John Calipari to Arkansas: Contract details emerge for blockbuster move from Kentucky
John Calipari is leaving Kentucky after 15 seasons leading the Wildcats’ basketball program. News broke Sunday night the 4-time SEC Coach of the Year is expected to be formally introduced soon as the next head basketball coach at Arkansas.
According to multiple reports, Calipari’s deal with the Razorbacks is expected to be for 5 years and worth more than $8 million annually. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reported late Sunday night that the family of John Tyson, Arkansas’s biggest donor, is “prepared” to make a major financial commitment to bring Calipari to the school.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Calipari’s contract is expected to have an overall base salary that is slightly lower than the $8.5 million he was making at Kentucky, but the difference can be offset with various incentives in the contract.
College basketball insider Jeff Goodman also reported that Calipari is expected to have in excess of $5 million per year earmarked for NIL funds at Arkansas. Multiple reports have suggested that a serious commitment to NIL was a sticking point for Calipari, with Norlander also reporting the incoming head coach wanted to be able to bring his Kentucky-bound freshman class with him to Arkansas.
Kentucky’s 2024 recruiting class currently ranks second in the country, with 2 Composite 5-stars signed to Letters of Intent and 2 more verbally pledged to Calipari.
Calipari won either a regular-season or conference tournament SEC title in each of his first 3 years at Kentucky. He took the Wildcats to a Final Four in Year 2 and won a national championship in Year 3. During the 2014-15 season, Kentucky swept the SEC’s titles and entered the NCAA Tournament at 34-0. The Wildcats made it all the way to the Final Four before a stunning loss to Wisconsin in the national semifinals ended the bid for a perfect season.
Since, Kentucky has made it beyond the Sweet 16 only twice. The Wildcats lost to 15-seed Saint Peter’s in the first round to end the 2021-22 season, then flamed out of the tourney in the first round again this season, falling to 14-seed Oakland.
The latest postseason failure led many within the fanbase to question whether it was time for a change in leadership. Speculation about Calipari’s job security was intense immediately after the loss to Oakland, but Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart released a statement several days after the first-round loss that confirmed Calipari was coming back for the 2024-25 season.
“As we normally do at the end of every season, Coach Calipari and I have had conversations about the direction of our men’s basketball program and I can confirm that he will return for his 16th season as our head coach,” Barnhart said.
Almost 2 weeks later, Calipari is leaving on his own accord.
Had Kentucky fired Calipari, it would have owed the head coach more than $30 million. With Calipari leaving for another job, UK is owed nothing per the terms of his contract.
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Kentucky fans have been clamoring for this. Now time will tell. Have always heard “be careful what you wish for.”
Cal knew his “Welcome” at Kentucky was gone and at Kentucky basketball is King and always will be. The program definitely needs a new-direction and a younger coach to lead the Cats program. Arkansas’s paying Cal $8 Million/year…hmmm. Just hope & pray that his Buyout is not huge, Arkansas fans. It was time for Cal to depart from Kentucky.
I’m sure that you’ve heard already but it’s zero since Cal is leaving, there is more to it than that but this is how it’s going to play out so both parties can move forward.
Ehhh, I don’t know if this is going to work. His style just doesn’t really work. Ky has the best of the best and it didn’t work the way it should have.
Kentucky had the 4th most wins of any D1 program in the 15 years he’s been in Lexington? I’ll happy take that win rate.
Just like Bama was glad to let us have Bill Curry, we aare thrilled for you to have Callipari. Same exact equation. Enjoy!
Dude, please enjoy the fact that this is a win-win for both programs. Cal will be getting a little over $8m a year that grows closer to $9.5m when fully incentivized for academics and wins. Cal will be getting roughly up too $5m for Staff, he understands that this change in programs allows him to fully pursue more modern strategies and have heard that he’ll have offensive/defensive specialists to further those goals. Now here’s the crazy part, they will be working with $6m to $7m a year for NIL that can be stretched to a ceiling of $10m. Guys, nobody is doing that. Cal was working with roughly $3.5m, which was about the best in college basketball.
Now, some may say this “fake news”, but you will be hearing this repeated in the next few weeks as more details emerge.
Now, here’s the most encouraging news for Arkansas: talking to Cal earlier to further expand/vet the Hog’s list of candidates with Eric making it known that he wanted out, that Cal was asked if he was interested. Not only was Cal interested, John Tyson has been in his ear for awhile, this inspired discussions on what it would really take to make a seismic impact in college basketball and revitalize Cal’s approach to craft/opportunities to win championships. All of this really brought together the Central Arkansas Boosters and NWA Boosters in a very significant way that hasn’t been seen in decades.
One last thing, just the publicity alone the past 28 hours has their wheels turning for football program but expect a bigger commitment to NIL for football in this next portal.
“Cal will be getting roughly up too $5m for Staff, he understands that this change in programs allows him to fully pursue more modern strategies and have heard that he’ll have offensive/defensive specialists to further those goals.”
Part of Cal’s problem was that he pushed away a lot of his closest and most faithful allies. He became increasingly difficult to work with, based on his own desire to prove people wrong based on how he wanted to do things. Even a lot of people he brought in took lateral moves and pay cuts to get similar jobs elsewhere. They still like Cal as a person, but he increasingly isolated himself with his own people, the fans, administration, and boosters. His players love him, and he carved out that niche for himself.
He was given every opportunity to so at UK; that’s all everyone was asking him to do.
I’m sure he’ll do just fine with his number two recruiting class loaded with 4and 5starplayers and strips UK’S roster as much as he possibly can. Plus hell have that chip on his shoulder that he’ll want to be at UK and their Fan’s for doubting him.
You are 100% correct.
UK’s roster is replaced every year anyway. If Scott Drew is hire, then will probably get VJ Edgecomb. He was down to UK and Baylor. Odds are we get him and Knox goes elsewhere. I prefer Knox, but will take Edgecomb. Travis Perry and Quintance likely stay committed and Reed might just return now.
a step up from musselman
Yes Arkansas gets a step up from Muss, so the fans should be happier with the b’ball program. We’ll all see what Cal can do with the Hogs program.
Losing in the first round is a step up from not even making the tournament. Sure the piggies are ecstatic.
We had to take a year off. Our back was kind of sore after carrying this league in March for the past three seasons.
Nice!
Well played.
Has to be Kentucky money under the table for Calipari to get him to walk away from the $30 million Kentucky owed him.
Growl…That Buyout $$$$$ does surprise many of us. Question: Who would walk away from $30 Million ? After his years of coaching at Ky. obviously he has generational wealth, but $30 Million left on the table ? Hmmmmm
He’s not walking away from 30m. No one was ever going to pay that. He’s making a move and will continue to be paid as he had been paid. With a five year contract, he’s got more than 40m coming his way.
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Is Cal the “Coach to be named later” in the Eddie Sutton deal?
HAHAHAHAHA