Shannon Sharpe makes passionate case that John Calipari underachieved at Kentucky
Since John Calipari stunned the nation on Sunday evening by agreeing to become the next head coach at Arkansas, a flood of opinions has the hit the internet. However, few are as strong as Shannon Sharpe’s. On Monday, the First Take co-host erupted about the bizarre scenario unfolding in Lexington.
“Let me get this straight,” Sharpe said. “Sixteen recruiting classes, counting 2024, eight times he’s had the No. 1 overall recruiting class. Seven times he’s landed the No. 2 overall recruiting class. And even when he didn’t get the first or second, he was top five.
“Eighty-one four and five-star recruits. Fifty-three five-stars, 28 four-stars. The names go without saying… So let me ask you a question. What would have happened to Coach Seth Greenberg if has at 81 four and five-star recruits and he only wins one national championship?”
Instead of answering Sharpe’s question, Greenberg deflected, claiming other programs have had similar recruiting success and postseason failures. Further, Greenberg pointed out Calipari has not had enough experience surrounding his abundance of young talent.
Sharpe didn’t hesitate to pounce on Greenberg’s response.
“He started the model of recruiting the one-and-done. He created Frankenstein, and can no longer control it,” Sharpe said. “How many [championships] was we supposed to win? More than Tubby Smith. More than Joe B. Hall. How about that? Is that asking too much?”
Shannon Sharpe believes John Calipari lacks championships
Hall, Smith, Rick Pitino and Calipari all reeled in one national title while at Kentucky. The only head coach who won more than one national championship while at UK is Adolph Rupp, who won it all four times.
Early in Calipari’s career, it looked like he could follow a similar trajectory. From 2011-15, the charismatic head man took Kentucky to four Final Fours and hoisted the national championship trophy in 2012. Fans expected the success to last a lifetime, but it quickly sputtered.
Since a run to the Elite Eight in the 2018-19 season, Kentucky has failed to make it past the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32. In the past five seasons, the Wildcats have only won one game in the Big Dance.
Most recently, the team fell to No. 14 seed Oakland in the opening round of March Madness, resulting in countless Kentucky fans calling for Calipari’s job. While the program did not fire the 65-year old head coach, he is moving on. Calipari is reportedly signing a five-year contract to take over at Arkansas.