John Calipari leaving position as Kentucky men’s basketball coach

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT/Gray News) - John Calipari’s tenure at Kentucky has ended after 15 seasons and another first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament.

Calipari posted a video on X Tuesday in which he said, “It’s time for us to step away. And step away completely.”

In the video, he said he has been presented with other opportunities but did not go into detail.

Calipari is expected to take over the head coach job at Arkansas. Sports Illustrated is reporting that Arkansas is looking to give Calipari a salary of more than $8 million and NIL money of more than $5 to $6 million.

This all comes after another early exit for the Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament. For the second time in three years, the Wildcats failed to make it out of the first round.

Calipari has also reportedly said he would bring all the Kentucky recruits with him to Arkansas, which is what he did when he left Memphis and came to UK.

UK Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart released this statement on X:

We are working diligently to hire a proven, highly dedicated coach who embraces the importance of this program to our fans and the state of Kentucky.

We’re appreciative of John Calipari leading our program for the last 15 years, adding to the legacy of championship success at Kentucky. We’re grateful to John for his many contributions to the University, and our state, both on and off the court.

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