The Big Lead

Rick Pitino asks Kentucky fans not to boo Arkansas' John Calipari in return to Lexington

By Sam Westmoreland

Kentucky's coach John Calipari is all smiles as he tells the crowd the may see some zone play during the Blue-White scrimmage at Rupp Arena on Oct. 18, 2109
Kentucky's coach John Calipari is all smiles as he tells the crowd the may see some zone play during the Blue-White scrimmage at Rupp Arena on Oct. 18, 2109 / Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Former Kentucky head coach Rick Pitino took to social media on Thursday to appeal to Wildcats fans to give former head coach John Calipari a warm welcome in his return to Rupp Arena this weekend.

“As you all know, I’m not best friends with John Calipari. I respect him, certainly,” said Pitino, who is currently the head coach at Saint John's in New York, “But it was a mutual thing. The fans wanted a change. John read the tea leaves, he needed a change. He didn’t really want to leave, but what did he do for you? He brought the best talent in the history of the game of any university in America to Lexington. He also won a national championship.”

“Show him what respect and admiration is all about,” Pitino continued, “I know you have the class, I’ve always believed in you. Do it once again.”

RELATED: Kentucky basketball fans, the answer is simple: John Calipari is the enemy

While Pitino and Calipari both left the Wildcats for other pastures, their departures (and eventual returns) could not have been more different. Pitino left the Wildcats fresh off a national title loss to Arizona in 1997, jumping ship to take the Boston Celtics head coaching job. Things did not go well in Boston for Pitino, as he failed to amass a winning record in any of his three seasons at the helm before resigning after a 12-22 start in 2000-01.

From there, Pitino did the unthinkable: he took the head coaching job at in-state, archrivals Louisville. His return to Rupp later that season was met with nothing but scorn and derision by Wildcat faithful.

Calipari, on the other hand, left under less hostile circumstances. The Wildcats had been (relatively) struggling in recent years under Coach Cal's watch, culminating in their second round of 64 exit from the NCAA Tournament in three years. There had been rumblings of discontent from both Calipari and athletic director Mitch Barnhart, and fans had started murmuring about wanting to replace the venerable head coach if things didn't improve.

Instead, Calipari did what he's done at every stage of his career: he beat the posse out of town, jumping to the Arkansas job prior to this season. It's been a mixed bag in Fayetteville, with the Razorbacks going 12-8 so far this season.

While it's unclear the reception Coach Cal will receive at Rupp, one thing is clear: the absolute last person Kentucky fans want to hear from about behaving respectfully is Rick Pitino, and if anything, his entreaties for a warm welcome will only serve to increase the chances of hostility towards Calipari on Saturday.

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