Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari. Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Arkansas HC John Calipari addresses Kentucky's decision to hire Mark Pope

By Colby Colwell | Last updated 10/16/24

Although many offseason changes were made in the college basketball landscape, two programs stood out more than the rest.

After a disappointing end to John Calipari's tenure as Kentucky head coach, former Wildcat and captain of the 1995-96 championship team Mark Pope took over while Calipari moved south to Fayetteville to coach Arkansas.

With the start of the college basketball season on Nov. 4 just a few weeks away, the SEC held its annual Media Day, during which coaches discussed the upcoming season.

Calipari said the Wildcats made the "perfect" choice when it hired Pope and, according to ESPN's Myron Medcalf, "he'll be supportive of his replacement."

"I think they hired a perfect guy for that job," Calipari said. "And part of it is because he played there, graduated from there. He has a heart for the place, and he has an idea of what that is. ...It's a different place if you're just walking in. He's been there and understands it."

While questions were asked about Calipari's exit from Kentucky, he declined to comment further than his initial comments when he took the Arkansas job in April. Instead, Calipari focused on discussing the depth of the SEC and building something special with his current team.

.@CoachCalArk is ready to build something special at @RazorbackMBB pic.twitter.com/XSmNF2EXAz
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 15, 2024

Despite reaching the final four on four separate occasions and winning a national title in 2012 under Calipari, Kentucky has suffered first-round exits in the NCAA Tournament in two of the last three seasons.

As Pope prepares for his first season in Lexington, he will lead an entirely different Wildcat team whose only returnees are walk-ons. With several former Wildcat players and coaches following Calipari to Fayetteville, Pope took advantage of the transfer portal, acquiring experienced players Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson, Koby Brea, Andrew Carr, Ansley Almonor, Amari Williams and Kerr Kriisa, all of whom are either seniors or graduate students.

Even though both coaches will go against one another when they face off on Feb. 1 in Calipari's return to Lexington, Pope echoed Calipari's thoughts during his time at the podium at SEC Media Day.

"You'll never hear me say a negative word about Coach Cal, because there's not a lot to say," Pope said. "He's a Hall of Fame coach. As a die-hard Kentucky fan and alumnus and former player, I am grateful for everything — all the incredible things — that Cal accomplished at the University of Kentucky."

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