Mark Stoops wishes the best for John Calipari: "He and I've had a really good relationship for a long time."

Mark Stoops responded to several questions about his football program during Kentucky‘s day at SEC Media Days in Dallas. Stoops was asked about his candidacy for the Texas A&M job last November, hiring a fifth offensive coordinator in five years, being a defense-first coach in an offense-first league, expectations in Lexington, and lots more gridiron talk.

However, there was also one basketball question in the 25-minute conversation. Bob Holt of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the most veteran reporter in the ballroom, stood up to ask Stoops for his thoughts about John Calipari‘s departure for Arkansas in April.

“I wish the best for him, really,” Stoops said of his former UK Athletics colleague. “He and I’ve had a really good relationship for a long time. There’s one little blip on there, but, you know, there’s nothing–we’re both big boys.”

Of course, the one blip was Calipari’s “basketball school” comment from the Bahamas in 2022 and Stoops’ public reaction to the comment from UK’s preseason football camp in Lexington. There was also that awkward Mitch Barnhart press conference after the coaches’ comments.

Stoops said the family feud is long behind them, graciously wishing Calipari well at his new job. “We’re both friends and have spoken, and I’m sure he’ll be successful at Arkansas, and I wish him nothing but the best.”

Stoops added that he recently ran into Brad Calipari in Lexington. “It was through recruiting or doing something and I spent some time talking with him. So, they’ll do very well.”