By LARRY VAUGHT
Sometimes it’s easy to see why John Calipari seems perfect for the job he has at Kentucky.
Calipari spent Friday touring several eastern Kentucky coal mines in Martin and Pike Counties owned by Joe Craft’s Alliance Coal after Craft told workers if they made it to 400 days without an accident, he would bring the coach to the mines  and he did. Calipari signed autographs at each mine.
Calipari put out this tweet: “I get to feel for what my relatives did during their time in the mines. You wan to talk about salt-of-the-earth folks? These are them. It means so much to me & my family that I’m able to share time w/all these hard-working folks.”
Think what it meant to those men and women? And what it should mean for UK basketball because this is clearly a coach who knows and understands the Kentucky fan base and wants to stay in touch with that fan base.
16 Responses to Calipari’s visit to coal mines shows he gets what Kentucky basketball means
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Man, i can’t agree with you more larry. Let me say this without sounding to biased, because i am. John Calipari has done more off the court deeds that have given me goose bumps and left a lump in my throat since he has been here than i ever could have imagined. Whether its sick people, visits to people, helping with relief efforts, the list is long to be certain, and probably things we don’t even know about because of his humility in the ways of helping people. I would bet John knows he is blessed and is just paying it forward.
In some ways Cal reminds me so much of Rupp it’s amazing. Rupp was always doing things for the people of Kentucky and he recognized who the fans were that supported the program and help make it what it is. Some recent coaches have seemed so far removed from the UK I grew up loving that it really made me pine for the days when games were played and dedicated to the “shut ins” and the “infirm”. Many of those people Rupp was talking about were coal miners who gave their life for their work and died with the black lung. And Rupp took “his” hospital very seriously. Now I see a lot of the same type of things in Cal. People talked about another coach being a good man and contributing back to the city but that coach seemed at odds with much of the fan base and I don’t remember a single story of him making connections with the Ky fans. I’ll take Cal any day and twice on Saturday.
Count me as one who had no idea what to expect from Cal off the court and has 100 percent embraced the things he’s done Just like sending a letter and photo to Jeff Stahl when he heard he was near death. Cal does a lot of that and then spending a day with these folks  something he did not have to do for even Joe Craft  is so impressive
It really amazes me how non UK fans love to take shots at Coach Cal. Saying what a scum he is. I can honestly say without a doubt there in nobody I would rather have as our coach. Those that don’t follow Kentucky basketball have no idea what this man does off the court. To say “He gets it” is an understatement. I am so proud to have him as our coach. I look for him to continue to lead our program to many more great accomplishments for many years to come.
And REx, I think most UK fans truly feel just like you do
I AM 83, I HAVE FOLLOWED THE CATS FOR YRS. CAL IS SETTING STANDARDS I DOUBT WILL BE MATCHED FOR ANOTHER 40 YRS.CAYWOOD IS SMILING,[ HAVE NO DOUBT,ALONG WITH THE MAN IN THE BROWN SUIT !
The man has the energy of a 2yr old. Must never sleep, or maybe he has a twin brother we know nohing about because he sure seems to be at more than one place at the same time. What a great human being he is, what a great coach he is, what a great represenative for the state of Kentucky he is, we are blessed to have him.
Cal can go non-stop like most of the great coaches can. It is incredible all the things he does that we know about — and I am sure he does a lot more, too
Rupp never got the credit he deserved for the things he did off campus either. The man built a hospital and paid for the care for many sick children. He would go visit them often too. And he didn’t care what color they were either. But what does he get from the press (present company excluded of course)? Nothing but grief that’s what. Cal is so much like him it amazes me. He raises over a million dollars for Haiti and the press tries to crucify him for cheating. What a world. There’s a reward coming for people like Cal, I have no doubt. What he does for young men, including the one and dones, and what he does for the people of the world is just amazing. Bob Knight isn’t fit to walk on the same planet Cal does yet it’s Knight that gets the press for what he says. Rupp talked about the unfair treatment UK got often. He called UK the shining city on the hill and just like the people at Soddom, they hate anyone with real virtue.
King, you’ve made a lot of terrific posts here, but I may like this one the best ever
Well said, Larry. Great post, King. Let me repeat that Bobby Knight is not fit to walk on the same planet with John Calipari. Truer words were never spoken.
Preach it Andy preach it
Can you imagine the press Cal would get if he did some of the things that Knight has done? What if Cal threw a chair, kicked his own son in practice, pushed and bullied students, head-slapped an opposing team’s coach, etc, and I’m sure I’ve left a few out. Cal does nothing but positive things and gets crucified, while Knight has done nothing but rotten things and still has a job. Thats whats amazing to me. Knight has actually assaulted people and nothing was ever done.
My father passed away in June 1974, I attended the rupp, issel pratt basketball camp shortly after his passing. I was invited to stay the following week as a counselor for the next camp but declined because I was still sort of in mourning. Coach Rupp sat and talked to me for about ten minutes after my decision was made and I was given the impression that he really cared. That was and has remained a memory of uk basketball that I will never forget.
Thanks Larry. I’m just posting the things I learned listening to the man in the brown suit. I never missed a pre-game or a post-game radio show when I was a kid. And Rupp taught me a lot about life. And he was right pretty much all of the time. So naturally the press hates him because most of them are wrong and love being wrong just for the sake of being wrong. Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Cat Fan, great story. Would love for you to share more with us about that conversation with rupp. Email me because that must have been some conversation