Sadly, the head coach of Kentucky basketball has announced the sacking of a legendary player because he wants to sign a new deal.
Following Kentucky’s most recent early March Madness exit, supporters flooded social media with suggestions that the school fire renowned coach John Calipari.
Following No. 3 Kentucky’s shocking 80-76 loss to No. 14 Oakland on Thursday night in Pittsburgh, someone commented on my timeline, “Maybe he will get [a] job in media after he is fired here in the next few days.”
However, supporters should be aware that, based on some reports, Calipari’s buyout at Kentucky is valued at over $33 million. According to The Courier-Journal, if he is fired without cause as of April 1, the payout is actually closer to $35 million.
In light of the most recent Big Blue setback, is Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart prepared to write that kind of check? It doesn’t seem likely.
Time will tell, though.
Following his team’s run to the Elite Eight in 2019, Calipari inked a lifetime contract worth a total of $86 million. That happened after Calipari claimed to have often communicated with NBA teams and UCLA.
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Since then, the 65-year-old Calipari has dropped four of his previous five games and has only triumphed once in the NCAA Tournament.
His teams have fallen short against a 14-seed (Oakland) and a No. 15 seed (Saint Peter’s) in the last three years. Since the competition’s 1985 expansion to 64 participants, Kentucky has now become the fourth team to lose.
times in a three-year period, to a 14 seed or lower in the opening round. Before this time, Kentucky had a 19-0 record in such contests.
Arkansas’s FAYETTEVILLE At Bud Walton Arena, fireworks were set off at the introduction of John Calipari, the new men’s basketball coach for Arkansas.
If his prior achievements are any guide, there will be plenty more fireworks in the future.
A day after the Hall of Fame coach left the Kentucky club that he guided to the 2012 NCAA title, Arkansas hired Calipari on Wednesday.
After stints at Massachusetts, Memphis, and Kentucky, Calipari has amassed a career record of 855-263, making him the most successful active coach in men’s collegiate basketball. Three national championship games and six Final Fours have been achieved by the 65-year-old’s teams. Among the many honors he has received is the 2015 AP Coach of the Year award.
Calipari agreed to a five-year deal that runs through April and pays a base salary of $7 million annually.
The contract would be extended until 2031 if NCAA Tournament appearances were to occur in 2029, with a maximum of two automatic rollover years. Together with one-time bonuses for qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the second round, the Sweet 16, the Final Four, and winning a national title, the pact also includes a $1 million signing bonus and retention payments of $500,000 for each year of the contract.
The Razorbacks are now instant competitors in the Southeastern Conference after Arkansas’ seismic relocation. Although the Wildcats haven’t won the tournament since 2017, Calipari’s Kentucky teams have won six regular-season titles and six conference tournament titles.
Vice chancellor and athletic director at Arkansas Hunter Yurachek stated that two of Calipari’s main draws were his track record of success in the SEC and his reputation as an outstanding recruiter.
