John Calipari facts for kids
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Calipari in 2014
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| Current position | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Title | Head coach | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Arkansas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conference | SEC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Record | 22–14 (.611) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biographical details | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 10, 1959 Moon Township, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Playing career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978–1980 | UNC Wilmington | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980–1982 | Clarion | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Point guard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1982–1985 | Kansas (associate assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1988 | Pittsburgh (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1996 | UMass | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1999 | New Jersey Nets | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Philadelphia 76ers (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2009 | Memphis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2024 | Kentucky | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024–present | Arkansas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coaching record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall | 874–276 (.760) (college) 72–112 (.391) (NBA) |
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| Tournaments | 58–23* (NCAA Division I) 15–6 (NIT) |
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| Accomplishments and honors | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championships | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
* Vacated by the NCAA |
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| Awards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2015 (profile) |
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Medal record
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John Vincent Calipari (/ˌkælɪˈpæri/; born February 10, 1959) is a famous American basketball coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Arkansas. He has won the Naismith College Coach of the Year award three times. In 2015, he was added to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Before joining Arkansas, he coached at the University of Massachusetts (1988–1996). He also coached the NBA's New Jersey Nets (1996–1999). Later, he led the University of Memphis (2000–2009). From 2009 to 2024, he was the coach for the University of Kentucky. In the 2011–2012 season, he led Kentucky to win a national championship. Calipari also coached the national teams for the Dominican Republic and the United States men's national under-19 basketball team.
Calipari's teams have reached the Final Four six times. This includes four times with Kentucky (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015). His UMass (1996) and Memphis (2008) Final Four appearances were later removed from official records. However, Calipari himself was cleared of any wrongdoing in those cases. As a college coach, he has had many successful seasons. He has led his teams to twenty-nine seasons with 20 or more wins. He also has eleven seasons with 30 or more wins.
As of December 2024, Calipari is among the top winningest coaches in NCAA Division I history. He has 865 official wins.
Contents
Playing Basketball
John Calipari played basketball in college. He played for two years at UNC Wilmington. Then, he transferred to Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He earned a degree in marketing from Clarion. While playing for Clarion in 1981 and 1982, he was a point guard. He was known for leading the team in assists and free throw percentage.
Becoming a Coach
Calipari started his coaching career as an assistant. From 1982 to 1985, he worked at the University of Kansas. He was a volunteer assistant coach there. He even helped serve food to the players. He felt lucky to get his start at such a big program.
From 1985 to 1988, he was an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh. After that, he became a head coach.
Coaching at UMass
From 1988 to 1996, Calipari was the head coach at the University of Massachusetts. He led the team to five straight Atlantic 10 titles. They also made it to the NCAA Tournament multiple times. During his time, UMass was even ranked number one in the country. He had a great record of 193 wins and 71 losses.
Calipari won the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year award three times. In 1996, he was named the National Coach of the Year by several groups. He led UMass to its first-ever Final Four appearance. This was with star player Marcus Camby. However, this appearance was later removed from the official records by the NCAA. This happened because Camby had received some gifts.
Calipari helped build a new basketball arena for UMass. He also worked to get more fans from different areas. He became the second-winningest coach in UMass history.
Coaching in the NBA
In the 1996–97 season, John Calipari became the head coach of the New Jersey Nets. In his first year, the team won 26 games. The next season, the Nets improved. They won 43 games and made it to the playoffs. They lost to the Chicago Bulls in the first round.
In the 1998–99 season, the Nets started poorly. Calipari was fired after the team won only 3 of their first 20 games. He then became an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Coaching at Memphis
Calipari became the head coach at the University of Memphis in 2000. He had many successful seasons there. He led the team to seven straight seasons with 20 or more wins. He also had four straight seasons with 30 or more wins. His 2007–2008 team won 38 games. This was a record for most wins in a season at the time.
He was named Conference USA Coach of the Year three times. In 2008, he won the Naismith College Coach of the Year award again. He brought in many talented players from around the country.
In 2008, Calipari's Memphis team reached the national championship game. They lost to the Kansas Jayhawks in overtime. Later, the NCAA removed all of Memphis's wins from that season. This was due to issues with a player's college admissions test score. Even with these changes, Calipari would have been the winningest coach in Memphis history.
Coaching at Kentucky
On March 30, 2009, John Calipari became the head coach at the University of Kentucky. He called it his "dream job." He was the 22nd coach for Kentucky basketball.
