He’s not even coached a single game at the University of Kentucky yet, but John Calipari still drew a huge crowd Wednesday afternoon at the new Agriculture Extension Building.

Since being hired to coach the Wildcats after the firing of Billy Gillispie, Calipari has been touring the state. He stopped in Russellville just prior to going to a book signing later in the day at the Bowling Green Barnes & Noble.

“This has been a wonderful experience going around the state and seeing everyone,” Calipari said. “Everyone is excited because we’re undefeated right now.”

The new UK coach said at one of his recent stops, he asked the crowd if they would be as happy with him after his first loss.

“One man spoke up and said that one’s okay, it’s the second that starts to bother us,” Calipari recalled. “I started laughing, but then I noticed he wasn’t laughing. He was serious.”

Calipari spoke about his new UK team, which is ranked in the top 5 of most preseason polls.

“When people tell you we are really talented – they are telling you the truth,” Calipari said. “But this is also the most inexperienced team I’ve ever coached. I have six players who have been here and think it’s their turn and six new players who came in and think they can poop ice cream. And they’re all going to have to come together as a team under a new coach.”

Calipari said he doesn’t have any problems with high expectations since that goes without saying at Kentucky.

“You only come to the University of Kentucky for one reason – to win a national championship,” Calipari said.

He also promoted his new book, “Bounce Back,” which recounts what it was like for him when he was fired after an unsuccessful tenure in the NBA coaching the New Jersey Nets.

“I didn’t just get fired,” Calipari said. “I got fired in a viscous way and it made me think that I would never get another job.”

But he did.

Calipari wound up at Memphis, where he took that team to the NCAA Final Four.

“But this is not a sports book,” Calipari said. “If you’re looking for a sports book, this isn’t for you. It’s about picking people up. I have been blessed and I hope that this allows me to pass some of those blessings on.”

He also said that sometimes fate plays a role in things.

Calipari said he really wanted the UK job two years ago when Tubby Smith left.

“Fate plays a role in our lives – sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s bad,” Calipari said. “I wanted this job bad. I would ask my wife everyday if they had called and they never did. But it would have been hard following Tubby Smith. And now, a couple of years later, you guys kind of need me.”

“And I need you too,” he added.