John Calipari introduced as new Arkansas Razorback head coach

Razer back cheerleaders Razer back dance team in mascots and the best band in college basketball the hall wild [Applause] [Music] [Applause] bear [Music] [Music] w [Music] W hey oh hey hey hey hey hey [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] hey [Music] he [Music] [Music] okay [Music] he [Music] [Applause] what a great night welcome to all of you ladies and gentlemen this is a special time to be a Razer [Applause] back and you are here tonight to witness us introduce the 14th head coach in Razer back basketball history coach John caliper I know you're ready now we got a lot of people here I want to introduce before we get started we've we've got several dignitaries several people that we are honored to be with us tonight I'd like to ask our Arkansas our University of Arkansas Board of Trustees to stand as I call their names and we're going to recognize them Tommy Boer Steve Cox Ted Dicky Kelly Iker Dr Ed frer Kevin crass Jeremy Wilson we thank all of you for being here with us tonight I wish all of you could see what I see right now this is awesome to see all of you here tonight just just a great evening and it's going to be a lot of fun as we meet our new coach we're very pleased to be joined tonight by our Chancellor Dr Charles Robinson and his wife reela if you've been to Razorback games thank you if you've been to Razorback games you know Dr Robinson is a regular he's there quite often we appreciate your leadership we appreciate your support certainly are grateful that that you were here tonight the uh Chancellor's strategic operations group is here tonight and I'd like to invite you to stand if you would I know many of you are here thank you for your [Applause] service I'd also Al like to recognize our faculty athletic representative Paul Adams Paul it's great to have you here thank you [Applause] Paul now we're going to hear from our vice Chancellor and our director of Athletics in just a moment but I do want to introduce his wife Jennifer if she would stand and be recognized please thank you Jennifer in a few moments coach Cow will officially join in the ranks of some incredible Razorback head coaches here at the University of Arkansas now some are on the road as we speak they're not able to be with us tonight but many of them are please hold your applause until I've recognized them all our head football coach Sam Pitman is here tonight our baseball coach Dave Van Horn is here our softball coach Courtney Diel is here tonight welcome coach Diel our soccer coach Colby hail is here tonight our men's tennis coach Jay udwadia is here tonight our women's track and field coach Chris Johnson is with us this evening our women's basketball coach Mike neighbors is here tonight l ladies and gentlemen your razer back head [Applause] coaches I'd like to recognize many of our former players we've got a lot of former players who are here tonight I've got a list I hope I have all of them if some of you have come in and we don't call your name please stand and we will recognize you nevertheless Dr Jim counts if you would stand as I call your name Todd day Blake Edens kamani Johnson Ron Brewer senior coach Ronnie Brewer Corey Beck Joe Johnson Tommy [Applause] Boer Jimmy [Applause] Dykes Mike young John enov Joe Klein Reggie Meritt and Manny [Applause] Watkins if others have come in and I've have not called your name we're glad you're here tonight we appreciate you and this is your night too it's a proud day to be in our camp isn't it tonight we officially welcome coach calip Perry and his wife Ellen to the state of Arkansas and at this time I'd like to welcome to the podium actually I'd like you to Welcome to the podium a man who is work tirelessly to find our next leader ladies and Gentlemen please welcome our vice Chancellor our director of Athletics Hunter your check [Applause] all right y'all sit down Chan Robinson I think we made the right [Applause] choice wow you guys know that we're not playing Kentucky in basketball tonight right this is amazing amazing it is a another great day to be an Arkansas Razorback and as your director of Athletics I say that with great confidence tonight as I thank about our number one ranked baseball team our number one ranked women's track and field team our number two ranked Men's Track and Field team our eighth ranked women's golf program our 10th ranked gymnastics program that just Advanced to the Elite 8 our 11th ranked men's golf team our 14th rank softball team in today's historic hiring of John caliper as our head mince basketball [Applause] coach I look forward to introducing you to Coach Cal in a few minutes but first I wanted to take the opportunity to recognize several people first I would like to recognize and thank coach Eric musman his wife and his wife [Applause] Danielle during the past five seasons coach mus with Danielle by his side elevated our program back to one of national prominence and ensured that we were able to attract a Hall of Fame coach to take his place I wanted to thank UA system president Dr Don bobbit our University Chancellor