NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
Arkansas coach John Calipari shocked the basketball world in April 2024 by leaving Kentucky for the Razorbacks. And by his own account, divine intervention may have been at play when he chose to head South.
Coach Cal admitted as much to Dan Dakich, host of OutKick’s Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich on Thursday.
“We had Father Joe with us, a priest, in Las Vegas (where Cal was attending a friend’s bachelor party),” Cal told Dakich. “…he told me, ‘Go for a walk. One hour. You’re the coach of Kentucky. Walk back. The next hour, you’re the coach of Arkansas.'”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari watches after the game against the Miami Hurricanes at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida, on December 3, 2024. (Sam Navarro/Image Images)
Pretty simple, right?
According to Cal, the way back provided more excitement than the way out as a Wildcat.
“About 15 minutes after I got back, I started whistling and jumping,” Calipari said. “You know what? I’m doing this. Father Joe from Philadelphia did it. He did it!”
Trust the process…
ARKANSAS COACH JOHN CALIPARI PROPOSES SOLUTION TO SAVE COLLEGE BASKETBALL AMID NIL AND TRANSFER PORTAL CHAOS
Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari during their 88-73 loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, on February 7, 2023. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Calipari reportedly signed five-year deal with Arkansas
Coach Cal’s reliance on a priest during such an important, career-altering decision made Dakich laugh and ask why every Italian, like Calipari, always has a priest hanging around.
“I am poor, miserable, a sinner… when I confess, the priest comes out. His head spins,” Calipari jokes. “With what I do, where I coach other people’s kids, I better have something to stand on in the morning to keep reminding myself that this is someone’s kid, so I don’t want to strangle someone. There are times when you want to cut a kid off the team, and you go to mass in the morning and say, ‘Come on, there’s a better way.'”
Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball head coach John Calipari is introduced during a timeout in the first quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on September 27, 2025. (Nelson Chenault/Image Images)
You can watch the full interview with Dakich and Coach Cal below on YouTube:
Fortunately for both the Razorbacks and Coach Cal, their every prayer was answered in the first year of Calipari’s tenure in Fayettville. After an up-and-down start to the season (including an 0 and 5 start in the SEC), Arkansas finished 22-14 overall and 8-10 in the conference. The postseason included a trip to the Sweet Sixteen as a tenth seed and an upset against Kansas.
From the looks of it, Cal is in pig heaven.
