Getty Image
John Calipari is expected to officially accept the Arkansas head coaching job this week, putting an end to his 15-year tenure in Lexington. As it turns out, Kentucky might’ve been able to keep the coach on the bench but opted not to do so.
Dick Gabriel of KET broke news that Coach Cal actually tried to negotiate terms to remain with the Wildcats, using that Razorbacks offer as leverage.
Gabriel says the ‘Cats said no!
“Calipari, going into a meeting with [athletics director] Mitch Barnhart, didn’t have much leverage,” he said. “Mitch had the leverage. But now, when you’ve got somebody else in your corner who is a viable candidate for your services… This is Arkansas. Powerful school with deep, deep pockets and all kinds of booster money out there. Tyson chicken and Wal-Mart. They come in and say, we want you and we’ll do what it takes to get you. That’s leverage.
“Calipari, as I’m told, said, ‘Here’s what it’s going to take to keep me,’ and UK said, ‘I don’t think so.'”
While Calipari is technically taking a pay cut with Arkansas, he’s still reportedly expected to make around $8M per year, compared to $8.5M with Kentucky.
But Razorback brass ponied up in other ways to incentivize the deal.
He’s expected to have one of the top NIL budgets ($5M+) in all of college basketball, thanks largely to the frozen chicken industry.
That is certainly a bargaining tool considering it doubles what many believed his Kentucky NIL allowance to be.
While his terms for that Kentucky return aren’t public, it doesn’t seem the Wildcats were interested. Tensions have grown over the last few seasons following a trio of quick exits from the NCAA Tournament.
In that time, Cal’s bunch was just 1-3 in postseason play, falling to double digit seeds Oakland and Saint Peter’s in the process.
The university is obviously appreciative of his accomplishments in Lexington, which include four Final Four appearances and a national title, but it believed it was time to move on.
This might just be a win-win for both parties.
While many say John Calipari had one foot out the door this season as he eyed outside jobs, it seems there was at least a small part that considered staying in Lexington.