John Calipari contract details: Former Kentucky coach took a pay cut to get out

John Calipari took the college basketball world by storm on Sunday night when news struck that he is stepping down from his role at Kentucky to sign a five-year deal to become the next men’s basketball head coach of Arkansas.

Calipari takes over for former Arkansas coach Eric Musselman following the latter’s recent departure to USC, and the fallout of the move will undoubtedly have monumental implications on the SEC and college hoops.

But how much did the Razorbacks pay to pry away coach Cal from their conference rival Kentucky Wildcats?

John Calipari contract details: Former Kentucky coach took pay cut for Arkansas

Calipari will have an overall annual base salary of “slightly less than the $8.5 million he’s making at Kentucky,” per Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello of ESPN, implying that he is taking a pay cut to coach at Arkansas. However, Calipari’s deal is “expected to be incentive-laden,” allowing him to surpass his previous salary, according to the reporting of Thamel and Borzello.

Moreover, Calipari will have an NIL package “in excess of $5 million annually,” per Connor Goodson of 247 Sports.

Following Kentucky’s first-round exit to Oakland in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, there was plenty of speculation about Calipari and his future in Lexington. So much so that Mitch Barnhart, the Athletics Director for the Wildcats, recently announced that the longtime coach would return for his 16th season in 2024-25. Alas, it was all for not.

Kentucky would have owed Calipari an excess of $33 million if they decided to fire him as part of the buyout details from his contract. But his walking away under his power to take on another coaching position allowed them to walk away unscathed, leaving a massive void for arguably the most highly-coveted job in college basketball.

Calipari has established himself as one of the best and brightest names in college basketball during his time at Kentucky. He went 410-123 with the Wildcats across 15 seasons, including a national title in 2012 and four Final Four appearances.

Now, he will look to do the same for an Arkansas program that has reached the Sweet 16 in three of the past four seasons.

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