Kentucky head coach John Calipari. Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK

John Calipari successful in attempt to identify man from viral photo

By Eric Smithling | Last updated Oct 24, 2022 3:13 PM ET

Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari made a warm gesture Monday when he reached out to Twitter to help identify a man to whom he wanted to give VIP tickets to a future game at Rupp Arena.

My family’s American dream started in a Clarksburg, WV coal mine, so this picture hits home.

From what I’ve been told, after his shift, he raced to be with his son & watch our team. Don’t know who this is, but I have tickets for him & his family at Rupp to be treated as VIPs!! pic.twitter.com/a5BJXUnK2v
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) October 24, 2022

Calipari expressed admiration of a man seen at the team's Oct. 22 scrimmage who reminded Calipari of his family's rags-to-riches story. "My family's American dream started in a Clarksburg, [West Virginia] coal mine, so this picture hits home," he said. He wanted to give the man the VIP treatment at a home game this season but needed help from social media to find him.

Not much longer later, Twitter users directed Calipari to the man and his family.

Thank you everyone for your incredible response to this. No one rallies like the #BBN!

We are looking forward to hosting @mcguire_mollie9, her husband Michael and their family at a game soon!! https://t.co/2OpC5tkjag
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) October 24, 2022

I’ve thought a lot today about my grandfather, who worked underground in the mine. I’ve also had the privilege to go underground with miners in KY and a comment stuck out to me: “We go down together and we come up together.”

They work for each other. The ultimate teammates!!
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) October 24, 2022

Calipari tweeted that the Wildcats "are looking forward to hosting" the man and his family at an upcoming game.

As often as social media can accentuate some of humanity's worst qualities, this exchange showed the amount of good that comes from it, too.

Calipari has reason to be in a positive mood with the season's tip-off fast approaching. Just last week, SEC men's college basketball media members predicted Kentucky to finish first in the SEC and win the conference tournament.

#SECTipoff

ꜱᴇᴄ ᴄʜᴀᴍᴘɪᴏɴ@KentuckyMBB

ᴘʟᴀʏᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʏᴇᴀʀ@Oscartshiebwe34

https://t.co/KCiY3rkdl3 pic.twitter.com/RNv1OSkGbV
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) October 19, 2022

As promising as the 2022-23 season appears for Kentucky, Calipari may have already secured his best win of the season.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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