"It's not easy being a coaches wife": John Calipari shares a heartwarming message to celebrate wife Ellen's birthday

Arkansas men's college basketball head coach John Calipari's wife Ellen celebrated her birthday on Saturday, Nov. 30. This comes after the No. 21 Razorbacks' 90-77 loss to Illinois on Thursday in the Thanksgiving Hoops Showcase.

Arkansas failed to overcome a slow start as Illinois started the game on a 21-6 run and maintained at least a nine-point lead till the end. The loss means Arkansas is now 0-2 against Power Four opposition. The Razorbacks will next travel to Miami in the second SEC/ACC Challenge on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Calipari set aside Thursday's disappointment to share a heartwarming birthday message to Ellen on Saturday, along with a family photo on social media.

"Today is my wife, Ellen’s birthday. She is a great partner and mother to our children AND all the players we’ve been blessed to coach. It’s not easy being a coaches wife but I’ve been lucky to have her by my side! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLIE. LOVE YOU," he wrote on his Instagram story.

Screenshot photo of Arkansas coach John Calipari wishing his wife, Ellen, a happy birthday. IG photo via @coachcalark

John and Ellen Capilari got married in 1986, a few years after he graduated from Clarion University. Ellen was previously married to former NFL player Nolan Cromwell. Shortly after her divorce from Cromwell, she met John while they were both working at the University of Kansas.

John was an assistant coach at Kansas while Ellen worked as a secretary in the school's athletics office before they tied the knot. The couple have three children together - two daughters, Erin and Megan, and a son, Brad.

In June, John and Ellen celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary, with the Arkansas men's basketball coach posting a picture on X (formerly Twitter).

"Our anniversary!! Ellen forgot. So did Brandy. No cake!! 38," he captioned the post.

Ellen Calipari posts goodbye video after husband, John Capilari, announces decision to join Arkansas

Ellen Calipari is known for being supportive of her husband's coaching decisions. In April, she posted a goodbye video on Instagram after her husband announced he was leaving the University of Kentucky after 15 years to join Arkansas.

“We will have a lot of very fond memories from being in Lexington,” Ellen Calipari said in the three-minute clip. “It’s been a very warm, welcoming place to be. It’s been an honor to be a part of the university and I hope we leave behind a lasting legacy in what both of us have done.”

Aside from John coaching at Kentucky, two of John and Ellen Calipari’s children also attended the university. Per Ellen, their daughter Megan was a student in Kentucky for a semester. Meanwhile, Brad earned a degree in communication from the university and was also a player on the men’s basketball team for three years.