"I’m proud of those kids": John Calipari reminisces about his time at Kentucky before anticipated return

John Calipari is returning to Kentucky for the first time since leaving Lexington in April 2024. On Saturday, he will lead the Arkansas Razorbacks against the Wildcats. Ahead of the highly anticipated game, Calipari reflected on his memories with the Kentucky team during his tenure at Rupp Arena.

“We took some spells in the NCAA tournament. Throughout my career, they literally didn’t happen. But it did,” Calipari said in an interview with ESPN on Friday. “But we were top 10 two out of those three years. And I’m proud of those kids.” (4:19)

Calipari coached Kentucky for 15 seasons and had an overall record of 410-123. He led the Wildcats to seven Elite Eight appearances, four Final Fours, two national title appearances and one NCAA Championship.

His highly anticipated return to Rupp Arena is a big test for Arkansas, which has lost six of its first seven games in SEC play. While the Razorbacks's season is anything but perfect, they are still one of Kentucky's biggest rivals in the conference.

John Calipari faces uncertain Kentucky reception with Arkansas

John Calipari had a successful run with Kentucky, but his final four years were disappointing. The Wildcats failed to advance past the Round of 32 in the NCAA tournament.

A notable moment was their shocking elimination by St. Peter's in 2022, considered one of the biggest upsets in the NCAA tournament. Almost a year after leaving Lexington, Calipari returns with the Arkansas Razorbacks but does not expect a warm welcome from his former team.

“My guess is I’m going to get booed,” Calipari said on his "Live with Coach Cal" radio show Monday. “But that’s all part of it. Shoot, you get booed.

"I've done this so long, I've got bazooka holes in my body. So when you shoot arrows, it doesn't even hit skin. It just goes through one of those bazooka holes. But it'll be interesting."

Arkansas (12-8, 1-6 SEC) has struggled this season and will face a daunting task at Kentucky (15-5, 4-3).

Meanwhile, the Wildcats are enjoying a remarkable season under first-year coach Mark Pope, who has led them to 6-1 against ranked teams, including the high-flying Duke, Gonzaga and Florida.