John Calipari created a seismic shift in college basketball by reaching an agreement to become the head coach at the University of Arkansas. He is leaving Kentucky after 15 years in Lexington.
Three major donors are behind the monumental move. All three are attached to national brands.
As of Sunday night, Calipari was working with athletic director Hunter Yuracheck and the Razorbacks brass to finalize a five-year deal with an overall base salary of about $8 million per year. It is a slight pay cut from the $8.5 million he was getting from the Wildcats, but incentive-based bonuses can surpass that mark.
If John Calipari wins, he gets paid more.
This unexpected and costly hire is a statement from the financial backers at Arkansas. They stepped up in a big way to send ripples across the entire sport.
John Tyson is perhaps the most important name here. He is the primary driving force behind Calipari’s departure from Kentucky. They have been friends for a long time, and the former got the latter out of a sticky situation in Lexington.
Coach Calipari’s good buddy is the heir to the Tyson Foods throne. Tyson Foods is world’s second-largest chicken, beef, and pork processor behind JBS S.A. in Brazil. Tyson, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, Wright, Aidells, ibp, and State Fair fall under its umbrella.
Frozen meat is basically paying for Calipari’s new contract.
As is freight shipping and one of the world’s most recognizable supermarkets. J.B. Hunt and Walmart also played a big role in the Razorbacks’ ability to hire Calipari away from the Wildcats.
The friendship with John Tyson helped to get the ball moving. Big money from J.B. Hunt (headquartered in Lowell, Ark.) and Walmart (headquartered in Benton, Ark.) closed the deal.
All three companies will also help to fund Arkansas’ NIL collective, which will allow John Calipari to recruit at a high level. This would not be happening without them!