“You’re not ready”: Arkansas HC John Calipari teaches Razorbacks a lesson during disappointing practice session

The Arkansas Razorbacks are transitioning to their first-ever season led by coach John Calipari, who intends to leave no stone unturned. A day after the Hogs dropped their first practice montage behind the 2024-25 season, JC Hoops, Arkansas' analyst, gives fans an insightful clip showcasing Calipari's approach with his new team.

In the short speech, Calipari challenges his team to push their limits while resonating with his expectations from the roster.

"If you're getting beat by this workout, you're not ready," Calipari said to his students. "You're not ready to leave here. Until you know I can do this and I'm not acting like I'm dying or my toe hurts or my back. You came here telling us, ‘This is what I wanna do.’ Okay, I told you what we do here," he added.

From a roster standpoint, there is plenty John Calipari will need to work on this summer. He is on a new program, with new faces and little to no prior chemistry among them. All of his players vary in their experience. They all come with varying levels of experience and will need to make several adjustments.

While most of the players left when Eric Musselman departed to USC, Trevon Brazile and Lawson Blake chose to transition with the same program. Players like Jonas Aidoo and Johnell Davis come through the transfer portal while several players commit to the institution following Calipari’s switch from the Kentucky Wildcats.

Arkansas turned to John Calipari for advice at first, the coaching role came later

John Calipari was in his Phoenix hotel room when John H. Tyson called to discuss the future of Arkansas basketball. Shortly afterward, Calipari was in conversation with athletic director Hunter Yurachek about potential coaching candidates following Musselman's departure.

After an hour-long chat, Yurachek instinctively asked Calipari about his interest in taking over as Razorbacks’ coach. John Calipari declined an offer to coach the UCLA Bruins in 2019 when Kentucky shelled out a $86 million (10-year) contract to keep him. However, Arkansas intended to go all in.

Within a week, Calipari was handed a $38.5 million contract (5 years) with $1 million as a joining bonus and options of earning nearly $21 million more through bonuses and incentives.