schedule. Its next game is against Georgia on Wednesday, needing to find answers quickly to turn things around.
Its second-leading scorer, Boogie Fland, will miss the rest of the season with a hand injury making things tougher for Calipari and the Razorbacks.