"I’m grateful to Cal for everything he did here": Mark Pope reacts to John Calipari's Arkansas hire with surprise and gratitude in latest doc

Mark Pope took over No. 15 Kentucky this season as John Calipari took his talents to Arkansas after 15 seasons with the historic program. On Wednesday, Kentucky Sports Radio on Youtube shared a clip of Pope from VICE Sports' new documentary on Calipari called "Calipari: Razor's Edge."

"As a Kentucky alum and a diehard Kentucky fan, I'm grateful to Cal for everything he did here," Pope said.

Calipari is a veteran coach with head coaching experience leading back to 1988. In his tenure with Kentucky, he led the Wildcats to 12 NCAA Tournaments, four Final Fours, and a 2012 National Championship title.

In his first year with the Razorbacks, Calipari has picked up big wins, including one against his former team. Despite losing to Calipari this season, Pope only had positive things to say.

"I love Cal," Pope said. "He's been a great mentor to me. He's been a great mentor to just about every young coach in college basketball."

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In the interview, Kentucky's new coach also reflected on when he first heard Calipari was leaving the program and how he ended up with the job.

"This news breaks that's there's this rumor going around that John Calipari is taking the Arkansas job," Pope added. "It blew my mind."

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Mark Pope's first season with Kentucky

Mark Pope has returned to his alma mater, having played at Kentucky from 1994-96. Pope played under the direction of Rick Pitino, who now coaches No. 9 St John's, and won a championship with the Wildcats.

"I learned about resilience here," Pope said before this season. "And here at Kentucky resilience is a requirement. It is not an exception, it is a requirement, and I learned that here. I learned here about the passion wins championships; passion wins championships."

After serving as the head coach of BYU from 2019-2024, Pope was hired by Kentucky when Calipari stepped away. In his first year with the team, he's led the Wildcats to a 17-7 record in a competitive SEC conference. No. 15 Kentucky is on a two-game win streak currently.

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Pope's Wildcats may have lost to Calipari's Razorbacks on February 1, but Pope's statements in the Calipari documentary reveal that he harbors no resentment. Calipari was a legend at Kentucky, and Pope, as an alumnus and fan, respects that.