Vicky Graff Photo
Credit Kentucky coach Mark Pope for not downplaying the “complicated situation” Kentucky fans have with John Calipari.
On his weekly radio show Wednesday night, Pope didn’t shy away from talking about Calipari’s return to Rupp Arena where he coached the Cats for 15 years when UK plays Arkansas Saturday night.
“We have been blessed at the University of Kentucky to have some of the greatest coaches to ever coach the game of basketball. Certainly, Cal is one of those,” Pope said. “He’s a Hall of Fame coach. In his 15-year tenure what he accomplished at the University of Kentucky was incredible. He, in some ways, revolutionized the game of college basketball.
“He’s left a legacy that probably won’t be ever reproduced in the same way that he did it. As a member of BBN and a huge fan of Kentucky basketball, my whole heart is here. I love Cal, I love Cal for what he did for Kentucky basketball, and on a very personal level, he’s been — to Lee Anne and I so good as a mentor and a friend.”
Nothing wrong with any of that. Pope has said only good things about Calipari since taking the UK job in April. However, he also understands his job is to win Saturday night’s game against Arkansas.
“It’s a little bit of a complicated relationship right now because he’s coaching the other team, so that always makes it complicated. I know BBN, man. I just know our fan base. I know there will be so much emotion because we care so much. There will be so much emotion in the gym on Saturday,” Pope said.
I like that Pope didn’t tell fans what to do in regards to Calipari. He didn’t lecture fans not to boo or encourage fans to cheer for the former coach. Eventually Calipari should have a jersey retired at UK for winning a national title in 2012 and many other things he did. But none of that matters for this game.
“As time goes on and circumstances change, there’s gonna be a time when Cal walks back into this arena and he is gonna feel all of the love that BBN possibly has to offer, because that’s what we do with our family,” Pope said.
“Saturday is gonna be — it’s also a competition, right? It’s just going to be what it is, but I have a ton of love for Cal and I’m grateful for what he did here at Kentucky. I’m grateful that I get to be here and enjoy some of the fruits of his incredible labors here.
“I was super appreciative of him and I know everybody in BBN feels the same way — even though I also know everybody in BBN wants to win this game on Saturday.”