First Seasons at Kentucky
In his first year (2009–10), Calipari brought in many top new players. The team won its 2,000th game in program history. Kentucky also won the SEC Regular Season Championship and the SEC Tournament Championship. They made it to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.
In his second season (2010–11), Kentucky won its second straight SEC Tournament Championship. They reached the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament. They lost by one point to UConn.
Winning a National Championship
In his third season (2011–12), Kentucky had another top group of new players. They finished the regular season with a 30–1 record. They won all 16 of their conference games. Kentucky was the overall #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They advanced to their second straight Final Four.
In the Final Four, Kentucky beat their rival, the Louisville Cardinals. Two days later, they played the Kansas Jayhawks in the National Championship game. Kentucky won 67–59. This gave Calipari his first NCAA Championship. It was also Kentucky's 8th overall national title. Kentucky finished the season with an NCAA record 38 wins.
After this championship, Calipari's contract was updated. He became one of the highest-paid college basketball coaches.
Later Years at Kentucky
In 2014, Calipari used a "platoon system." This meant playing 10 players in groups of five. This helped the team's defense. In April 2019, Calipari signed a "lifetime" contract with Kentucky. This included a 10-year coaching extension.
After the 2023–24 season, Calipari announced he was leaving Kentucky.
Coaching at Arkansas
On April 10, 2024, Calipari became the head coach at Arkansas. He signed a 5-year deal. In his first season, he led the Razorbacks to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
College statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978–79 | UNC Wilmington | 25 | N/A | N/A | .235 | N/A | .840 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.2 |
| 1980–81 | Clarion | 19 | N/A | N/A | .457 | N/A | .615 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 3.1 |
| 1981–82 | Clarion | 27 | N/A | N/A | .387 | N/A | .717 | 1.0 | 5.3 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 5.3 |
Head coaching record
College
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UMass Minutemen (Atlantic 10 Conference) (1988–1996) | |||||||||
| 1988–89 | UMass | 10–18 | 5–13 | 8th | |||||
| 1989–90 | UMass | 17–14 | 10–8 | 6th | NIT First Round | ||||
| 1990–91 | UMass | 20–13 | 10–8 | T–3rd | NIT Fourth Place | ||||
| 1991–92 | UMass | 30–5 | 13–3 | 1st | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||
| 1992–93 | UMass | 24–7 | 11–3 | 1st | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 1993–94 | UMass | 28–7 | 14–2 | 1st | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 1994–95 | UMass | 29–5 | 13–3 | 1st | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 1995–96 | UMass | 35–2* | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA Division I Final Four* | ||||
| UMass: | 189–70 (.730)* | 91–41 (.689) | |||||||
| Memphis Tigers (Conference USA) (2000–2009) | |||||||||
| 2000–01 | Memphis | 21–15 | 10–6 | 2nd (National) | NIT Third Place | ||||
| 2001–02 | Memphis | 27–9 | 12–4 | 1st (National) | NIT Champion | ||||
| 2002–03 | Memphis | 23–7 | 13–3 | 1st (National) | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| 2003–04 | Memphis | 22–8 | 12–4 | T–1st | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2004–05 | Memphis | 22–16 | 9–7 | T–6th | NIT Semifinal | ||||
| 2005–06 | Memphis | 33–4 | 13–1 | 1st | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 2006–07 | Memphis | 33–4 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 2007–08 | Memphis | 38–2 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Division I Runner-up | ||||
| 2008–09 | Memphis | 33–4 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||
| Memphis: | 214–68 (.759) | 101–25 (.802) | |||||||
| Kentucky Wildcats (Southeastern Conference) (2009–2024) | |||||||||
| 2009–10 | Kentucky | 35–3 | 14–2 | 1st (East) | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 2010–11 | Kentucky | 29–9 | 10–6 | 2nd (East) | NCAA Division I Final Four | ||||
| 2011–12 | Kentucky | 38–2 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Division I Champion | ||||
| 2012–13 | Kentucky | 21–12 | 12–6 | T–2nd | NIT First Round | ||||
| 2013–14 | Kentucky | 29–11 | 12–6 | T–2nd | NCAA Division I Runner-up | ||||
| 2014–15 | Kentucky | 38–1 | 18–0 | 1st | NCAA Division I Final Four | ||||
