Stoops on Calipari football dig: ‘I stay in my lane’

A passionate Mark Stoops defended the Kentucky soccer program on Saturday after feedback earlier within the week from males’s basketball coach John Calipari by which he known as the college a “basketball faculty.”

Stoops responded instantly on Thursday, tweeting, “Basketball faculty? I assumed we competed within the SEC?”

He spoke publicly for the primary time on Saturday following observe, saying his duty is to arrange the staff and that “we can’t be derailed.”

“If you begin speaking about my program and others that we compete towards — me, I do not try this,” Stoops mentioned. “I keep in my lane. In order that’s in protection of my gamers, in protection of the work that we have executed. And consider me, we wish to proceed to push. However do not demean or distract from the arduous work and the dedication and the dedication that folks have executed to get thus far. I need not apologize for that, and I will not.”

Stoops went on to say that Kentucky soccer “wasn’t born on third base.”

“We perceive historical past,” he mentioned. “That is nice. I embrace it and like it, the historical past of our basketball. I am happy with it. I like it. I did not have that historical past. We’re creating it.”

Stoops mentioned he has not spoken to Calipari since Calipari was quoted in The Athletic. Nonetheless, Calipari addressed the scenario for the primary time in a tweet shortly after Stoops spoke on Saturday.

“I used to be informed about feedback Mark Stoops made in his press convention,” the tweet mentioned. “I reached out to Mark Thursday & will strive once more. Evaluating our athletic dept. to others was my dangerous. I’ve supported Mark & the soccer staff by good and dangerous. I’ll proceed to help them & cheer them on.”

Earlier than Stoops’ arrival in 2013, Kentucky was a perennial SEC doormat. It had simply fired Joker Phillips after a 2-10 season and hadn’t received greater than eight video games in a season since 1984.

After a gentle construct his first three seasons, Stoops has led Kentucky to new heights, together with 4 bowl wins and a pair of 10-win seasons.

Stoops, who acquired a brand new contract in December, mentioned he would not let bickering “derail” this system because it prepares to open the season towards Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 3.

“We’re not involved,” he mentioned. “I am not involved with anyone exterior of our constructing. In any respect. And I say that with no disrespect in any respect. I work arduous — we work arduous — to make our followers proud.”

Calipari’s feedback had been associated to a brand new basketball facility he has been in search of the go-ahead to construct.

Kentucky soccer acquired approval to renovate its soccer facility in February.

“This can be a basketball faculty. It is all the time been that,” Calipari informed The Athletic. “Alabama is a soccer faculty. So is Georgia. I imply, they’re. No disrespect to our soccer staff. I hope they win 10 video games and go to bowls. On the finish of the day, that makes my job simpler and it makes the job of all of us simpler. However it is a basketball faculty. And so we have to hold transferring in that route and hold doing what we’re doing.”