John Calipari steps down from Kentucky Men's Basketball

Hi, I'm Keith Farmer, we want to get some breaking news regarding the ongoing job search, so to speak, involving Coach John Calip Perry. Earlier this week there were reports that Coach Cal was leaving Kentucky for Coach Arkansas now just moments ago Coach Cal Perry posted a video on BBN confirming that he will be stepping away from the program. Here's what he's told you, the fans, since our season ended. Ellen and I have spent a lot of time thinking about our time here in Kentucky, uh, what it means to us. the friends we've made on that court Regional championships conference championships quarterfinals the national title um in 2012 has been a beautiful time for us this is my dream job it was my dream job anyone in our profession look at the University of Kentucky in

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and said it's the bluest of the blue, over the last few weeks we've realized that this program probably needs to hear another voice that the university as a whole needs to have another voice that provides guidance on this program that they hear and fans need. to hear another voice, we've loved being here, but we think it's time for us to step away and get away from the program completely.

Opportunities have been presented to us and we are discussing them as a family. I love training. I love coaching the youth I love this year's team I love every day walking has invigorated me I love the pursuit of championships I love bringing kids together it's what I do it's who I am let me start though I have to thank the players the families that I have had the privilege of coaching because they have entrusted me with their son and their son's career what they have done in the classroom more than 30 of the boys have graduated six in three years what they have done in this community to give back to the state of Kentucky, they gave us all everything they had on and off the

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court and I am forever indebted until the wheels fall off and I think everyone knows I am I'm not going to mention names because if I mention one , I have to mention 50 and lastly, thank the staff, all the people who worked to help us have the success that we have had, all the people at the University in general. the things that the friends that I'm looking right into camp did, we've made lifelong friends that will be close for the rest of our lives and the BBN fans, everything that you've done to build this program, the people that you They traveled.

We want to thank you, I hope it was an experience with your kids that you can look at and say, man, this is something we'll remember for the rest of our lives together, those memories and what we can do together is what it is. it's all been a dream, what we've been able to do, but 15 years later another voice and you know I'll always be a fan, thank you, you got it not long after athletic director Mitch Barnhart quickly issued a statement of his own, tweeted a quote : We appreciate John Cal for leading our program for the past 15 years, adding to the legacy of championship success at Kentucky.

We are grateful to John for his many contributions to the university and our state. on and off the court after that, he went on to say that we are working diligently to hire a highly dedicated and proven coach who embraces the importance of this program to our fans and to the state of Kentucky. Interesting during Coach Cal's comments that he didn't mention Arkansas. he just said that other opportunities have been presented to them, we might find out something here this afternoon after there is supposedly a Board of Directors meeting in Arkansas, they might quickly approve a contract for Coach Cal and then we might hear more news.

From there, stick with lex8 for the latest news on Coach Caliper and the UK Basketball team as we are your official UK station. We will have the latest updates on air and online at lex18 news.