John Calipari officially hires John Welch, raves about NBA pedigree

John Calipari couldn’t be happier to bring John Welch to Lexington as the newest addition to his Kentucky Wildcats staff.

It was announced on Monday that the longtime NBA assistant would be joining the Wildcats, and Calipari and Big Blue Nation alike are elated. Welch has helped elevate the game of some NBA legends, and now he’ll be helping Kentucky as they look to take their team back to the promise land.

#BBN, welcome our new assistant coach John Welch!

📝 https://t.co/RxBGpWwuiw pic.twitter.com/9vaz8R19WV

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) May 22, 2023

“John Welch has been involved in every level of basketball and been an important part of the development of NBA careers for guys like Carmelo (Anthony), Pau Gasol, DeMarcus Cousins, Blake Griffin and Brook Lopez,” Calipari said, via the press release. “He loves the game and will be a tremendous asset to our young players and our staff.

“John has worked closely for decades with Vance Walberg, who developed the dribble-drive offense, and was a pioneer of bringing it to the NBA. With the strength of our guards and perimeter players we need to get back to that style of play. John will be involved heavily in our offensive strategy and will be our lead coach in on-court player development. We’re excited to have him join our program.”

Over his time in the NBA, Welch has worked under numerous famed coaches, such as Doc Rivers, George Karl, Jason Kidd, Hubie Brown and Jerry Tarkanian. With over two decades of experience, it’s a home-run hire for Calipari.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Kentucky basketball program,” Welch added. “I look forward to working with Coach Cal and his tremendous coaching and support staff. Helping players grow and develop has always been my passion as a coach, and I can’t wait to get in the gym with our team this summer.

“It is an honor to become a part of Big Blue Nation’s proud basketball tradition and have the opportunity to assist in the continued success of the premier program in college basketball.”

Alas, it’s going to be fun for John Calipari to have a coach the caliber of John Welch joining his staff for the 2023-2024 season. While Kentucky’s seen some uneven play over the last two seasons, perhaps this could be the secret to success they’ve been looking for.

Time will tell, but one thing is for sure — the vibes are immaculate around the Wildcats program at the moment.