Charles Robinson by the way celebrating his birthday [Applause] tonight by the way chancer this was my birthday present to you okay and of course the university assistant Board of Trustees for their support throughout this process I wanted to specifically thank Board of trustee member Ted Dicky who represented the board and worked with me directly on this search uh the dicky family has been serving our state for generations and I am appreciative of Ted's service to our University and to me personally during this process thank you Ted also want to acknowledge our senior associate athletic director Matt tranon for his assistance in the search process Matt I think he's backstage and a huge and special thank you to our department of Athletics University associate general counsel Matt McCoy and Coach Cal's attorney Tom Mars also a UA law graduate who worked together to get an agreement in place Matt and Tom thank you very much Matt right [Applause] here and I certainly want to thank my entire family especially Jennifer my youngest son Brooks who are here tonight brooks stand up there you [Applause] go and there are so many others who played a part but I want to make sure I recognize two key people in their families who played a significant role in our ability to hire Coach Cal I am deeply appreciative to Mr John Tyson for serving as a conduit chicken beer on Friday night jeans fit just right and the radio w w [Music] during this process John served as a conduit he made an initial connection between myself and Coach Cal to talk about this opportunity Coach Cal and John had been dear friends for years and that personal relationship was an incredible resource for me to better understand Coach Cal and what might attract him to the University of Arkansas but this commitment was far more than just making a connection John Tyson and his family are from here in Northwest Arkansas and Warren Stevens and his family from Central Arkansas joined forces together to make certain we could offer the type of package that would lure Coach Cal to fville each of these families understands how important this program is to the entire State there generosity helped Galvanize our state this week with great anticipation of the future success of our Razorback basketball program so thank you to John John Randall and Olivia Tyson who are able to join us tonight and to Warren Harriet miles John and Laura Stevens for demonstrating that we are truly all one Razer bag and and let me be clear because there's a lot of rumors and misinformation out there these two families have helped us set the table to make this historic higher possible but I know their expectation and their hope is people across this state will join them and make sure we are able to continue to provide the tools that are needed not only to have success in men's basketball but the tools for us to continue to have the success we have enjoyed across our 19 Sports programs all right that's the end of my thank yous now on to Coach Cal so as I set out to find the next leader of our men's basketball program I received a lot of advice some was solicited some was unsolicited on what we needed or and who should be our next head coach but I knew I wanted to find a proven winner I wanted to find someone who would embrac the Arkansas Embrace Arkansas and the opportunities to build on a rich tradition that includes 22 Conference titles 14 sweet 16 appearances 11 elite eight appearances six final fours and a 1994 NCAA Championship we needed to find a coach that understands the current environment of College athletics and how to recruit Elite Talent we needed someone who can develop players for Success at the college level and prepare them for success in the NBA we needed someone who would bring National Prestige to the University of Arkansas and we needed someone to generate excitement around among Razorback Nation check that box for sure right and finally I wanted to find someone who shared my vision that this program could return to the final four and win a National championship in the course of our great history we have been blessed to have tremendous players and legendary coaches from Eddie Sutton to Nolan Richardson Arkansas has been the home to Hall of Fame coaches today we add another Hall of Fame coach to that distinguished list a nay Smith Hall of Fame coach and someone that recently was selected as the 2024 John R wooden Legends of coaching recipient I'm excited for us to I'm excited for us to formally introduce Coach Cal to this state and the entire Razorback Nation so without further Ado take it away John George Razorback fans let's stand up and call those [Applause] Hogs [Applause] [Applause] Arena where it is about as loud as a building could get it you're not entertained the loudest Arena the starting game I've ever been in this is a hard place you don't come here expecting to win let me tell you that the name the brand the identity that he brings to a program that has a storyed rich tradition an outstanding fan base in F bille Arkansas Big recruits will follow and winning will follow you go to Kentucky what made you go to Kentucky Coach