John Calipari to Arkansas? Kevin Garnett Shocked as 5-Year Blockbuster Deal Awaits Official Testimony

After leading the Kentucky Wildcats to seven Elite Eight appearances, four Final Four battles, and an NCAA champion in 2012, coach John Calipari has decided to call it quits on the Kentucky Wildcats. Rumors took over the internet after a few sources revealed Coach Cal is heading to the Arkansas Razorbacks.

However, after famous basketball insider Shams Charania confirmed the breaking news, it left the sports world in absolute shock. Kevin Garnett is one of them, and he shared his disbelief on Twitter, showcasing the hefty deal that Calipari is about to secure. 

The Big Ticket wrote on Twitter, “Coach Cal to Arkansas!? 8mm a year and 6 mil in NIL? That real?”. Reportedly, Calipari is soon to agree with a deal that will pay him $8 million per year for five seasons at Arkansas, which is less than his $8.5 million contract with the Wildcats. What’s surprising is that Kentucky’s athletic director Mitch Barnhart confirmed ten days back that coach Calipari will return to the program. 

Barnhart told the media, “As we normally do at the end of every season, Coach Calipari and I have had conversations about the direction of our men’s basketball program and I can confirm that he will return for his 16th season as our head coach.” However, now, the 65-year-old mastermind has bid his farewell to the Wildcats, probably because of his close ties with a multi-billion food processing company based in Arkansas

Is it ‘Tyson Chicken’ that pushed John Calipari to move to Arkansas?  

Coach Calipari has been a long-time friend of John Tyson, who is the CEO of the world-famous Tyson Foods. According to a college basketball analyst on Twitter, “John Calipari will go to Arkansas with a bankroll from Tyson Foods and Walmart for NIL. He will adjust to the new transfer portal world and quickly pivot from the One and Done.” A few other insiders have also confirmed this rumor, but this would make more sense if we look back into a not-so-famous tweet from Calipari. 

Read more: John Calipari To Arkansas Rumour: Jalen Brunson And Basketball World In Disbelief With Kentucky Legend’s Departure News

On Feb 26, 2022, Calipari tweeted, “With Nick Wright of Herman’s Ribhouse. It’s my annual stop when in Fayetteville. Had dinner tonight with my longtime friend John Tyson. If you are anywhere close, it’s worth the drive!!!” 

This shows us that the 3x Naismith College Coach of the Year might have moved to the Razorbacks for the above-mentioned reasons. Anyhow, what’s confirmed is that Coach Cal’s 16-year-long run with the Wildcats has come to an end.

Read more: The Controversial Coaching Career of John Calipari: How a Marketing Student Transformed College Basketball