The University of Arkansas announced Hall of Famer John Calipari will become its men’s basketball coach. The announcement came hours after Calipari released a video saying goodbye to the University of Kentucky and the Big Blue Nation after 15 seasons.
University of Kentucky head men’s basketball coach John Calipari is on his way out of the Big Blue Nation.
Calipari, the face of Kentucky basketball since 2009, is on the move to a different SEC school, reportedly taking the Arkansas reins and replacing Eric Musselman.
“He had his time here,” UK student Kevin Harris said of Calipari’s departure before the coach officially stepped down Tuesday afternoon. “It sucks ‘cause he’s a legend here. It’s gonna bring down the glitter and glam of Kentucky for sure when he leaves, but I think he’s making the right decision for himself.”
Harris said the basketball mogul’s leaving did not surprise him, but it will leave a big hole to fill in the university’s catalog. “No one should be happy to see him go,” according to Harris, but he looks forward to the next era of Big Blue basketball.
While some UK students on campus think Calipari may have lost his touch, many agreed that he created a great foundation for the next coach to build on.
As for filling Calipari’s spot, Harris doesn’t think that will be the hardest obstacle to overcome looking ahead to next season.
I don’t think we’re gonna have a hard time finding a new coach, I think we’re gonna have a hard time finding what will bring back that basketball spark,” he said. “It’s not just about the players, the coach brings a lot of excitement to our school’s basketball program as well.”
