John Calipari is apparently close to leaving Kentucky after all.
Calipari has reportedly engaged in “serious talks” to become the next head coach at Arkansas, according to multiple reports on Sunday night. The longtime Wildcats head coach would replace Eric Musselman, who left Arkansas earlier this month for the open USC job.
Source says John Calipari has talked to Arkansas about head coaching position. Conversations ongoing. With @ShamsCharania
— Dana O’Neil (@DanaONeilWriter) April 8, 2024
According to The Athletic, talks between Arkansas and Calipari “intensified” over the weekend. Calipari has referred to John Tyson, who is the billionaire heir to the Tyson Foods empire and a major Arkansas donor, as a “longtime friend” in the past, too.
Calipari has been at Kentucky since 2009, and he made several dominant runs early in Lexington. The Wildcats made the Final Four in four of his first six seasons with the program and they won a national title in 2012. They’ve won six SEC regular season titles under his watch, too.
Lately, however, it’s been a bit of a struggle there for him. The Wildcats are just 1-4 in their last five NCAA tournament games. They were knocked out of the tournament this year by No. 14 seed Oakland in the first round. They fell as a No. 2 seed to Saint Peter’s in 2022, too.
Naturally after their latest exit, calls for Calipari’s job grew much louder, even with his $33 million contract buyout. Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart confirmed on social media after their tournament loss that Calipari would return for a 16th season with the program next fall, however, and Calipari himself said he was committed to getting the program back on track.
“That is a commitment that I give to the fans,” Calipari said on his radio show last month. “Now let’s come together and let’s go do something special. We can do it. We’ve done it. Let’s do it again.”
Now, though, it seems that Calipari has changed his mind and is at least willing to consider a new job. And since he’d be leaving on his own, the $33 million buyout isn’t in play here.
If he takes the job, Calipari would be tasked with keeping Arkansas moving in the right direction after Musselman’s departure. The Razorbacks went just 16-17 last season and missed the NCAA tournament, but they made the Sweet 16 three times and the Elite Eight twice in Musselman’s five years in Fayetteville. It was by far their best stretch of basketball since the 1990s, when they won their only national championship.
It’s unclear who would replace Calipari at Kentucky, as most of the top jobs around the country have already made moves to hire new coaches. Regardless of who takes his spot should his move to Arkansas be finalized, it’s sure to be a very heated battle the first time that Calipari has to return to Rupp Arena with the Razorbacks next season.
Source Agencies
