John Calipari homecoming: To boo, or not to boo, that is the question.

Kentucky fans will experience something seen only once in a blue moon when John Calipari & Arkansas roll into town Saturday.

The 1947-1948 NCAA basketball season is considered by most to be the first season of men’s college basketball under the governance of the NCAA as we know it today. In that span of close to 80 years, Kentucky has been graced with only eight coaches leading the Wildcats. Depending on your definition of graced, that number might actually be less than eight—no judgment here. Of those eight, only two have ever left Kentucky and gone on to return to coach against the Cats in Rupp Arena.

Up until 2001, Rick Pitino was the only coach in Kentucky basketball history who had left the program and later returned to coach against Kentucky in Rupp Arena.

It wasn’t until the 99th season of Kentucky basketball that this anomaly occurred. On December 29, 2001, Rick Pitino and the Louisville Cardinals paid a visit to Rupp Arena and Kentucky, the Cardinals riding the momentum of an eight-game win streak. They were met with an absolute buzzsaw in the form of the sixth-ranked Wildcats. Kentucky ended that first Pitino streak and spoiled his homecoming with a 20-point victory, 82-62.

At the time, Pitino was fresh off a four-year stint in the NBA with the Boston Celtics. He hadn’t yet experienced the full animosity of being on the other side of the rivalry. Back then, Pitino didn’t harbor the same resentment for Kentucky that he would later develop toward the program and BBN.

Pitino maintained a really good attitude about BBN giving him the booing of the century.

"I didn’t pay any attention to that; I’m the Louisville coach. They’re not supposed to cheer me. I get cheered in Freedom Hall. If they start booing me there, then I’m in trouble."

Rick Pitino 2001

If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can relive Pitino’s return to Rupp Arena. Skip to about 45 seconds into the clip to see and hear the crowd’s reaction when Pitino is introduced.

Tubby Smith’s Return to Rupp

Tubby Smith brought his High Point team to Rupp in 2021, but the atmosphere was much less dramatic. Tubby’s return to Rupp Arena was long overdue. Although his era at Kentucky didn’t end exactly as BBN had hoped, Tubby was a universally beloved figure. Even by the end of his tenure—when he had earned the nickname “Ten-Loss Tubby”—there wasn’t a soul in Lexington who could say a bad word about Tubby as a person.

Calipari's end brought the drama.

The end of the John Calipari era at Kentucky was one of the most bizarre ends that BBN has ever seen, well besides he who shall not be named... Billy.

"Bill, you're not really gonna run away from me are ya?"

Alan Cutler

Goodbye, Lexington.

Calipari’s exit from Lexington was unexpected. The former coach was visibly ready to move on, as was BBN, but the two parties were stubbornly stuck together due to a massive buyout. Enter John Tyson and a super-secret meeting with Calipari while both were in Phoenix for the Final Four. Quickly and quietly, an arms-length deal between Calipari, Tyson, and the University of Arkansas materialized.

Most assume Calipari was posturing for something.

Was it more money? A new basketball facility? Adding his son, Brad Calipari, to the staff? Nobody knows. However, Calipari had notably used interest from other jobs as leverage in the past to get what he wanted. This time, it didn’t work. Mitch Barnhart called the coach’s bluff. For the first time in Calipari’s tenure at Kentucky, he didn’t have the leverage to get what he wanted. He wasn’t winning, his approval ratings among BBN were at an all-time low, and most importantly, he had violated his agreement with the University of Kentucky. Per his contract, the coach was bound to notify the athletic director of any offers of employment or meetings where employment was discussed. Barnhart, however, was blissfully unaware of Calipari’s meeting with the chicken billionaire.

Calipari’s Legacy at Kentucky

Calipari returned Kentucky basketball to the mountaintop. Under his leadership, Kentucky fans witnessed one of the most dominant runs in college basketball history: 32 NCAA Tournament wins, eight Sweet 16s, seven Elite 8s, four Final Four appearances, and one National Championship. The 2015 38-1 team was arguably one of the best in the history of college basketball.

Rupp Arena should treat John Calipari no different than they did Rick Pitino 24 years ago.

Rick had the right idea. John Calipari is now the coach of Arkansas; he is the enemy. He would love nothing more than to come into Rupp and stick it to all of BBN. That doesn’t mean the two parties shouldn’t love one another in the grand scheme of things, but for those 40 minutes, both teams and coaches have the same goal: win the game. John Calipari, the person, should get the loudest ovation. John Calipari, the Arkansas coach, should get nothing but a storm of boos. One day, when his time at Arkansas is over, he will return to Lexington as a king. That time, however, isn’t Saturday, but if you're fortunate enough to be in attendance Saturday; soak in every moment... even if you're forced to boo.