By Larry Vaught
Kentucky will host Arkansas and new coach John Calipari next season and it should be one of the nation’s most highly anticipated games after the messy breakup between UK and Calipari.
“We’re in the same league and we get to go head-to-head here at Rupp this year. And it’s going to be fiery,” Pope said in an interview with Fox Sports’ John Fanta. “There will be fireworks because that’s how Cal is, that’s why he’s so good and that’s certainly how we’re going to represent the University of Kentucky.”
At his recent press conference, Pope called Calipari “one of the great coaches who ever coached” in college basketball.
“I mean, he went to four Final Fours in five years and coached a billion draft picks and represented Kentucky really, really well and gave his heart and soul to this place ,” Pope said. “I’m just as much a member of BBN as anybody. All of us would be grateful to him forever. And he’s a Hall of Fame coach.
“But one of the things that you learn really early on, if you have great mentors in this game, is that you just have to coach like you. I have to be me, right? I can’t be coach (Rick) Pitino. I can’t be Tubby (Smith). I can’t be Cal. It would be disingenuous. And my guys wouldn’t actually believe it if I tried to take on that persona or personality or even approach to the game.
“And the truth is, I love getting to coach and I’m a big believer in what we do, and I love our staff. Right now we’re just trying to do everything we can to build on this incredible legacy that is Kentucky basketball and, and do it the way that we know how to do it that we really believe is going to work.”
Pope said Calipari had been “super generous” with him when they have talked since he got the UK job and has been that way since he became a head coach nine years ago. However, Pope knows he has a “one of a kind” job now.
“I’ve been a huge fan of these coaches (at UK) and the coach who coached me. And so I steal stuff from every single one of those coaches,” Pope said.
Earlier Pope told Fanta that he “loved” Calipari and that both he and his wife “could not be more grateful” to Calipari.
“Every single day that goes by my gratitude for him increases because he’s been so helpful. We’ve gotten a chance to sit down a couple times on the road recruiting. He’s so generous, and gracious and wise. He’s a Hall of Famer,” Pope said.
