The Hall of Fame coach John Calipari was formally appointed head coach of the Arkansas men’s basketball team, however he will make less money there than he did at Kentucky.
The 65-year-old Calipari inked a five-year deal worth $7 million a season, which is less than the $8.5 million he was earning with the Wildcats. The agreement, which was made public on Wednesday, calls for rewards for qualifying for the NCAA tournament and moving far into it, in addition to a $1 million signing bonus and $500,000 in retention bonuses for each year of the pact. In addition, the agreement has two automatic rollover years for participation in NCAA tournaments, which would extend it until 2031.
Hunter Yurachek, athletic director, stated, “John Calipari is one of the best college basketball coaches by all accounts.” “A national championship coach, a four-time national coach of the year and one of the nation’s top recruiters, Coach Cal has consistently demonstrated his ability to attract outstanding talent and build championship teams within the Southeastern Conference and position his programs among the best in the nation.”
“As I visited with Coach Calipari during this process, he acknowledged the tremendous opportunity we have at the University of Arkansas to attract and retain top players and compete for championships. He understands the deep passion of the Razorback Nation and has experienced the tremendous home court advantage of Bud Walton Arena. I have no doubt that under Coach Calipari’s leadership and with the collective support of all those who love the Hogs, Razorback Basketball will continue to maintain its national prominence within college basketball.”
Eric Musselman, who left last week to take over at USC, is replaced by Calipari.
Calipari, one of the most well-known figures in collegiate athletics during the last three decades, had been at Kentucky since 2009. In his first six seasons in Lexington, he made four trips to the Final Four and guided the Wildcats to the national championship in 2012. Following that run to the regional final, Kentucky advanced to the Elite Eight in 2017 and 2019, but since then, it has only won one game in the NCAA tournament.
By consistently landing top-ranked recruiting classes and sending players to the NBA draft lottery, he turned the Wildcats into a recruiting powerhouse. While attending Kentucky, he produced 35 first-round NBA draft selections.
Calipari led Memphis for nine seasons before succeeding Billy Gillispie as head coach of Kentucky in 2009. 2008 saw the Tigers advance to the national championship game, where they were defeated by Kansas in overtime, and he guided them to two Elite Eights.
This season, Arkansas’ men’s basketball team finished 16-17 (.485), its lowest result since 2009–10, John Calipari’s first season at Kentucky. Since the 2009–10 season, the following is the performance of the two programs:
Prior to departing for the NBA and coaching the Nets for three seasons, Calipari also guided UMass to the Final Four in 1996.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Kentucky’s athletic director Mitch Barnhart said the men’s basketball program would start looking for a new coach. This week, three coaches have resigned from their positions.
Nate Oats of Alabama declared on Monday night that he intends to remain in Tuscaloosa. Dan Hurley of UConn made it plain that he’s not going away after leading the Huskies to consecutive national titles.
Hurley stated, “Now you’re thinking in your brain, as I’m looking at the locker room, about the chance to do it three times, like a dynasty in modern times,” following UConn’s victory over Purdue. “I mean, that’s what I’m thinking about.”
Billy Donovan, the coach of the Chicago Bulls, started his coaching career under Rick Pitino in 1989 and 1993 as an assistant at Kentucky. On Tuesday, he informed reporters that he hasn’t received any calls and that his “total commitment and focus is here to this team and to this group.”
Following the initial report of Calipari’s leaving on Sunday night, Kentucky’s roster has experienced significant alterations. Prominent guard Rob Dillingham has submitted his NBA draft declaration, and rookie center Aaron Bradshaw has registered on the transfer site. Furthermore, Jayden Quaintance and Karter Knox, two of the top-25 recruits, declared they were reopening their recruitment and decommitting from the Wildcats.
