John Calipari opens up on leaving Kentucky: "The way it ended…I'll just say, sucks."

No matter how you envision John Calipari’s new life in Arkansas, the reality is a lot less glamorous — for now at least. Dennis Dodd made the trek to Fayetteville to interview the former Kentucky coach about his decision to leave Lexington and his new life in Arkansas. In between the stories we’ve already heard about Calipari meeting with Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek and billionaire booster John Tyson at the Final Four and why he made the change are some vivid details on what it’s like for a Hall of Famer to start over after 15 years at college basketball’s premiere program.

Dodd starts with Calipari’s “sterile” new office at the Arkansas practice facility, which Cal himself compared to a dentist’s office. It’s one of many accommodations that will soon change. Calipari is currently living with his son Brad, an assistant on his new staff, in a condo in downtown Fayetteville. It’s so close to the entertainment district that Calipari sleeps with earplugs to avoid the noise. Speaking of Brad, Calipari told Dodd that Ellen has her son checking in on her husband every 30 minutes “to see if I’m still alive.”

Alas, this is the life that Calipari chose, and he couldn’t help but get a jab at those in Big Blue Nation who welcomed the change.

“I think some people were happy,” the coach said 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?'”

Sarcasm aside, Calipari did admit that the end of his tenure at Kentucky was tough, saying of the loss to Oakland in the NCAA Tournament, “The way it ended … I’ll just say, sucks.” Tyson and Calipari’s lawyer provide the details of their meeting in Phoenix and the “land-speed record” in which they drew up his contract. So far, two of Calipari’s former Kentucky players have followed him to Fayetteville, Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic, along with three incoming freshmen who were previously committed to the Wildcats: Boogie Fland, Billy Richmond, and Karter Knox. DJ Wagner visits Arkansas this weekend.

“I made the analogy, this like you have a worldwide company and it’s in New York … and you’re being encouraged by another area,” Calipari told CBS Sports. “So you move the headquarters.”

Life in Arkansas is clearly an adjustment, but Calipari may be warming up to it. Remember how he didn’t call the hogs at his introductory press conference? Dodd says he will soon and it will be a “major event.” Oh boy. For more, I’ll direct you to CBS Sports.