• Head Coach
• Seasons: 1988-89 through 1995-96
• Birthdate: February 10, 1959

• One of the best coaches in program history, putting UMass into the national spotlight
• Ranks first in win percentage at UMass (.731)
• Ranks second in total wins (193) to Jack Leaman (217)
• Brought Minutemen back to NCAA Tournament in 1992 after 30 year absence
• Led Minutemen to first-ever national #1 ranking in 1994
• Faced three teams ranked #1, beat them all (1993 North Carolina, 1994 Arkansas, 1995 Kentucky)
• Coached three Atlantic 10 Players of the Year (Harper Williams 1992, Lou Roe 1995, Marcus Camby 1996)
• Led Minutemen to five consecutive Atlantic 10 titles, both Regular Season and Tournament, 1992-96
• Three-time Atlantic Ten Coach of the Year (1993, 1994, 1996)
• 1995-96: Named Naismith Coach of the Year and The Sporting News National Coach of the Year
• Inducted into the UMass Athletic Hall of Fame¹⁾
• A banner commemorating his 193 wins was raised in the Mullins Center in 2015^2)3)4)5) Pictures

* 1995-96 notes: NCAA Tournament appearance was vacated by the NCAA for use of an ineligible student athlete (Marcus Camby). The NCAA no longer recognizes the school’s tournament appearance or its 4-1 record in tournament games that season. Calipari was cleared of any personal culpability.⁶⁾

• Hired in late April 1988, becoming the 17th head coach in program history.
• Accounts vary of how much former UMass player Rick Pitino was involved in the hiring of Calipari at UMass.⁷⁾
• In Calipari's first season, during a pre-season exhibition game, he was heckled by people in the Cage crowd.⁸⁾
• In the first official game that same season, the scoreboard at the Cage caught fire.⁹⁾
• As Cal and UMass were on the ascent in the early 1990s, local businesses were eager to partner with him. Local insurance agency commercial.
• Check out the ESPN 30 for 30 episode "One and Not Done", featuring Calipari and documenting a lot about UMass and Calipari's time here.

• Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015¹⁰⁾
• 2022 article on the Calipari coaching tree
• For more information about Calipari's career after UMass, refer to his UK bio or Wikipedia page.

• Took the Razorbacks job shortly after leaving Kentucky, with boosters promising large commitments to their NIL fund¹¹⁾

• National Championship in 2011-12 season
• Immediate success at UK: NCAA Elite Eight in his first year, Final Four in his second
• NCAA Tournament success in the 2020s receded, causing impatience among the fan base
• Resigned in April 2024
• Hired at UK on 4/1/2009, under an 8-year, $31.65 million contract¹²⁾
• Calipari's always done things his own way (3/28/2015)
• Coaches John Calipari and Rick Pitino have a shared past that is ever present (3/31/2012)
• 2012 Final Four foes John Calipari, Rick Pitino united by Jack Leaman (3/31/2012)
• Pitino hearing Calipari's footsteps (3/31/2009)
• UK bio

• Reached NCAA Championship Game in 2007-08 season*
• Five other NCAA Tournament appearances (One 1st Round, one 2nd Round, one Sweet Sixteen, two Elite Eights)
• Seven Conference USA regular-season titles
• Four Conference USA tournament titles
• One NIT Championship and two other NIT Final Fours
• Coached against UMass (and Derek Kellogg) in the 2008-09 season opener. Memphis 80 - UMass 58
• Hired on 3/11/2000 as the next coach of the Tigers.

* 2007-08 season was vacated by the NCAA due to eligibility issues regarding Derrick Rose. Calipari was cleared of any personal culpability.¹³⁾

• Began talking in January about returning to college coaching.
• Calipari Steals the Nets' Show (11/21/1999)
• Spent most of season serving as an assistant to Larry Brown.

• 2½ year tenure with NJ ended with a 72-112 overall record.
• Nets pick up star point guard Stephon Marbury (3/11/1999), but fire Calipari just days later with the Nets having a 3-17 record.
• Starts the (lockout shortened) 1998-99 season with a 2-10 record. (3/2/1999)
• In the 1997-98 season, Nets turn it around, finishing with a 43-39 record and making the playoffs.
• NBA education of John Calipari (3/13/1998)
• Stumbles in rookie NBA season (1996-97) as Nets compile 26-56 record.
• Leaves UMass for the Nets after NJ offers a 5-year, $15 million deal (6/6/1996)

• Spent three seasons (1985-88) as an assistant coach at Pittsburgh.
• Worked on staff at Kansas for coach Larry Brown.
• Had brief stint with Vermont as recruiting coordinator.¹⁴⁾
• After finishing at Clarion State, Calipari started as a volunteer assistant at Kansas for coach Ted Owens.

• Scholarship player for two seasons at UNC-Wilmington,¹⁵⁾ then transferred to Clarion State.
• Played in 19 of Clarion's 29 games in 1980-81, averaging 3.1 points and 2.6 assists per game.¹⁶⁾ As a senior in 1981-82, played in all 27 games, and led the team in assists (143, 5.3 per game) and free throw percentage (.717).¹⁷⁾
• Clarion named their basketball floor Coach Cal Court in September 2021.¹⁸⁾¹⁹⁾

While the coach of UMass, Calipari seemed to regularly get into feuds with Temple coach John Chaney.

• Calipari first witnessed Chaney's intensity while Calipari was a player at Clarion State, and Chaney was a coach at Cheney State. Chaney and Clarion coach Joe DeGregorio got into an altercation during a game.²⁰⁾
• While a recruiter at Pitt, Calipari got Philly prospect Brian Shorter to commit to Pitt and sidestep Chaney and Temple.²¹⁾²²⁾
• 2/11/1990: Temple prevails in 3 overtimes at The Cage. Calipari and Chaney scuffle on the sideline after a bad call.
• 2/13/1994: During Calipari's post-game press conference, Chaney interrupts, threatens to kill Calipari in front of journalists, and charges at him.²³⁾ Video of the altercation.
• The two ultimately reconciled and became good friends. Video from Cal after Chaney's death.

• Daughters Erin and Megan attended UMass.²⁴⁾²⁵⁾ Erin played on the Minutewomen basketball team as a walk-on.²⁶⁾
• Son Brad was a walk-on for Kentucky basketball for two seasons before playing one more year at Detroit Mercy²⁷⁾²⁸⁾

• “There are times I get mad and want to strangle somebody, and then I go to Mass and say, Stop me from having this feeling that I want to absolutely punch this guy in the face.”²⁹⁾

CoachCal.com
Twitter - John Calipari
Wikipedia - John Calipari
Archived bio from Memphis Athletics