Cal I love Cy I still talk to Cal to this day you came in you earned everything he made you work playing for cow was that relationship lasts forever calry gets to go to a proud program with final four National Championship pedigree with the first pick in the 2010 NBA draft the Washington Wizards select John Wall from the New Orleans Hornet select Anthony Davis Julius Randle Kelvin Johnson Devin Booker Jamal Murray dearen Fox fam adabo Jay gilis Alexander Carl Anthony town from the univ that's a program that is built to win Arkansas needed an adrenaline J John caliper is going to give [Music] them and now let's welcome to the court joined by his wife Ellen the head coach of your Arkansas Razer backs John [Music] [Applause] caliper [Applause] thank you [Applause] Jimmy I said The Joker [Music] [Applause] Is coach they've been waiting for you welcome I I have never gotten that kind of greeting in this [Laughter] building as a matter of fact you were probably in the building when they threw me out before the game ended walked through we did win that game though but they walked out and you guys were throwing stuff at me then I wasn't hearing anything cheers how did this happen walk us through this sh where's my John Tyson he did this twice now I need you to talk to my ad well I'm in Phoenix he's in Phoenix what well tell him to call me I'll meet him tomorrow you want me to talk about candid we I didn't know what and we met we we only met about about an hour and a half maybe less than that part of it was talking about other people and he said now that you know this and I know you think this is a great why not you why not me yeah why not you huh now from that meeting I left and went West we stayed in touch a little bit I just want everybody to know here I didn't want anything out until after the national championship game that we were even talking because I didn't think it was fair for those two teams and those coaches and those players and those programs somebody here leaked it out [Applause] though I don't know who leaked it out but someone did but hunter we didn't speak about it because it wasn't fair for those teams um I'll tell you what what happened to me we we were out west and um we had a priest with us a Catholic priest he gave Mass one morning in his room and I said to him father I got to decide what I'm going to do here one is Arkansas the others Kentucky and he told me go for an hour walk and have in your mind you're the Arkansas coach and then on the way back that you're the Kentucky coach and tell me you you'll see what moves your heart and what you want to do and I did that and I'll be honest when I thought about coming here and building this program and making it something special it got me excited I I got to say this though um and again in 2007 I met with Coach BRS and we talked I was at Memphis at the time and I've just got to tell you there's a difference now than leaving leaving a job back then back then you had players that were there to play for you to be with you to help groom them to get ready for what their future was and if you left they were stuck there they couldn't leave they had to play for whoever the coach was and John got mad at me I said I'm not leaving these kids and it was Derek Rose Antonio Anderson Chris Douglas Roberts Joey dorsy Robert doer sha tager I mean we had a great group but it wasn't about winning and losing it was about leaving them it happened to me at uh Massachusetts with Marcus cambi we lost to Eddie Sutton's Oklahoma State team in Big Country in the Elite 8 he said I'm going to stay coach I'm not ready and I said well then I'm going to stay with you there were a couple things that were happening for me the next year we go to the Final Four lose to a Kentucky team I think we got screwed but that's another story and he says I'm going to do this and I went and said you know what I'm going to go too and I went to the Nets you know who I got to coach at the Nets Joe Klein now yeah he got me fired but but they they were saying you traded for Joe Klein no he was in the trade but I got to tell you one story so and Joe will tell you this is true so I trade for him he walks into my office in the arena we're getting ready to play a game he says uh coach I'm Joe Klein you just traded for me I said Joe I don't have time to talk to you so I'll see you after the game he said should I put a uniform on and I said yeah but you're not going to get in but go ahead warm up and be around you know what happens my Center gets in foul trouble another kid gets hurt I look at Joe he looks at me I look at Joe he looks at me and I said go in we'll run floppy anybody that ever Joe Johnson's here you know Ron you know what floppy is that's Universal anybody can do it Joe struggle with it but anybody could do it so I say go go in and I could tell you other stories but he walked by me and stopped and turned back and said I'm Joe Klein it's nice to meet you and then went in the game and I had an absolute he and I have been friends since that time he got me fired but it was good because I could get back to what I do best I'm sorry Joe I had to do that