The picture hit home, and Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari had to react — and act.

It was a picture of a coal miner who is also a big fan of his Wildcats program.

It went viral, and it hit Calipari extremely hard.

John Calipari talking about the viral coal miner picture/story:

"When I saw the picture, it hit me right between the eyes…You're bringing light to a good man, a hard worker in Kentucky, a coal miner who des everything he can to make time for his family."

— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) October 25, 2022

“When I saw the picture, it hit me right between the eyes … You’re bringing light to a good man, a hard worker in Kentucky, a coal miner who does everything he can to make time for his family,” Calipari said on Tuesday.

After the recent Blue-White exhibition game, Calipari made a little time for that hard-working fan.

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 (@CoachCalArk) October 24, 2022

On Monday morning, Calipari tweeted: “My family’s American dream started in 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 and watch our team. Don’t know who this is, but I have tickets for him and his family at Rupp to be treated as VIPs!!”

Calipari and his program are invested in their fan base, their community and their state.

Calipari and the Wildcats went to Pikeville, Kentucky, on Saturday to support recent flood victims and raise money for relief efforts. The event reportedly pulled in more than $160,000.

Cory Nightingale

Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.