Calipari doesn't feel 'revengeful' with Arkansas in Sweet 16 | Yardbarker
You could say that John Calipari stepping away from Kentucky was the rare case of a win-win as it relates to a head-coaching change.
Calipari had been in Lexington for 15 seasons and he brought a championship home for the Wildcats. That's not to mention multiple SEC championships.
His time had run out with the administration, though, after a few disappointing seasons and perhaps Calipari's voice in the locker room had gone stale.
So off to Arkansas he went to give it another try, and in came Mark Pope to Kentucky, fresh off a successful stint at BYU.
Now, almost a year later, both Arkansas and Kentucky find themselves in the Sweet 16 and Calipari couldn't sound more content with the way everything played out.
“It was great for me and great for Kentucky. They’re doing great,” Calipari said recently on "The Pat McAfee Show" (h/t On3). “You see my daughter, my wife, they’re into this just like I am, and we gave everything we had, but it was time. It was time. Now, someone could go in and match what we did over that period of time. I wish them well. I’m in another situation, and I’m at peace."
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 25, 2025"We gave everything we had at Kentucky but it was time and I wish them well..
I'm a peace with what went on and it's all about these kids..
They never gave up on each other or this staff"@CoachCalArk #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/wcxwhG4zIU
Perhaps Calipari wouldn't be feeling as peaceful if things weren't going so well for him right now. The Razorbacks were a bubble team coming in but he has them playing great basketball in March Madness as a No. 10 seed.
They've upset No. 7 Kansas and No. 2 St. John's and will take on No. 3 Texas Tech in the Sweet 16 on Thursday. In the meantime, No. 3-seed Kentucky beat No. 14 Troy and No. 6 Illinois and will now play No. 2 Tennessee on Friday.
Notably, with the way things are set up, Arkansas and Kentucky could only meet in the championship game, but even if that doesn't happen, Calipari feels good about where he's at. Yes, he went back to Lexington and beat Kentucky earlier this season, but at this point, he's simply focused on where the Razorbacks are at the moment.
“I’m at peace with what went on. I’m not being revengeful. I went into Kentucky. We won that game. I was humble about it. I’m not like trying to beat them because they did this. None of that. I’m about these kids, and my job right now is to stay locked in," Calipari said.
