“I'm not the grand poobah. I'm not the emperor. That's not what I want ...” — John Calipari Quote

“I'm not the grand poobah. I'm not the emperor. That's not what I want to be.”

“As long as I'm at Kentucky, you've got to be able to take the shots, or don't stay at Kentucky. To be the coach at Kentucky and get what I get, you can't be a 35-year-old coach whose never been fired. I've been fired.”

“When you're coaching at Kentucky, you're held to a different standard, and like in politics, there is a core group that absolutely loves you, and everyone else is trying to unseat you in any way they can - anything to trip you up; that's what it is. If you're not up to that, then don't coach at Kentucky.”

“Name me an emperor who was ever struck by a cannonball.”

“I would rather have a nod from an American, than a snuff-box from an emperor.”

“I have to get out once a week and speak with people or I start thinking I'm the emperor of Abyssinia.”