Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

John Calipari’s wife was so emotional during upset win

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Mar 22, 2025 6:30 PM ET

John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks scored a major upset win over the St. John’s Red Storm on Saturday, and it was clearly a meaningful one for Calipari’s family.

The Razorbacks upset St. John’s 75-66 in Saturday’s second-round game in Providence, sending Calipari to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018. As the seconds ticked down, CBS cameras caught Calipari’s wife Ellen and daughter Megan in the stands reacting to the result.

Both women, particularly Ellen, appeared to be in tears over the Arkansas win.

The Calipari family experiencing the joy of March as Arkansas heads to the Sweet 16. pic.twitter.com/LQlgdKF3ke
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 22, 2025

Calipari and No. 10 Arkansas UPSET Pitino and No. 2 St. John's pic.twitter.com/T2EbKIOiXA
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 22, 2025

It would certainly be understandable if Calipari felt some vindication from this outcome. The coach was essentially pushed out of Kentucky last year after a string of early NCAA Tournament exits. He started off 0-5 in SEC play with Arkansas this season, and some openly suggested that his best days were behind him.

Instead, Arkansas appears to be peaking at the right time. On Saturday, he overcame old rival Rick Pitino to get back to the Sweet 16, and his Razorbacks controlled the majority of the game. The door is open for a surprisingly deep tournament run now.

Calipari obviously has strong support from his family. Clearly, his daughter has forgiven him for the one time he got her birthday wrong on social media.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: