John Calipari and Bill Self unite for charity concert in Cincinnati

Sep 29, 2022 - 7:44 PM

Since arriving at Kentucky, one of John Calipari’s fiercest rivalries has been with the Kansas Jayhawks and Bill Self.

Over the last 12 years, Calipari has the edge with a 5-4 record over Self and will have another chance against him at Rupp Arena in late January.

Before that, the two Hall of Fame coaches are teaming up off the court.

The two have teamed up with country music artist Kane Brow, to create a concert that will take place on October 28th at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati.

The concert will benefit the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative, an organization that Calipari co-founded and is named after John McLendon, who is recognized as the first African American basketball coach at a predominantly white university and the first African American head coach in any professional sport.

The initiative's mission is to provide minorities a jump-start to their careers by providing experiences and opportunities to build their network and instill the values of John McLendon.

The initiative was created in 2020 by Calipari and Harvard’s Tommy Amaker, with more than two dozen NCAA coaches joining since, including Self, Alabama’s Nick Saban, as well as local coaches Wes Miller, Luke Fickell, and Sean Miller.

In response to the concert, Calipari said, “It’s exciting to continue to bring awareness to the McLendon Leadership Initiative with opportunities like the Kane Brown Charity Concert. We are also so appreciative of Cincinnati companies ProLink and G3 Marketing who have been instrumental in helping me scale this program.”

Tickets to the concert can be purchased here.