Calipari reaffirms allegiance: 'My desire is to retire at Kentucky'

After a recent report linked him to the vacant job at UCLA, coach John Calipari reassured Kentucky faithful that his allegiances still lie with the Wildcats.

"Before I go to bed, let me just say this: I’m coaching at the (University) of Kentucky. In my opinion, there is no better job in the world to coach basketball," Calipari tweeted Wednesday evening. "My plan and my desire is to retire at Kentucky. I think the university feels the same as I do and we’ve talked openly about it.

"Now let’s focus on this game tomorrow!" he added.

Calipari's Kentucky squad, seeded No. 2 in the Midwest Region, will begin their journey for a ninth NCAA Tournament championship when it faces No. 15-seed Abilene Christian Thursday.

The 60-year-old has built quite a resume in his 10 seasons at the helm, compiling a 302-70 record while leading his squad to the 2012 national title.

Meanwhile, UCLA is searching for stability after finishing 17-16 this season. The team has been without a long-term coach since dismissing Steve Alford on New Year's Eve. Murry Bartow led the Bruins to a 10-10 record as the team's interim coach down the stretch this year.