"I'll be rooting for them": John Calipari endorses Mark Pope as Kentucky's perfect hire, but draws the line on showdown day

Ever since Mark Pope was hired as the new Kentucky coach, John Calipari has consistently showered him with praises and goodwill. Calipari left Kentucky for Arkansas in April after 15 years with the team, making the way for the former Wildcat's return.

During the Southeastern Conference media day on Tuesday, Calipari spoke about his former team's choice for coach:

"I think they hired a perfect guy for that job. He played there, graduated from there. Has a heart for the place. I'll be rooting for them. I want them to do well, except that date (Feb. 1). ... They hired the right guy."

The Kentucky Wildcats and Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks are set to battle it out at Rupp Arena on Feb. 1. This will not just be a return to Lexington, Kentucky, for Calipari, as some of the former Wildcats players who followed him to Fayetteville will be on the opponent's end.

Mark Pope extends his goodwill to John Calipari

Mark Pope has also reciprocated John Calipari's well wishes, heaping his praises on the former coach on Tuesday:

“You’ll never hear me say a negative word about Coach Cal, because there’s not a lot to say. He’s a Hall of Fame coach. As a diehard Kentucky fan and alumnus and former player, I’m grateful for everything, all the incredible things that Cal accomplished at the University of Kentucky.

“And he’s also been a good friend, he’s been a terrific mentor, and he’s always been generous to Lee Anne and I as we’ve gone through our coaching journey. And so we wish him the best in everything that he does and will forever be grateful for everything that he did at Kentucky. And we’ll be cheering for him every day like crazy, except for Feb. 1.”

Having captained the 1996 Wildcats to an NCAA championship, Mark Pope has heavy expectations on him as he gets ready for his first season. He has been realistic in laying out a long-term plan for the team as he has completely rebuilt the roster for the 2024-25 season.

Pope previously coached BYU in the Big 12, leading them to only two NCAA Tournament appearances with no regular season conference championships. This has led many to question if he will be fit to lead a program like Kentucky, but only time will tell if John Calipari's endorsement will be proved right.