John Calipari: 'I put my heart and soul into this program, yes I care'
Many believed that Kentucky head basketball coach John Calipari‘s recent meeting with athletic director Mitch Barnhart would represent the end of his 15-year run with the Wildcats. But instead, a conversation on how Kentucky can get back to its winning ways was discussed following yet another early exit from the NCAA Tournament.
Kentucky’s 80-76 first-round upset loss to Oakland represented yet another Calipari letdown, with the Wildcats not making it out of the first weekend of March Madness since 2019. And with that comes criticism.
Whether it’s the X’s and O’s, Calipari’s recruiting and program building style, or even his effort as a head coach, nearly everything has come into question following another NCAA Tournament blunder. But Calipari made it clear that his own effort in his role is not the issue.
“I put my heart and soul into this program. So yes, I care,” Calipari said. “What we do is a reflection of how we are and how much we care. The state — I believe I’ve proven who I am across the state. There are too many counties to say I’ve been to every county, but I could say I’ve probably driven through every county.”
Calipari’s first 10 seasons with the Wildcats were remarkable, winning the SEC regular season and conference tournament titles in the same year four times along with two more SEC Tournament titles. Headlined by success in the NCAA Tournament, making two national championship appearances with one title win, four Final Four appearances, and seven total Elite Eight appearances.
The last five seasons have been quite the opposite, with Calipari leading Kentucky to an SEC regular season title during the 2019-2020 season when the NCAA Tournament was canceled. Which was followed by missing the NCAA Tournament the next season, one second-round tournament exit, and two first-round eliminations.
Throughout his career Calipari has had no shortage of talent, continuing to coach players that go on to the NBA, particularly after one standout season for the Wildcats. But when that talent fails to generate postseason success like in the past, a head coach’s methods start being questioned.
“We all care about these kids academically, their future, and if it were someone’s son, how would you want us to deal with them?” Calipari asked. “Not worry about him, we’re just trying to win. This is about these kids and it’s about our program. It’s about our fans. It’s about our state. It’s all of that and I’ve said many times you cheat the position that I sit in if all you care about are Xs and Os. You cheat the position. I can promise that I’m not going to cheat the position. I’m gonna give everything to every phase of this.”
Calipari seems determined to continue putting his players first and giving the Kentucky program he loves his full effort. The question is will it lead to the postseason success we’ve once seen in Lexington as he enters his 16th season at the helm for the Wildcats?