The Cal era at Arkansas hasn't gone as most thought it would. When he took the job in Fayetteville, there were questions about John Calipari's X's and O's, but most fans overlooked them and instead focused on his past success. But starting 0-5 has drawn criticism from national media members and fans, including some of Cal's biggest haters.
Jeff Goodman of Hoops HQ — one of the biggest Cal haters out there — collected a handful of quotes from anonymous SEC coaches, giving readers a behind-the-scenes look at how the league perceives Coach Cal.
While Calipari was at Kentucky, there was a massive talent gap between the Wildcats and the rest of the SEC. Goodman suggests that Cal relied on that talent to overcome his shortfalls elsewhere, going as far back as his day at UMass. Now, the SEC is brimming with talent, 'exposing' Coach Cal for what he really is, according to Goodman and the SEC coaches.
Anonymous coaches on John Calipari
Cal's ability to adapt
"I don’t think Calipari and his staff can adapt,” said one SEC coach. Another assistant coach echoed the sentiment. “They all do the same thing... They don’t have anyone innovative. They are outdated in how they do things.”
The staff is also one of the main points of criticism from fans online. Some called them 'yes men' or suggested they can't develop players. One in particular writes at least one assistant — associate head coach Kenny Payne — is just plain 'awful.'
And honestly, his assistants aren’t that good. One of them was awful at Louisville. The others are his dudes that are loyal to him.
— Brett Davis (@ArkansasBrett) January 15, 2025
Roster mismanagement
Critics also point to Calipari's mismanagement of Johnell Davis. The former FAU star was a coveted transfer who led the Owls to a Final Four appearance in 2023 as a 9-seed, with wins over 8-seed Memphis, 4-seed Tennessee, and 3-seed Kansas State. At Arkansas, Davis looks like a shell of himself, and the rest of the SEC sees it, too.
"He doesn't play freely at all under Calipari," one coach told Goodman. "He doesn't know where his shots are, so he looks skittish and lost."
Despite having one of the biggest NIL war chests in college basketball, Arkansas can't correctly manage the talent it bought, like Davis. But on the other hand, it also matters how the players mesh together. Another SEC coach brought that point up as well.
"They have a ton of individual talent," said the coach. "But none of their pieces fit. None of them"
While Arkansas has shown the ability to play together as a team (Michigan), they've largely looked confused, unorganized, uninspired, and overall not confident. Setting up roles with the Hogs' roster is hard to do, especially with only nine scholarship players.
The Razorbacks only have three players listed as guards: Davis, DJ Wagner, and true freshman Boogie Fland. All three are ball-dominant guards. They play their best game when they are in control of the rock. On one hand, it forces Arkansas's guards to play out of position and Davis is the best example.
On the other, it requires forwards to play like guards, namely Karter Knox. While he has a decent stroke, Knox hasn't been a great shooter, making 15 of his 54 three-point shots, a measly 27 percent. You could shorten his leash, but when he's set up as a wing and has a wide-open shot with the lane crowded, you can't force him to drive or pass. The best shot is a jumper, and Knox finds himself in that situation all too often.
The SEC's real opinion of John Calipari
These quotes have shed light on the league's true feelings about Cal, but the last one has to be the most damning. "There's just no fear now when I see him on the other sideline," an anonymous coach said. "The game has changed and he is becoming archaic."
Archaic. It's not something you want to hear about the coach the University of Arkansas just dropped $7 Million on, not including the Millions in NIL contributions to build his roster.
Arkansas still has the bulk of its SEC schedule ahead of it, but there are no easy wins. Unless Coach Calipari can prove them wrong and somehow find a way to jumpstart his team, the SEC may never fear the Hall of Famer again.