Mark Stoops Responds to John Calipari: "We won't be derailed"

As is tradition during Kentucky football fall camp, Mark Stoops was scheduled to speak following Saturday’s scrimmage. Most expected the Wildcats’ head coach to de-escalate a public feud with John Calipari. Instead, Stoops threw more fuel on the fire.

Kentucky Football “Didn’t Wake Up on Third Base”

Mark Stoops came to the defense of his players and fans. The passionate rhetoric also produced some pot-shots right back at John Calipari and the Kentucky basketball program.

“I don’t care what anybody says about their program. That’s not my business. That’s not my lane, but when you start talking about my program and others that we compete against — me? I don’t do that. I stay in my lane,” Stoops said.

He stayed in his lane for a while. Then he was asked about the phrase “basketball school.”

“I embrace and love the history of our basketball program. I’m proud of it. I love it,” said Stoops. “I didn’t have that history. We understand we’re creating it. I also know people want to win now. I also know it’s my responsibility to get to the postseason and win.”

Even though this is clearly a preseason distraction, Stoops is determined to ensure it will not derail the progress the program has made since he arrived in Lexington. Proud of his accomplishments so far, there’s still more work to be done.

“We all know, this program wasn’t born on third base. Some may, but I can promise you this football team didn’t wake up on third base,” said Kentucky’s head coach.

“We did a lot of work. We did a lot of work. The commitment of Joe Craft and so many people, Mitch (Barnhart), Dr. Capilouto, so many people have done so much that you have to have a respect and appreciation for it. We all want more.”

Calipari and Stoops have not Talked

Mitch Barnhart believes this matter is best settled in-person instead of over the phone. John Calipari shared this message on social media Saturday afternoon.

Now I’ll do what I’ve done for 30 years: Coach my team and block out the clutter.

— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) August 13, 2022

Origin of Stoops, Calipari Spat

Mark Stoop was fired up Thursday afternoon. In the middle of a public plea for a renovated basketball practice facility, John Calipari called Kentucky a “basketball school.”

“This is a basketball school; it’s always been that… No disrespect. Our football team, I hope they win games, 10 games, and go to bowls,” Calipari told KSR’s Jack Pilgrim. “At the end of the day, that makes my job easier and it makes the job of all of us easier. But this is a basketball school. And so, we need to keep moving in that direction and doing what we’re doing.”

Stoops has combatted the “basketball school” rhetoric on the recruiting trail ever since he arrived in Lexington. It clearly struck a cord, setting off an atypical string of Tweets from the typically reserved social media user. Mark Stoops Tweeted: “Basketball school? I thought we competed in the SEC? #4straightpostseasonwins”

#BBN begs to differ! Don’t disrespect our great fans like that. https://t.co/7yCGQzmbuW

— Mark Stoops (@UKCoachStoops) August 11, 2022

All of Mark Stoops’ Comments about John Calipari

“The most important responsibility I have is to prepare this team and to get them focused on an extremely difficult season that’s coming up. I can promise you that everybody over there in the Joe Craft Center, our building, is working diligently to prepare for this season. I’m the head coach of the football team. I work within the context of the athletic department. Anything that I said or do is in defense of our players, our staff and our fans. Mark Stoops doesn’t need defending. But I also appreciate the work we’ve done to get to this point. We want to continue to push and continue to strive to get better, and we’ll do that. We won’t be derailed.”

Why go public with this?

“I don’t care what anybody says about their program. That’s not my business. That’s not my lane, but when you start talking about my program and others that we compete against — me? I don’t do that. I stay in my lane. So that’s in defense of my players, defense of the work that we’ve done. Believe me. We want to continue to push, but don’t demean or distract from the hard work and the dedication and the commitment people have done to get to this point.

“Again, I don’t need to apologize for that and I won’t. But we want more and we want to continue to push that. There are so many people, so many fans, so many coaches, so many players that have sacrificed to improve at the level we’ve improved at. We all know, this program wasn’t born on third base. Some may, but I can promise you this football team didn’t wake up on third base. We did a lot of work. We did a lot of work. The commitment of Joe Craft and so many people, Mitch (Barnhart), Dr. Capilouto, so many people have done so much that you have to have a respect and appreciation for it. We all want more.”

Have you had to fight that basketball school perception?

“I’m not in third grade. It’s trivial. I mean, come on. We understand history. That’s great. I embrace and love the history of our basketball program. I’m proud of it. I love it. I didn’t have that history. We understand we’re creating it. I also know people want to win now. I also know it’s my responsibility to get to the postseason and win.”

Have you and Cal talked since this?

“No.”

How’d you find out about it?

“It was pointed out to me. I really try to stay off there (social media). Again, I’m done. I’ve addressed it. I will defend my players, my staff and the people and the Big Blue Nation. I will defend the people that sacrifice. I’ve said it to you how many times? I know how hard it is for people to come to these games. how expensive it is, how hard it is to get into this stadium, the parking, 60,000 people, it’s tough. And it’s a fantastic atmosphere and I cannot thank them enough. We want to continue to see that. That’s what I need to defend. I don’t to defend Mark.”

Does this fuel your players?

“It’s not intentional. I didn’t ask for this situation. I didn’t, but they know I have their back and that’s it. No disrespect to anybody in here, but I can promise you I’m not concerned with anyone outside of that building at all. No disrespect at all. I work hard, we work hard to make our fanbase proud. I can promise you in that building there is work getting done 24/7 and we got to continue to go, continue to push. That is not a PR firm right there. That is a work environment.”