"You never throw player under the bus": John Calipari once had wise message for coaches not taking responsibility of losing games

Syndication: The Courier-Journal
John Calipari (Credit - Syndication: The Courier-Journal)

When John Calipari bid farewell to Kentucky after 15 years to join Arkansas, his former players like Demarcus Cousins, John Wall, Tyrese Maxey, Tyler Herro and Karl-Anthony Towns flooded social media with supportive messages. These players shared their well-wishes for their beloved coach's new stint.

This enduring loyalty from his players highlights Calipari's influence and deep commitment to their development. At his introductory press conference on April 11, Calipari reflected on this support, emphasizing:

"When you do everything you can to help a young man, you hold him accountable, you challenge him, you sometimes are aggressive, but they know you care enough to keep them doing what they’re doing."

Calipari stressed that he never blames his players for losses but rather believes in taking responsibility for them himself:

"You take responsibility as a grown man, you never throw a player under the bus, and they know that. And they know I’ve stood up for every one of them."

Calipari’s approach is rooted in advice from Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown, under whom he served as a volunteer assistant at Kansas. The former Kentucky coach said:

"Larry Brown told me early in my career, 'If you care about the kids, authentically care about the kids... you’ll always have a job because they’ll always want to play for you."

John Calipari reflected on Kentucky's first-round loss in his inaugural SEC meeting as Arkansas coach

The most striking moment on Wednesday came when John Calipari acknowledged that after Kentucky's recent postseason struggles, it's time to necessitate a new "formula" for success in the NCAA tournament.

In his inaugural SEC meeting as Arkansas' coach, Calipari reflected on Kentucky's shocking first-round loss to No. 14 seed Oakland in the 2024 NCAA tournament, where Division II transfer Jack Gohlke scored 32 points against the Wildcats.

“The lesson was you can’t do this now with seven freshmen,” Calipari told ESPN. “You’re going to hit a team that’s 25 years old on average, one was 26, and that team is physically going to get you.”

This candid admission marks a pivotal change for John Calipari, who has historically relied on recruiting top high school talent. He acknowledged that his approach needs to adapt to the evolving landscape of college basketball.

Consequently, Calipari plans to focus more on older players and transfers.

"We’re not going to take six, seven freshmen now,” he said. “It’ll be three or four. Hopefully retain a few, get a couple transfers, and that is the formula.”

John Calipari's tenure at Kentucky ended with just one NCAA tournament victory over the past four seasons and a disappointing 1-4 record in SEC tournament games. Notably, this period included a first-round loss to No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s in 2022.

To pivot from these setbacks, John Calipari’s incoming class to Arkansas features three top-40 players, including Boogie Fland, ranked No. 15. Additionally, the transfer class is strengthened by three Kentucky transfers, notably guard D.J. Wagner, a former top-five recruit who averaged 9.9 points in his freshman year.

Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, or Kim Mulkey - who is NCAAW's highest-paid coach? Find out here

Quick Links

Edited by Garima
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications