Just weeks after a stunning NCAA Tournament loss to Oakland, John Calipari’s time at Kentucky is ending — just not the way many believed it would.
Calipari is finalizing a deal to become the next head coach at Arkansas, according to ESPN, shockingly bolting from Lexington for an SEC rival. The Razorbacks lost coach Eric Musselman to USC on Thursday and whiffed on two coaches believed to be their top targets at the start of their search.
ESPN reported the five-year deal would be finalized Monday.
Calipari is one of the most recognizable coaches in college basketball, with five Final Four appearances and a national championship over 32 seasons between UMass, Memphis and Kentucky. He spent the last 15 seasons with the Wildcats, quickly making Lexington one of the top destinations in college basketball.
Here’s what you need to know about Calipari’s decision to leave Kentucky for Arkansas after 15 years.
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Why did John Calipari leave Kentucky?
Few see Arkansas as a step up, or even as a lateral move, compared to Kentucky. However, it might have been the right time for both parties to start fresh after a tumultuous handful of seasons that put Calipari’s future up in the air.
Calipari struggled to sustain Kentucky’s powerhouse status in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, winning just one NCAA Tournament game over the last four seasons and missing the tournament entirely in 2021. While the Wildcats earned a high seed in 2022 and 2024, they suffered a brutal upset loss in the first round of both tournaments.
Pressure began to build on Calipari over the last two seasons, with plenty of NBA-caliber talent walking into Lexington but championship contention nowhere to be found. Many believed Calipari’s teams were far too young in an era of experienced contenders, and few public changes were made as fan frustration built.
Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart announced in March that Calipari would return for the 2024-25 season. What changed between then and Sunday night isn’t clear. For Calipari, though, a fresh start could make plenty of sense. His future at Kentucky would have been highly uncertain throughout the 2024-25 season, but a move to Arkansas comes with a commitment that effectively ensures he will be given time to build up the program.
Calipari is also not the first coach to make a lateral move, at best, to get out ahead of a potential firing and simply reset the clock in a different environment. Shaka Smart’s departure from Texas for Marquette is one example of such a move, while Mike White’s move from Florida to Georgia and Andy Enfield’s recent move from USC to SMU are two more instances.
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Calipari’s move is higher-profile, to say the least. Because of his track record, he’s secured “access to an NIL package that will rank among the best in college basketball,” Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman reported. While Calipari has largely been reliant on highly-rated freshmen for much of his tenure at Kentucky, he now has the resources to be ultra-aggressive in the transfer portal at Arkansas.
Been told by one source that Calipari will have access to an NIL package that will rank among the best in college basketball.
Excess of $ 5 million per year. https://t.co/9T0F2gploV
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 8, 2024
Calipari’s stipulations in joining Arkansas included “major NIL promises” and the ability to bring in his 2024 freshman class, which includes five-star prospects Jayden Quaintance and Boogie Fland, according to CBS’ Sports Matt Norlander.
Kentucky also had incentive to let Calipari walk if he wished. The school would have been on the hook for a massive buyout if it fired the 65-year-old after this season. By letting him leave for another job, however, Kentucky is off the hook for the remainder of Calipari’s 10-year, $ 86 million contract.
Calipari also doesn’t owe anything to the Wildcats, making the timing ideal for a dramatic move.
Calipari’s move only accelerates the coaching carousel, as Kentucky is still prestigious enough to attract some of college basketball’s rising stars in the coaching ranks. Whichever coach the Wildcats hire will face Calipari and the Razorbacks next season in what will be quite a scene.
John Calipari contract with Arkansas
Calipari’s contract with Arkansas is expected to include a salary less than $ 8.5 million, per ESPN. That would be less than what he makes with Kentucky, but the five-year deal is expected to include incentives to make it more lucrative.
John Calipari contract buyout
In 2019, Calipari signed a so-called “lifetime” contract with Kentucky, agreeing to a 10-year, $ 86 million deal. The deal came with a buyout clause attached to it: he would be be due to receive 75 percent ($ 33.375 million) of the value remaining on his deal if Kentucky elected to fire Calipari.
However, if Calipari leaves by accepting a contract from another school, Kentucky does not owe the coach any money.
