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CBS Sports Analyst Speculates On John Calipari’s Future At Kentucky: ‘It’s A Toxic Situation’

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John Calipari speaks to the media ahead of an NCAA Tournament matchup.

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Kentucky head coach John Calipari is maybe the biggest name in college basketball, but his future in Lexington seems a bit uncertain at the moment. Following another early exit from the NCAA Tournament, Wildcat fans are fed up!

While the ‘Cats made the Big Dance for 12th time in 15 seasons under Calipari, they were upset by 14-seed Oakland in the round of 64. This coming two years after falling to 15-seed Saint Peter’s in that opening round.

With the trend of being bounced in the first weekend becoming all too familiar for supporters of the program, many are ready for a change.

Of course, there are a few things holding Kentucky back from making the move – including a reported $33M buyout that’s likely keeping administration from making any rash decisions.

There is one way for UK to keep from writing that massive check thanks to a unique clause in the head coach’s 10-year contract which involves Coach Cal transitioning into an “athletics director/university representative” role. That, though, seems unlikely at this point.

So, the question remains.

Will Kentucky fire John Calipari?

CBS Sports analyst Matt Norlander speculated on what he called a “toxic situation” in Lexington, emphasizing the rage that many within Big Blue Nation are currently feeling.

“I would expect [Calipari] to meet with athletic director Mitch Barnhart no later than Tuesday, and just get a sense of, ‘OK, is there going to be a split?'” Norlander began.

“It’s extremely expensive to fire him. It’s $33M. The fanbase is fed up. It’s a toxic situation, but if he stays on, I would think that staff changes are inevitable. Do they try and negotiate that number down? If you’re Calipari, you want every single penny.”

While Norlander didn’t expect to see any movement on Monday, things could obviously change following that expected meeting with the AD.

Will John Calipari be the coach at Kentucky next season? It’s certainly not a question we thought we’d be asking after leading the Wildcats to four Final Fours and a national championship over his first six seasons with the program.

How quickly things can change!