Boos echo around Rupp Arena as John Calipari enters the building for Arkansas vs Kentucky game

Arkansas coach John Calipari returned to Rupp Arena on Saturday for a matchup between the Razorbacks and his former team Kentucky Wildcats. As Calipari walked onto the court, Kentucky fans welcomed him with a chorus of boos.

The longtime Kentucky coach, who had led the Wildcats to a national championship in 2012, left the program last offseason. His return was one of the most anticipated but was met with the kind of hostile reception one might not expect from a fanbase he had led to tremendous success.

Here's the video of John Calipari being booed loudly as he entered the court:

The Hall of Fame coach spent 15 seasons at Kentucky, compiling a 410-123 record and leading the Wildcats to four Final Four appearances apart from several conference titles.

However, his tenure ended on a sour note, as his relationship with the school's athletic director Mitch Barnhart was reportedly "damaged beyond repair" in recent years, leading to his departure.

When the Arkansas job opened up, Kentucky didn't make a concerted effort to keep Calipari, signaling that the two sides were ready to move on.

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John Calipari shares his perspective on his return to Kentucky

Ahead of the clash between Arkansas and Kentucky in Lexington on Saturday, ESPN had interviewed John Calipari about his return to Rupp Arena and how he expected the crowd to react.

"I haven’t spent much time thinking about it," he said. "I was just locked into focusing on what we got to do and being at peace with what we have. Now, probably as we get closer to game time. … Look, the fans should be able to do what they want.

"If they want to boo, if they want to cheer, they want to cheer. I’m not expecting like an overwhelming (cheer) because I’m an opposing coach and I’m coming in here not to lose this game. I get it. It’s a big game for the fans, 'We got to crush Cal and Arkansas and all that.’ I get it. I’ve done this long enough."

As the Razorbacks coach, John Calipari's major focus isn't reciprocating the emotion and is instead fully locked into upsetting his former team and campus on the home court.

However, his tenure at Arkansas hasn't been without its challenges, as the team has underperformed with a 12-8 record and only one SEC win before the Kentucky game.