Kentucky's John Calipari, Arkansas Reportedly Finalizing 5-Year HC Contract
April 8, 2024
In a surprising turn of events, John Calipari's run as head coach at Kentucky is reportedly ending.
ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Sunday night that Calipari is finalizing a five-year deal to become Arkansas' head coach.
According to Thamel and ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Calipari's base salary is expected to be "slightly less" than the $8.5 million he got at Kentucky. However, Thamel and Borzello noted that the contract is expected to include incentives that could help him surpass his Kentucky salary.
That news comes after Matt Norlander of CBS Sports previously reported the two sides had "entered into serious talks" regarding the school's head coach opening. Kentucky reportedly had been notified of the discussions, as Calipari's contract requires him to inform the university if he engages with another school about a potential job.
Norlander added that the Tyson family, which is the biggest Arkansas donor, was "prepared to make a major commitment" to facilitate the hiring of Calipari as the next Razorbacks head coach. Calipari is reportedly "very close" with the Tyson family and major boosters were "optimistic" that the hiring will happen.
Thamel and Borzello noted that Calipari was the second-highest-paid head coach in the country.
Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 reported that Calipari was "very interested" in the Arkansas position, with one source going as far as saying he's been "miserable in Lexington" amid Kentucky's recent struggles and "much of the fanbase turning on him and wanting him out." It appears that the Razorbacks did enough to entice him to seek a change of scenery.
Calipari coached the Wildcats for the last 15 seasons and led the team to a 410-123 record with four Final Fours and one national title. However, Kentucky hasn't made it past the second round of the NCAA tournament since 2019. The team lost to Oakland in the first round in one of the biggest upsets of the 2024 tournament.
Arkansas was seeking a new head coach following the departure of Eric Musselman, who signed on to become the next head coach at USC.
The Razorbacks are set to enter a new era under Calipari, who is a Hall of Famer and one of the best college basketball coaches of all time.