Nevertheless, Kentucky fans did not take the loss well. The backlash was severe enough, in fact, that Calipari felt compelled to put out a statement to the Kentucky fanbase after the loss.
Calipari wrote, in part:
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Whether or not Calipari’s apology was necessary, that segment clearly says he’s trying to keep attention on him rather than Kentucky’s players. As Mike DeCourcy points out, Calipari is hardly the first blue blood coach to have an “embarrassing” Round 1 loss. Mike Krzyzewski, Tom Izzo, and Jim Boeheim have all been handed upsets by a No. 15 seed.
Calipari has enjoyed plenty of success as Kentucky’s head coach. He has seven Elite Eight appearances, four Final Four appearances, two national championship appearances, and a national championship since joining Kentucky in 2009.
Despite the criticism, Calipari’s statement indicates he’s ready to move on from this year.
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“My focus is on these kids and recruiting so we continue being a program that has a chance to do something special EVERY YEAR,” Calipari said. “The culture we’ve built in this program expects that and demands it.”
It doesn’t appear that Calipari is going to dwell on the loss, but that undoubtedly won’t quell the vocal Kentucky fans wondering how it happened. It may, however, be strangely comforting to see the company Calipari is joining with this loss. It’s just proof that it happens to the best of them, if they stick around long enough.