| 2015–16 | Kentucky | 27–9 | 13–5 | T–1st | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2016–17 | Kentucky | 32–6 | 16–2 | 1st | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 2017–18 | Kentucky | 26–11 | 10–8 | T–4th | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||
| 2018–19 | Kentucky | 30–7 | 15–3 | T–2nd | NCAA Division I Elite Eight | ||||
| 2019–20 | Kentucky | 25–6 | 15–3 | 1st | Postseason cancelled due to COVID-19 | ||||
| 2020–21 | Kentucky | 9–16 | 8–9 | 8th | |||||
| 2021–22 | Kentucky | 26–8 | 14–4 | T–2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| 2022–23 | Kentucky | 22–12 | 12–6 | 3rd | NCAA Division I Round of 32 | ||||
| 2023–24 | Kentucky | 23–10 | 13–5 | T–2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 64 | ||||
| Kentucky: | 410–123 (.769) | 198–65 (.753) | |||||||
| Arkansas Razorbacks (Southeastern Conference) (2024–present) | |||||||||
| 2024–25 | Arkansas | 22–14 | 8–10 | T–9th | NCAA Division I Sweet 16 | ||||
| Arkansas: | 22–14 (.611) | 8–10 (.444) | |||||||
| Total: | 835–275 (.752)* | ||||||||
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National champion Conference regular season champion Conference tournament champion |
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* ^a b c UMass had its 4–1 record in the 1996 NCAA tournament and Final Four standing vacated after Marcus Camby was ruled ineligible due to his contact with a sports agent.
** ^a b c d e f The NCAA removed 38 wins and 1 loss from Memphis's 2007–08 season under Calipari due to rule violations.
*** ^ Under current NCAA official records, Calipari's record as of March 19, 2023, is 790–251 (.759). This includes the removed wins and losses from the 1995–96 NCAA Tournament at UMass and the 2007–08 season at Memphis.
Calipari's actual on-the-court record without removed games is 877–276 (.761) ****The 2020 NCAA tournament was canceled due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.
NBA
| Regular season | G | Games coached | W | Games won | L | Games lost | W–L % | Win–loss % |
| Playoffs | PG | Playoff games | PW | Playoff wins | PL | Playoff losses | PW–L % | Playoff win–loss % |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | W–L% | Finish | PG | PW | PL | PW–L% | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 1996–97 | 82 | 26 | 56 | .317 | 5th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Missed Playoffs |
| New Jersey | 1997–98 | 82 | 43 | 39 | .524 | 3rd in Atlantic | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 | Lost in first round |
| New Jersey | 1998–99 | 20 | 3 | 17 | .150 | 7th in Atlantic | — | — | — | — | Fired |
| Career | 184 | 72 | 112 | .391 | 3 | 0 | 3 | .000 |
Overall Wins and Milestones
On February 26, 2011, Calipari was recognized for his 500th career victory as a Division I men's basketball coach. Due to some games being removed from official records by the NCAA, his 500th official win was recognized later, on March 15, 2012.
Awards and Recognition
Calipari has received many honors for his coaching. In 2004, he was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. On September 11, 2015, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. As of the 2024–25 college basketball season, he is one of only six active coaches in the Hall of Fame.
On September 21, 2021, the main basketball court at Clarion University was named the John V. Calipari Court. It is also known as "Coach Cal Court."
Books and Documentaries
John Calipari has written several books. These include Bounce Back: Overcoming Setbacks to Succeed in Business and in Life (2009) and Players First: Coaching from the Inside Out (2014). He was also featured in an ESPN documentary called "One and Not Done." This film tells the story of his coaching career.
Personal Life
Calipari has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Italy. He has been married since 1986 and has two daughters and a son. His daughter Erin played basketball at UMass. His son Brad played basketball at Kentucky. His second cousin, TJ Friedl, is a baseball player.
In 2020, Calipari publicly supported a mask mandate in Kentucky during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky. He said he volunteered to appear and was not asked by the governor.
A Past Disagreement
In 1994, Calipari had a disagreement with Temple University basketball coach John Chaney. The two coaches had a heated exchange during a press conference. However, they later made up and became friends. They would even pose for pictures together, pretending to argue for fans.
See also
In Spanish: John Calipari para niños
- List of college men's basketball coaches with 600 wins
- List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach
