Everything SEC Coaches Said About John Calipari At Media Day

John Calipari to Arkansas is a hot topic at SEC Basketball Media Day on Tuesday. Here is a running list of everything the league coaches had to say about the Head Hog:

Mark Pope – Kentucky

You’ll never hear me say a negative work about Coach Cal because there’s not at lot to say to. He’s a Hall of Fame coach. As a die-hard Kentucky fan and alumnus and former player, I am grateful for everything, all the incredible things that Cal accomplished at the University of Kentucky.

And he’s also been a good friend. He’s been a terrific mentor, and he’s always been generous to Lee Anne and I as we’ve gone through our coaching journey. So we wish him the best in everything that he does, and I will forever be grateful for everything that he did at Kentucky. And we’ll be cheering for him every day like crazy except for February 1st.

Nate Oats – Alabama

My reaction is Cal is one of the best coaches in the history of college basketball, and Arkansas is a program that’s got some pride. I can’t speak for him as to why he maybe moved, but sometimes if you want a fresh start — shoot, he’s going to get talent. He’s one of the best recruiters ever to coach in college basketball, and he’s got a lot of talent there right away.

He’s familiar with the league. He’s a great recruiter. Arkansas got a good basketball tradition. He made the move, and then that kind of opened the job at Kentucky up.

Mike White – Georgia

He’s a really good coach, and he’s going to produce a winner wherever he is. With regards to me making a move, it seemed like it was 20 years ago now, so much has — been through so much here these last 27 months or something like that.

It was just an opportunity that I was really excited about. I’m sure the same thing with Coach Cal, an opportunity to impact another program and have a different type opportunity, and we’re enjoy it every day.

Chris Jans – Mississippi State

 I think it was a pretty big shock. I’ve got to know Coach Cal, obviously, more so since being in the league, and he’s been very kind to me and had some nice conversations with him. But I’m not in his inner circle where he’s calling me to talk about his future options and decisions that he’s making. So how that went down, it went down.

He’s obviously a Hall of Fame coach, and he’s had a remarkable career, and he made the decision to change it up, if you will, and go to another program. Certainly he’s probably excited for that new energy you get when we take over a program, for those of us that have done that. I’m sure it’s rejuvenated him at the same time.

Rick Barnes – Tennessee

Well, he and I had talked about it before he actually made that move. We go back a long time. We started a relationship back in 1975, ’76 at the University of Pittsburgh, a camp that we both worked. He was going into his senior year, I had just graduated from college, and we’ve had a dear friendship since that time.

He’ll do great. Just like wherever he’s gone, he’s built a winner. He’s one of the great coaches of all time, and he will make it even tougher than it’s ever been to play at Arkansas.

I’m happy for him because I think he’s happy, and what he did at Kentucky was really unbelievable if you look back on it in his time there. But what he did at Memphis, UMass, everywhere he’s been, he’s a winner, and he’ll continue to do that.

Porter Moser – Oklahoma

Yeah, we’ve played Arkansas and Tulsa the last three years, and it was nothing I didn’t know. They’ve got an awesome fan base. I saw those three years in Tulsa.

Yeah, nobody saw it coming with Cal, but once he’s there, he’s obviously amazing. Amazing coach, amazing person. Unbelievable life for any program. With that fan base, they’re doubling down, getting a great coach and a great ambassador for the school.

Dennis Gates – Missouri

 I’ll look at it like this, and I’ll put everything in seasons, journeys, things like that. He’s at a different season in his life, and he made a decision, and I’m sure he didn’t make that decision on his own. I’m sure he consulted with his family, with his wife, because as coaches we’re absent from our home and we have that support system.

The one thing I look at is what season he is in his life and what else there was out there, and that’s a challenge for him. I think he will be successful, no different than he’s been successful every step of the way.

He needed a change in his eyes. I can’t speak directly toward it, but he seems happy when I see him, just as happy as he was when he was at the former places, at Kentucky and even at Memphis, even at UMass.

But he’s still going to recruit at a high level. He’s still going to compete at the high level. He’s still going to galvanize the crowd and make great memories. That’s what this conference is about, creating great memories together and against each other.