Hogs' Calipari steals spotlight, threatens to cash it in early

Curious timing as Arkansas hoops coach upstages football's Pittman, star players

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari at practice on the Eddie Sutton Practice Court in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

Relax, folks, just relax. Take a breath and quit worrying that Arkansas is going to lose a Hall of Fame coach.

It ain't happening anytime soon. John Calipari is not retiring, not moving away from Northwest Arkansas, and not abandoning your beloved Razorbacks.

Yes, it was curious to see Calipari in dotting the headlines Thursday, potentially upstaging his fellow coach Sam Pittman on the same day the Arkansas football coach was center stage at SEC Media Days.

What should've been wall-to-wall coverage of Pittman and three of his best players — quarterback Taylen Green, linebacker Xavian Sorey Jr. and defensive lineman Cam Ball — turned into a bit of a time share with the basketball coach.

Curious, indeed, the timing of Calipari getting with a CBS reporter to say he's so fed up with the transfer portal that he might just throw his hands in the air and quit.

No need for worry, though, because Calipari is still thirsty for one final run of success. He is not ready to retire to the golf course, a fishing boat, or to plant a garden.

The man's competitive juices are still flowing and he got a taste of what can happen at Arkansas last season when his magic touch, well-chosen words, or a lot of luck resulted in a late-season turnaround for the Hogs and a run to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.

Yes, Calipari is on record saying he wants to help 20-30 more families. That's code for recruiting great talent, helping them improve, and sending them off to the NBA where they'll be high draft choices and instant millionaires.

Well, he only had one player drafted last year, that being junior forward Adou Theiro, who was picked 36th, the sixth choice in the second round.

That snapped a startling streak of 17 consecutive years that Calipari had a player drafted in the first round by the NBA.

In all, he's coached 40 first-round picks, dating back to Marcus Camby, the second overall choice in the 1996 draft behind future Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.

Calipari has had four players become the No. 1 overall pick in the draft: Derrick Rose while at Memphis and three during his 15 years at Kentucky in John Wall, Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Don't think that Calipari isn't sincere when he talks about helping young men and their families turn their lives around by cashing lottery tickets with the NBA.

But he's not ready to cash in his chips and fade into the basketball sunset.

Yes, he'll turn 67 on Feb. 10, but the man still has a gift for recruiting and a love for working with talented players in practice.

He's banked enough checks so that his grandkids' grandkids would never have to worry about money, so he's not necessarily worried about losing the $7 million annual contract if he does walk away.

But, let's say it again, John Calipari will be coaching the Razorbacks at least through that initial five-year contract he signed through the 2029 season.

You can take that to the bank.