Former Kentucky coach John Calipari speaks on ending at Kentucky and leaving for Arkansas
The final seconds of Kentucky's 2023-24 season inside PPG Paints Arena haven't left John Calipari's headspace: the third straight year the Wildcats didn't make it out of the first weekend and the second time losing to a double-digit seed.
In several interviews following the season-ending loss to Oakland, including one with Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart, Calipari said he was ready to find "a way" to get back to playing late in March. He's done just that, utilizing the transfer portal with veteran players. But it just hasn't been for the Wildcats.
It's been a month since the Hall of Fame coach packed up and moved within the SEC to Arkansas, a move that shocked the entire college basketball world. 30 days into his new job with the Razorbacks, Calipari seems to be rejuvenated — in part because of last year's Kentucky team — as he recently spoke to CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd on his career-altering move.
REQUIRED READING: Kentucky high school star Trent Noah commits to Mark Pope, Wildcats' 2024 class
"Last year revived me. I had so much fun with those kids and they celebrated each other," Calipari told Dodd for the story. "The way it ended … I'll just say, sucks."
Calipari, like most of Big Blue Nation, expressed dissatisfaction with how last year's season ended while speaking with Dodd. The Wildcats, who were once a top-10 team in the country, won seven of their last eight games heading into the SEC tournament, which gave a slight hope Kentucky had written the ship and was prepared to go on a run in both the SEC and NCAA Tournaments. Then came a first-round loss to Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament and the eventual first round loss to Jack Gohlke and Oakland in March Madness.
"I think some people were happy," Calipari said sarcastically of his departure from Kentucky. "[Some were saying], 'We've had this guy 15 years and we've only won 500 games.' [Actually 410] We only won one national title and four Final Fours and eight Elite Eights? What the hell is going on here?'"
And when asked what was the final push in making his decision, Calipari gave an answer that he has provided several times — including in his introductory news conference — since taking the Arkansas job: his faith. In that introductory news conference, Calipari referenced a walk he took after speaking with a priest after Mass and how the priest told him to spend one part of it thinking he is the Razorbacks coach in his mind and the other he is still with the Wildcats.
"Something nudges you and you don't know what it is," he said. "But I've been there [at Kentucky] 15 years. Maybe it's 'You've done what I needed you to do there for the kids, for the state. Now I need you to do something down there [at Arkansas].'"
Calipari has compiled 247Sports' No. 1 ranked transfer portal recruiting class at Arkansas with the additions of Kentucky transfer Adou Thiero and Zvonimor Ivišić, FAU transfer Johnell Davis, who was the No. 1 player in the portal, and Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: John Calipari 'revived' after last season at Kentucky as he begins at Arkansas
