John Calipari jokingly calls himself an "old fart" while appreciating trust from players and parents
John Calipari will take on a new challenge as the head coach of Arkansas men's basketball program this year. In over three decades of coaching, he has achieved immense success in men's college basketball and is arguably one of the top veterans among active coaches today.
The 65-year-old has coached several players across various decades, spanning generations.
Calipari has coached the fathers of four players on the current Razorbacks roster, including Kentucky transfer Adou Thierro, whose father Almamy played under the iconic coach. This led him to make a joke about himself while showing gratitude to the families of all the players on his roster during the SEC Media Day this past Tuesday:
"I want to have fun. I want to build something special,” said Calipari. "More importantly, I want 25 to 30 families — I want to help before I’m done with what I do. I want this to continue to be about the kids. These guys, they wanted to come, didn’t care who else was there, and they wanted to play for our staff.
"How good can I get? Please challenge me.' Here’s a great thing — I have four players on this team that I coached their dads. One of them is here, and that could mean that I’m an old fart. That could be one. But the other thing is, it’s the trust."
John Calipari assembles the second-best signing class in the country
After 15 seasons with the Kentucky Wildcats, John Calipari made a major decision to switch to one of their conference rivals, the Razorbacks for the 2024-25 season. Although the Razorbacks haven't won the SEC regular season title and the NCAA Tournament since 1994, they have made March Madness in each of the last three seasons.
Calipari and his staff have made their intentions clear, assembling the second-best signing class and the best in the SEC per On3. They have landed commitments from three top-30 overall prospects in Boogie Fland, Karter Knox, and Billy Richmond, adding immense depth to their backcourt.
Calipari has seemingly used his pull in the transfer portal as well, drawing Thierro and DJ Wagner Jr. from the Wildcats. The Razorbacks also added Florida Atlantic's star shooting guard Johnell Davis to their roster, making the program one of the strongest in the country.
John Calipari will begin his maiden season with the Razorbacks with a home game against the Lipscomb Bisons on November 6.