Mark Stoops and John Calipari, Kentucky's two highest-paid coaches, once feuded over the very soul of the university. It was a battle of egos that peaked in 2023, with Calipari's infamous "this is a basketball school" comment and Stoops' fiery rebuttal that his program "wasn't born on third base."
Calipari had complained that the Joe Craft Center needed upgrades because a leaky roof once stopped practice. Few felt sympathy for a man paid handsomely to win, and winning so little.
Mark Stoops won the PR battle, painting himself as the hardworking builder, the antithesis of the insulated, entitled basketball coach. How ironic, then, that as his own program collapses, Mark Stoops need only look in the mirror to see what he’s slowly becoming.
The feud: 'Born on third base'
Rewind to 2023: Stoops, coming off 10-3, 8-5, 5-6 (All SEC COVID year), and 10-3 (later vacated due to ineligible players) with a Citrus Bowl victory. He was the king of Lexington. Calipari, meanwhile, was reeling from a historic tournament upset to St. Peter's, and not going into the second weekend of the tournament since pre-COVID. When Cal slighted the football program, Stoops pounced.
"I stay in my lane," Stoops snapped back. "But don't demean or distract from the hard work... I don't need to apologize for that, and I won't." He was the perfect blue-collar underdog; Cal was the out-of-touch overpaid blue-blood.
The Calipari playbook of excuses
As Calipari's losses mounted, his public persona became defensive. He insulated himself, avoiding radio shows and contentious media. He talked down to fans, infamously coining the term "Basketball Bennies." He spoke in code about making "tweaks" and deflected blame, reminding everyone of his past success.
As if to say, my way works everyone. You just need to be patient enough to let it happen. Don't worry, we will be good again.
The Mirror: Stoops slowly becomes his arch-nemesis
Now, fast forward to 2025. With Kentucky football sitting at 2-5 and riding a 10-game SEC home losing streak, listen to Stoops. After a 4-8 season, he hid from the media all summer. He has skipped his call-in radio show and then didn't take calls on the next one. And his excuses sound identical to Cal's.
"I wish that the results would be better but I know we are better," Stoops claimed this week, before adding the kicker: "but you’re not going to do it in one year either. You have to build a roster over the course of at least two, three (years).”
This, from a coach in Year 13. He's ignoring the instant, playoff-contending success of Curt Cignetti at Indiana who is 19-2 in 1+ years. He's insulating himself, just like Cal. He's demanding patience and referencing a past that feels like a lifetime ago, just like Cal did.
Mark Stoops has become his own arch-nemesis. He is the insulated, highly-paid coach, disconnected from the fan base, dodging accountability, and selling a future that never seems to arrive while taking loss after loss. All that is left is for him to say he just needs to "tweak" some things and his transformation will be fully complete.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion