HAZARD – A couple hundred diehard University of Kentucky basketball fans squeezed themselves into the meeting room at the Hampton Inn in Hazard on Sunday to hear new head coach John Calipari speak about the upcoming season.

The event was organized and sponsored by First Trust Bank owners Greg and Noreen Wells. Calipari was in town to hold a youth camp at Memorial Gym.

After lunch, Coach Calipari took the floor to introduce himself and his philosophy to fans. He spoke of how he got into the business and his plans for the future of Kentucky basketball. Most interesting of all was his plans for a three-year tournament featuring the four schools with the most wins in college basketball.

Afterwards, Coach Calipari answered questions from the audience, most of which dealt with his impressions of Kentucky and the mania surrounding Kentucky basketball. Most answers ended with Coach Calipari saying that his intentions are to put Kentucky basketball back on track.

At the end of the event, Coach Calipari was present with a key to the city of Hazard, and a certificate as the Duke of Hazard by Mayor Bill Gorman. Afterwards County Clerk Haven King presented Coach Calipari with a miner’s hard hat with his name. Coach Calipari then had to cut the meeting short as he had to travel to Memorial Gym for a youth clinic.

Calipari was picked to head the UK men’s basketball program in March, taking over the reigns of college basketball winningest program.

Calipari had previously coached the University of Memphis and the University of Massachusetts, and also coached during a stint in the NBA with the New Jersey Nets.

In recent months, before ever coaching a UK game, Calipari has been earning his pay and has rejuvenated a UK program with the nation’s top recruiting class.