Kentucky actually got to show John Calipari the door after all during Arkansas move

A John Calipari move to Arkansas has been expected since the weekend. By Tuesday, Cal's decision was all but confirmed with a goodbye video to BBN via social media. However, before any of that went down, Calipari reportedly gave Kentucky one last chance to kiss the ring.

Calipari's tenure in Lexington had grown stale. He acknowledged as much in his goodbye video, when he said Kentucky needed a new voice after 15 years at the helm. Now, whether Calipari was being sincere or not is up for debate, but he was right. Kentucky's one-and-done era was a great one. The game has since moved on beyond just top recruiting classes.

In their last two NCAA Tournament appearances, Kentucky lost to Saint Peter's and Oakland. Other than being considerable underdogs, the one thing those two teams have in common is that they're led by veteran talent. That is a trait Kentucky has lacked the last few seasons, and Calipari's inability to land top talent in the transfer portal is a stain on his resume Arkansas is apparently willing to deal with.

John Calipari gave Kentucky a chance to counter Arkansas offer

Had Mitch Barnhart wanted to keep Calipari around, he could have. Yes, the decision would have angered a fanbase eager for change, but there's always a chance letting a potential Hall-of-Fame coach go backfires on Kentucky. However, Barnhart didn't budge, per longtime UK broadcaster Dick Gabriel.

“Calipari, as I’m told, said, here’s what it’s going to take to keep me and UK said, I don’t think so. As I understand it, now if the deal isn’t done, it’s going to be done.You have a fanbase that is unhappy, an institution that is not satisfied with what’s been happening. You’ve got another school that would be happy to have him. When you factor in the fans, this might be a win-win-win if such a thing is possible. That all depends, of course, on who Kentucky hires if and when Calipari does leave," Gabriel said.

That was a bold choice by Calipari, but the right one. It's been 15 years. A divorce between the two sides was always certain, even if Kentucky nor Calipari wanted to admit it.

Matching Calipari's eventual Arkansas contract -- which is backed by Tyson chicken and Jerry Freaking Jones -- wasn't in the cards for Kentucky. And that's likely for the best.