it must have been hard to leave Kentucky what was that like it was I mean we've been there 15 years folks 15 years and great times great achievements 40 players to the NBA 30 kids graduated 30 kids graduated I [Applause] mean um I love that state I love the governor the people people are the salt of the earth they're generous they're kind they grew up kind of like we did they grow up like we did and my wife and I Ellen where are you Ellen stand up there you are stand up you can see my wife now you from this point on she is the princess that's what she is she's a princess she uh I got it I'm off point here but she makes brownies at every birthday she wants the players at the house all the time if they're not there why aren't they here and it's been that way from UMass to Memphis Joe did anybody come to the house in the Nets no yeah but and in Kentucky and she becomes their mama away away from home so she's a great lady great coach's wife she's the best and and I got my son here Brad Brad played for me for three years at Kentucky graduated and he put his name in the portal so he was the first coach's son that said I'm out and he went and played at Detroit for Mike Davis and had a terrific career and's done good and uh was at Vander built with uh Jerry stack house last year and did a great job of coaching um but ky's the bluest of blue there's only a few schools like that and I hate to tell you Arkansas is one of them it is but I all I all I can tell you we loved our time there we gave every ounce of everything we had to that job that state and that school so I walk away sad but knowing No Regrets We left nothing on the table there's not a whole lot more we could have tried to do you look around that's all right you can applaud go [Applause] ahead obviously there are a lot of Razorback fans you look around the building and see that what do you know about Arkansas what what what's attracted you to this place well it started with Coach BRS I mean who he was what he stood for um when I met him I was kind of intimidated when I met him and then is Marsha con here is she here where's Marsha all right there's Marsha her husband David Cohen ran a golf tournament up in Forest City and coach would playing it he had the biggest legs and could hit a golf ball even later in his life would hit the I'm like how old is he hitting the ball that far but he was the one that met with me and talked to me and um so it started there I mean I would tell you coach Sutton for some reason kind of took me under his wing and I have no idea I just saw Stephen um and we talked about I was like the last person to talk to him before he passed away and I wanted to help him in the Hall of Fame early ear than they did but he did get to hear that he was inducted in the Hall of Fame before he passed which was a great thing I see I see Ron Brewer Sydney montree you have you know Marvin Del he did it with Arkansas players and how he did it in Barnhill I have no idea but what he did here was the basis of what this became and then Coach Richard and he and I talked this morning and Hunter will tell you and John I one thing I asked I want to know what coach Richardson thinks of me taking this job I need to know and he says and he and I talk today um I'm going to send out to all of you a poster that's in my home office on the wall I forgot it was there was behind me and one of my staff said look at that was any was anyone here at the 1994 game in Springfield the Hall of Fame game okay that was UMass and Arkansas the year after they won the national title that year they went to the championship game it's a poster of Coach Richardson he looked at it he said that don't look like me it does look like him he's he's he's in his seat looking mean have me screaming you have corus in it Lou row what was the score of that game by the way a lot too a little okay it was 114 to like 80 but that's all right it was in Springfield but I think Cory Beck's here where's Cory Cory played on that team um Scotty Thurman you know the shots he made I mean come on and it wasn't just who he coached it's how he coached and how they changed the game to that point of we're coming after you 40 minutes a hell this is what we're doing and the excitement in this building it was hard to win a game if you were an opponent in here because you knew they're coming at you teeth and Fe here they come um I will tell you that he challenged his kids but Corey you got to say but he cared he challenged him but he cared did he hold you accountable he held you accountable twice right like once in the same time never then but he cared about him and in my memory of all that mus here five years you got to know mus did a heck of a job here now two and Elite eight he got this thing back on track the sweet 16 and again you know the opportunity to follow all that and again you could say well rebuild yeah there may not be a roster I got to put a roster together no you're laughing that's not funny I just I just met with the team there were three guys in there and they were in the portal so we got we got work to do and and the only thing that I want to tell you is I'm