With the hiring of Mark Pope, a former Wildcats player, to succeed famous coach John Calipari after Calipari was hired at Arkansas, Kentucky basketball entered a new era in the 2024–25 campaign. Calipari, who left for another position since Rick Pitino with Louisville in 2001, will now be the first Kentucky coach to play their old school at Rupp Arena. The 65-year-old coach, who has six Final Four appearances under his belt (four at Kentucky), made the Wildcats one of the best collegiate basketball programs in the NBA, establishing them as a springboard to the professional ranks. The 2012 NCAA Tournament national title was likewise won by the Basketball Hall of Famer, who finished with an absurd 38-2 record on the
John Calipari’s departure from Kentucky: why? Justification for the former coach’s choice to join Arkansas.
