As all of Big Blue Nation knows now, coach John Calipari is moving on from Kentucky to coach the Arkansas Razorbacks. After 15 seasons, he will start fresh there, and the Wildcats will be looking for a new coach.
With the announcement made official on Tuesday, Coach Cal gave Kentucky fans a final message, and had this to say:
It’s been a beautiful time for us. This is a dream job. It was my dream job. Anybody in our profession looks at the University of Kentucky in basketball and said, that is the bluest of blue. The last few weeks, we’ve come to realize that this program probably needs to hear another voice.
On the other side of things, Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart had a message for fans as well. He posted this on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter:
We’re appreciative of John Calipari leading our program for the last 15 years, adding to the legacy of championship success at Kentucky. We’re grateful to John for his many contributions to the University, and our state, both on and off the court.
We are working diligently to hire a proven, highly dedicated coach who embraces the importance of this program to our fans and the state of Kentucky.
It will be a new era at Kentucky, and fans eagerly await the hire of the next coach. The Calipari-era produced a lot of wins and a championship, so there will be big shoes to fill.