Unbelievable: John Calipari, the coach of Arkansas basketball, announced his departure after stating that he wanted to finish his career in….

Nothing compares to receiving startling news the night before the national championship game.

John Calipari has agreed to a five-year contract to take Eric Musselman’s position in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and is departing Kentucky to go across the SEC. When SMU fired Rob Lanier after just two seasons, it set off a series of events that no one could have predicted, including Andy Enfield leaving USC for the Mustangs and Musselman leaving Arkansas to take a position with the Trojans. Chris Beard of Ole Miss and Jerome Tang of Kansas State were the first two players Arkansas targeted, but both coaches declined the offer and went back to their respective institutions.

Hunter Yurachek, the athletic director for Arkansas, reevaluated the situation and put Calipari at the top of his list of potential candidates.

The new move is discussed by ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf, along with its implications for the schools and league as well as potential successors for Coach Cal in Lexington.

How did we arrive at this position? Why did Calipari have to leave Kentucky?

Myron Medcalf: Following several poor results (9-16 in 2020–21; losing to Saint Peter’s in the 2022 NCAA tournament; losing to Oakland in the first round of the tournament last month), Calipari lost all authority in Lexington. Calipari did what some coaches do in this situation, which is to go, instead of giving Kentucky’s brass another year to determine whether or not they wanted to keep him.

Being able to enjoy the respect, fame, and influence that come with having such a large fan base and basketball brand is one of the best parts of being a coach at Kentucky. However, Calipari has lost that backing as of late. It had seemed as though Kentucky and Calipari had been sharing a roof but were now apart. Calipari only announced it on Sunday night.