A passionate Mark Stoops defended the Kentucky football program on Saturday after comments earlier in the week from John Calipari in which he called the university a basketball school.
Stoops responded to a question on Thursday. I assumed we competed in the SEC.
He said his responsibility is to prepare the team and that they won't be derailed.
When you start talking about my program and others that we compete against, I don't do that. I'm in my lane. That is in defense of my players and the work we have done. I think we want to keep pushing. Don't make fun of the hard work and dedication that people have put into getting to this point. I don't need to say sorry for that.
Kentucky football was not born on third base, according to Stoops.
He said that they understood history. That's good." The history of our basketball is something I enjoy. I'm happy with it. I think it's great. I did not have that history. We are making it.
Stoops didn't speak to Calipari after he was quoted in The Athletic. Shortly after Stoops spoke on Saturday, Calipari responded to the situation for the first time in a twit.
Mark Stoops made comments in his press conference. I contacted Mark Thursday and will try again. I didn't like comparing our athletic dept. to others. I've supported the team through good and bad. I will keep supporting them and cheering them on.
I was told about comments Mark Stoops made in his press conference. I reached out to Mark Thursday & will try again. Comparing our athletic dept. to others was my bad. I have supported Mark & the football team through good and bad. I will continue to support them & cheer them on.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) August 13, 2022
Kentucky was a perennial loser in the SEC. It hadn't won more than eight games in a season since 1984 and had just fired its former head coach.
Four bowl wins and a pair of 10-win seasons have been the hallmark of Kentucky's first three seasons under Stoops.
Stoops, who got a new contract in December, said he wouldn't let the program be derailed as it prepares to open the season against Miami.
He said they were not worried. I don't worry about anyone outside of our building. It was at all. I said that with no disrespect. To make our fans proud, we work hard.
He has been trying to get the go-ahead for a basketball facility.
The football facility was renovated in February.
There is a basketball school here. "It's always been that way." It's a football school. Georgia is also. They are indeed. It's not disrespectful to our football team. They should win 10 games and go bowling. It makes my job simpler and it makes the job of all of us simpler. This is a sports school. We have to keep moving in that direction.
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