He took a star turn in the Governor’s Mansion.
He rode a special train to the Kentucky Derby. He recruited the nation’s No. 1 class of prospects. He was named an honorary member of the Lexington Rotary Club. He coaxed a shy employee of Wheeler Pharmacy to pose with him for a picture. He created a deafening buzz around Kentucky basketball. He goes to church each morning. He calls a newfound friend from Kentucky daily to check on his ongoing battle with bone cancer. His Twitter audience is 80,000-plus. He bought a house, hired a basketball staff, returned to Memphis to visit his wife, watched his son play youth basketball, dropped in unexpectedly at an on-campus charity event and sat with UK softball players in a Lexington restaurant as they watched ESPNU’s unveiling of the NCAA Tournament bracket. Asked how John Calipari is doing as the new basketball coach for the University of Kentucky, school president Lee Todd said, “Oh, I think he’s doing great. I think there’s about six of him.” The seemingly omnipresent Calipari seems to be the total package: coach, father, husband, friend, ambassador, promoter, comforter of the afflicted, confidant of the comfortable. He made a big splash when he accepted Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear’s invitation to attend a reception. Todd, who also attended the event, came away doubly pleased.
Before making a few remarks, Calipari got Todd aside to ask whether there were any university projects the president wanted mentioned.