When the Arkansas Razorbacks signed a five-year, $38.5 million contract with John Calipari, they probably didn’t expect an 0-5 start in conference play under his leadership.
After all, Calipari made a name for himself as one of the best coaches in the country after a 15-year stint at Kentucky, right?
Well, it appears that those times may’ve passed him by, as Arkansas is 11-7 overall and 0-5 in SEC play, putting the Hogs on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble if the season were to end today.
Year 1 is certainly too early to throw in the towel on a coach—especially one with 12 Elite Eights, six Final fours, and three national championship appearances in the Big Dance. But, some think that Calipari’s best is behind him and that the game that’s made him famous has now passed him by.
Jeff Goodman, a well-known detractor of Calipari’s, recently spoke with several anonymous SEC basketball coaches, and they didn’t pull any punches in his feature over on Hoops HQ.
“There’s just no fear now when I see him on the other sideline,” one SEC head coach told Goodman. “The game has changed and he is becoming archaic.”
That SEC coach wasn’t alone in his feelings on the subject, either, as coaches say that Calipari’s inadequacies fall on his staff’s inability to adapt.
“I don’t think Calipari and his staff can adapt,” another said.
“They all do the same thing. They don’t have anyone innovative, they are outdated in how they do things,” another SEC assistant said.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for Calipari’s group either, as they’ll face five ranked teams and nine Quad 1 teams over their final 13 games. Yikes.
Calipari will have to return to Lexington when Arkansas goes to Kentucky on February 1.
To make matters worse, Kentucky is 14-4 (3-2 SEC) in its first year under head coach Mark Pope. While the Wildcats are coming off a disappointing loss to No. 4 Alabama, they’re still a top 10 team and wouldn’t trade places with Arkansas for anything.
