When Arkansas HC John Calipari opened up about meeting his wife Ellen for the first time

Arkansas coach John Calipari and his wife, Ellen, have been together for more than 30 years, and they once told the sweet story about how they met and fell in love. In a 2016 episode of "We Are Kentucky," when Calipari coached the Kentucky Wildcats, the couple shared the story of how they first met and how their relationship began.

John and Ellen met for the first time in the 1980s at the University of Kansas. Ellen worked as a secretary in the athletics office, while John was an assistant coach under Larry Brown.

Ellen acknowledged that their connection was not immediate, but she later grew to share a bond with John.

“He used to come into the athletics business office with his fancy shoes with the tassels on, and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh,’” she recalled. “But he kind of grew on me.”

John shared what initially drew him to Ellen.

“She didn’t even like basketball, which I kind of liked,” he said. “She never went to a game.”

He then described how their first encounter unfolded.

“We were both young, we were in Kansas together, and I happened to be in a business office. I saw her and said, ‘Who is that?’ and tripped over a couple of times,” he said.

The couple also reminisced about their first date. They had planned to go to a Kansas City Royals baseball game, but rain forced them to change plans.

John Calipari and wife Ellen narrate the early years of their marriage

Syndication: The Providence Journal - Source: Imagn

John and Ellen Calipari also reflected on the challenges of their early years as a married couple. The now-successful basketball coach recalled how they had to make ends meet.

“We didn’t have much money, and when we had the kids, Ellen was making clothes for years,” he said. “She made the clothes, and I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ But at that time, it wasn’t about money, we were just trying to survive and raise a family.”

John and Ellen Calipari have now been married since 1986, and they have three children: two daughters and a son.