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John Calipari Mourns the Death of a Close Friend on Sunday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dean Koutouratsas | Last updated Jun 22, 2025 3:37 PM ET

Arkansas Razorbacks head coach and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame 2015 inductee John Calipari sent out a message on Sunday to honor the life of a close friend who passed on Saturday.

FedEx founder and the shipping company's former chairman and CEO, Frederick Wallace Smith, died at 80, according to a USA Today report. Smith is considered by some an industry pioneer after taking an idea from a college course and molding it into a global shipping organization that now handles millions of packages daily and employs hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.

“I woke up to sad news this morning that Fred Smith, the founder and CEO of FedEx in Memphis, passed away,” Calipari wrote on X following Smith's passing.

The tandem developed a strong relationship during Calipari’s time coaching the Memphis Tigers from 2000-2009. Calipari and Smith formed their bond because Smith was raised in Memphis and was a former basketball and football player for the Tigers before attending Yale in 1962.

I woke up to sad news this morning that Fred Smith the founder and CEO of FedEx in Memphis passed away. Any post would not do him justice so I’ve included an article if you want to read more about his journey in being one of the pioneers in his industry and the history of our…
— John Calipari (@CoachCalArk) June 22, 2025

Furthermore, during Calipari’s tenure in Memphis, Smith became a significant donor to the school by pledging $50 million so it could update the football team's Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium and an additional $92 million later on for naming rights to FedExForum, where the basketball team plays.

“The one thing I want to say is one of the first people I met when I took the job at Memphis was Fred Smith, and that 15-minute meeting put our program on a different path, and I am forever grateful,” Calipari continued.

Smith’s contributions also helped the school recruit former NBA All-Star Derrick Rose, who led them to a historic 38-2 season in 2008. “He, Billy Dunavant, Willard Sparks and others led us to dream big and aspire for greatness,” Calipari concluded. “May he rest in peace.”

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

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