John Calipari will take over as head basketball coach at Arkansas

Fayetteville, Arkansas – It is said that a Hall of Fame basketball player will take over as Arkansas’s new head coach. According to numerous sources, John Calipari, the head coach of Kentucky, has agreed to a five-year contract to take over as head coach of the Razorbacks.

The two sides were in negotiation, as first reported by Wess Moore. Later on, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and CBS Sports corroborated the information, stating that the Tyson family was ready to commit “majorly” to bringing Calipari to Arkansas. Pete Thamel of ESPN was the first to report on the deal’s specifics.

Over his 15 seasons with the Wildcats, 65-year-old Calipari won 410 games. He qualified for four Final Fours, seven Elite Eights, and the 2012 National Championship. But the success of his most recent Wildcat squads hasn’t been as great. Kentucky has not advanced past the Elite Eight since 2019, and in the last three NCAA Tournaments, the program has a 1-3 record.

Calipari spent his nine seasons at Memphis, where the Tigers advanced to the Sweet 16 twice and the Elite Eight twice, before moving to Kentucky. During his career, he also played for the New Jersey Nets (1996–1999) and UMass (1988–1996). In 2015, he was admitted to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
If he were to transfer to another school in Kentucky, there would be no buyout clause in his contract, which is valid through 2029. This season, Calipari earned $8.5 million. This year, Eric Musselman, who left the Razorbacks to join USC during the winter, earned $4.2 million.

Although incentives may raise Calipari’s pay above his $8.5 million compensation, ESPN claims that he will receive less than that amount.

This narrative is still evolving. We’ll keep this post updated with the most recent details.