Kentucky’s upset loss to the 14th-seed Oakland was a shocker. Consequently, John Calipari had to take the brunt for it. While Mitch Barnhart was quick to respond to the uncertainties about the coach’s job status after the first-round defeat, it looks like Calipari was not happy. The seasoned coach, who was a part of the Wildcats for 15 seasons, has finally taken the claws off. According to sources, he will be joining the Razorbacks to fill the void of Eric Musselman.

Speculations about Kentucky firing the Hall of Famer coach were making rounds after their South regional trip ended with an 80-76 loss. However, if the UK were to drop the coach, they would have to pay him a whopping $33 million. On the other hand, no such transaction had to be made if another school hired Calipari. And so, when Arkansas reached Kentucky, neither the school nor the coach picked too much brain and made a decision. Otherwise, the contract between the SEC Coach of the Year would have lasted him through the 2028-29 season as a Cat.

According to the latest tweet by Jeff Borzello, John Calipari will be making a little south of the $8.5 million with the Razorbacks. However, their assets shone much brighter compared to what the Wildcats provided the head coach. The possibility of increasing the base salary at Arkansas only added fuel to the fire.

Calipari wanted to leave Kentucky because he no longer felt wanted and Arkansas’ major sponsor and a friend to the HC, John Tyson, made it possible. It has come to light that after the second first-round loss in the last three years, the Wildcats did not support the coach who brought them the 2012 championship. Here is what Calipari gave the Wildcats in 15 seasons.

John Calipari leaves Lexington with a treasure

Although the last few years have been a wreck for the UK, Calipari’s overall performance has brought them a lot of recognition. The team has made four Final Four appearances in his first six seasons. They have then reached the Elite Eight in 2017 and 2019. The Wildcats have also more or less made an appearance in the NCAA tournament every year since his arrival. Calipari has brought 6 SEC trophies and 5 regular season championships home in his 15 seasons stay in Lexington.

However, seems like everyone involved in the transfer is satiated for now. But the 5-year contract with the Razorbacks has stunned the entire SEC. Many notable basketball players like Kevin Garnett are surprised by this sudden development. However, Arkansas’ MBB program is surely looking at a brighter future with an experienced coach like John Calipari. The contract will be officiated in the next 24 hours.

Are you shocked by this latest news?

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