of University of Arkansas On Wednesday, Hall of Fame coach John Calipari announced he will be the next head coach of the men’s basketball team. The move came just one day after Calipari announced he was leaving Kentucky after a 15-year career with the Wildcats.
Calipari, 65, has signed a five-year contract that will pay the veteran coach $7 million per season, the university announced in a press release. The deal includes a $1 million signing bonus, a $500,000 retention bonus each year, and a one-time bonus depending on how far the Razorbacks advance in the league. NCAA tournament.
The Razorback mascot waves the team flag before a Vanderbilt Commodores game at Bud Walton Arena on February 27, 2024 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
“By all accounts, John Calipari is one of the best coaches in college basketball,” Hunter Yurachek, vice chancellor and director of athletics at Arkansas, said in a statement provided by the school.
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“A national championship coach, four-time national coach of the year, and one of the top recruiters in the nation, Coach Cal attracts great talent and builds championship teams within the Southeastern Conference. “He has consistently demonstrated the ability to build and position his program among the best teams in the world. Nation.”
“When I visited with Coach Calipari during this process, he recognized that the University of Arkansas has a great opportunity to attract and retain top players and compete for championships,” Yurachek continued. . “He understands the deep passion of the Razorback Nation and has experienced the tremendous home court advantage of Bud Walton Arena. Under the leadership of Coach Calipari, the collective of all those who love the Hogs will… I believe that with the continued support of Razorback Basketball, we will continue to maintain our national profile within… college basketball. ”
Calipari, the winningest active coach in men’s college basketball with a career record of 855-263, has retired from his position. in kentucky Tuesday after a first-round loss in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari leaves the court after losing to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on March 21, 2024. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
John Calipari on decision to ‘leave’ Kentucky: ‘It’s time to be a different voice’
“In recent weeks, we’ve learned that maybe this program needs another voice, that the entire university needs to hear another voice guiding this program, and that the fans need to hear another voice, too. ”Calipari spoke for him and his family in a video message posted to X.
“We have loved what we have been doing here, but we believe it is time to step away from the program and leave the program completely.”
Calipari replaced Eric Musselman, who left Arkansas this year to take a job at the University of Southern California.
Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari speaks with players during a game against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on March 21, 2024. (Justin K. Aller/NCAA Photo via Getty Images)
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Arkansas will introduce Calipari during a press conference Wednesday night. He takes over the program after going 16-17 last season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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