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John Calipari is officially on his way out of Lexington. The coach roamed the Kentucky sidelines for 15 seasons, landing a national championship and multiple Final Fours, but he believes it’s time for a change of scenery.
Coach Cal will be leading the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2024-25, giving him a chance to start fresh with a new SEC squad. Before leaving, he posted a heartfelt message to Big Blue Nation.
“It’s been a beautiful time for us,” Calipari said in a message on X. “This is a dream job, it was my dream job. Anybody in our profession looks at the University of Kentucky in basketball, and says, ‘That is the bluest of blue.’
“The last few weeks, we’ve come to realize that this program probably needs to hear another voice. The university as a whole has to have another voice giving guidance on this program… and the fans need to hear another voice.
“We’ve loved it here, but we think it’s time for us to step away.”
A message to #BBN: pic.twitter.com/TG344ipTfZ
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) April 9, 2024
John Calipari’s time at Kentucky started with an immediate bang.
He won the SEC with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins in Year 1 before making a run to the Elite Eight. The next season, he was in the Final Four, falling one point shy of a national championship appearance.
It wouldn’t take long for him to see redemption as the Wildcats cut down the nets in 2012.
Cal would lead the ‘Cats to two more Final Fours over the next three seasons, followed by a few trips to the Elite Eight and Sweet 16. Unfortunately, that NCAA Tournament success couldn’t be sustained.
Over the last three years, Kentucky is just 1-3 in the postseason, losing to lowly seeded teams like Oakland and Saint Peter’s on the first weekend. Those early exits led to extreme criticism from fans in Lexington, many of whom called for a changing of the guard.
They’ve gotten their wish with John Calipari moving onto Fayetteville.
Despite reports claiming the coach attempted to leverage his Arkansas offer in hopes of returning to Kentucky, he says it’s time to move on.
“To the fans, the BBN,” he closed. “I want to thank you… Those memories and what we were able to do together is what this is all about. It’s been a dream.”
Well said.
Calipari ends his time with the program boasting a 410-123 overall record.