During Saturday’s game at Rupp Arena, where he had spent 15 years leading Kentucky, there were moments when he glanced at the scoreboard with concern.
At times, he chewed gum and wore a tense expression as he watched the Wildcats trailing.
Then, a sense of relief set in.
He wasn’t their coach anymore.
“It was 15 years,” he reflected. ”
You know?”
Much attention had been given to the return of the Razorbacks’ head coach to Rupp Arena—just a couple of miles from his former home on Richmond Road—and the anticipation surrounding how he and his team would handle the moment.
Most of the fanbase, which had once celebrated four Final Four appearances and the 2012 national championship, but grew frustrated with Calipari’s final years at Kentucky, greeted him with boos as he entered.
Some scattered jeers lingered even as the game ended, but Calipari secured yet another victory at Rupp Arena—this time as an opposing coach—leading his team to an 89-79 win on Saturday.
“It’s tough to win here,” Calipari admitted. “We played well.
We really did… It’s good to see them perform at this level. We had a great week of practice, and I told them, ‘You’re ready for this. Let’s go.
Whether he wanted it or not, Calipari’s return was the main event on Saturday—a rare occasion at Rupp Arena where the spotlight wasn’t on the Wildcats (15-6, 4-4 SEC).
During the second half, he pumped his arms while running down the sideline after a key basket and even found himself in a few heated, chest-to-chest exchanges.Like it or not, Calipari’s return was the center of attention on Saturday—a rare instance at Rupp Arena where the Wildcats (15-6, 4-4 SEC) took a backseat.
He showed his energy by pumping his arms while running down the sideline after a key second-half basket and didn’t shy away from intense, face-to-face confrontations.