not that guy that has a magic W that's not who I am I'm the grinder that comes every day and when you watch my team into beginning of the year to the end you say wow they got better individual players got better they become a better team to put them in the best position so finally we we've watched your coach we've watched your team's play tell us about you tell us about Coach Kyle away from all this well as a player I was small but I was slow so um I'm a gatherer I'm you know I see uh dar's brother down there how's Mom doing you tell her I asked for okay um I bring people together it's what I've always try to do um we get this thing going and we get this thing done I want thousands of people to say without me this doesn't happen thousands not just one two5 not my staff it was everybody came together and say without me none of this happens I look at trying to create that love affair A Love Affair between this program in this campus this program in this state I know this program is important to the state all these programs are important to the state and uh I got to tell you so you understand my parents my dad worked in the mill in Western PA and then he was a baggage handler worked till the age of 70 still looking strong at 91 if he's thrown you know my mom worked in the cafeteria at the junior high school she had the white suit sold the ice cream we grew up Friday to Friday you guys know what Friday some of you young people don't know what Friday to Friday is you're getting paycheck and you're making it till the next Friday Thursday is a tough day it's how I grew up but you know what no credit cards lay away all the stuff I wouldn't want to grow up any other way you knew you had to work or you did not [Music] eat and I say I'm a grinder um that's what I am I look I told my son today I don't I don't know why you look at I I'm telling you my dad was a baggage hander my mom worked there I wasn't a great player please I am just my friends call me Johnny Johnny caliper I'm not that guy that you know it's me bringing everybody together bringing a staff together Gathering people getting a team to understand how you have to work you ready for this together not work by yourself you do it together together and and then having a dream and a burning desire to compete for championships why am I here that's why I'm here and and let me just say one one more thing um I'm always going to be a player's first coach I'm sorry it's about the players I know for some reason people think you can't really be a coach that wants to win if you're about the players and no you can do both you can be every decision I will make will be are is this the best decision for these guys not me as a staff not is it the best decision for them when we're doing things how we're doing things you saw my team this year we played totally different why it was the best way for that team to play we couldn't guard as well as we needed to but we could really score but it was how they had to play and all I can tell you is I won't change that it does change recruiting because of this transfer portal you can't have as many freshmen as you usually have you have your group of freshmen you have a group of returning players and you have a couple transfers that can impact it sometimes they're the the alpha dog that guy coming in but even those guys would come here for one reason how do you make me better Coach I want to go to the next level can you help me if I see a player that I don't think I can help I'm being honest I probably won't not that he's not a good player I don't want to use some young man and say yeah you're going to set screens and dive on the floor no how do I help him get better that is what my job is to prepare them for life after basketball to tell them how they create joy in their life do something for somebody else and you'll figure out how you create joy in your life the one thing Coach Riley Pat Riley said to me the best compliment Cal I can give you is your team your players come in this league and they're all good teammates think about that for me as a coach that was the best compliment I can get yeah they're in that League they're getting second deals they're doing all this stuff yet they're great teammates that's what I want to have the base of what we're doing here the culture of what we're trying to do here ladies and gentlemen he's our coach now coach John caliper coach come on up I want to go down and say hello to the coaches real quick I hope they didn't do this to you thank you I appreciate it thanks for being here thanks and you won what was that score today congrats coach I can't wait to work with you nice to see you coach this is my coach ladies and gentlemen as we wrap it up coach calip Perry is going to be going and conducting his first press conference as the Razer back head coach he's also going to be flying to Los Angeles tomorrow to receive the John R wooden award for Legends of coaching so we certainly congratulate him for that again we welcome his wonderful wife Ellen son Brad we thank all of you for being here tonight Hunter check Jennifer Go hogs thanks for being [Applause] here