Photo Of John Calipari, Rick Pitino Going Viral Before NCAA Tournament Showdown

03/21/2025 09:46 AM

Saturday will see the beginning of the round of 32 in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, and it'll be a chance to see two of the best coaches in the history of the sport go head-to-head.

John Calipari's Arkansas team will take on St. John's, led by Rick Pitino. Pitino and Calipari may be different head coaches, but they have an important common thread when it comes to their careers.

Pitino and Calipari eached coached at Kentucky, delivering national championships to the program in 1996 and 2012. Ahead of their big showdown on Saturday, fans are reminiscing on the memories after seeing a photo of the two coaches.

Saturday. 🍿#MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/jhfPbUPfV5

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2025

"Legends of the game," one fan said.

"No one can argue the greatness of this photo," said another fan.

"Ghosts of Kentucky's past," one fan noted, pointing out the history between Pitino and Calipari.

Pitino and Calipari have coached against one another on the big stage, each wining national championships with different programs. Pitino was able to take the 2013 title without a great deal of pushback from other teams, as Louisville brought home the national championship.

The year before, Calipari won the first national title of his own career - defeating Pitino and Louisville in the 2012 national championship game. That 2012 Kentucky team was led by several future NBA players, including a star in Anthony Davis.

Calipari and Arkansas are into the round of 32 after an exciting win over No. 7 seed Kansas on Thursday. The game was filled with highlight moments from both teams, but the Razorbacks were able to do enough to walk away with the win.

Pitino and No. 2 St. John's had a different experience in their first-round matchup, comfortably defeating Omaha to open their 2025 tournament experiences. They were one of the best teams in the Big East this season, and they proved why with a comfortable win over a smaller opponent.

The NCAA Tournament brings hans from all walks of life together, and on Saturday it will connect two coaches who will be linked to a top program for the rest of their careers, and possibly even their lives.

Fans can catch the game between St. John's and Arkansas on Saturday at 2:40 PM ET.

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