After critical talks between Kentucky coach John Calipari and Arkansas officers progressed rapidly Sunday, it seems Calipari would be the subsequent Razorbacks’ coach, a supply instructed CBS Sports activities’ Matt Norlander. The supply stated Calipari turning into the Arkansas coach is “imminent.”
Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart instructed CBS Sports activities that Calipari has not notified him of speaking to Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek about probably turning into the following Arkansas coach. Nevertheless, sources stated UK officers have been notified in regards to the talks as Calipari’s contract phrases mandate he should inform Kentucky if he engages with one other faculty a couple of job interview.
Sources instructed Norlander that the Tyson household, Arkansas’ greatest donor, is ready to make a significant dedication to land Calipari, who has been very shut with the Tyson household for years. Â
Calipari has spent the previous 15 seasons because the chief of the Wildcats program and would stay within the SEC to succeed Eric Musselman, who took the vacant job at USC earlier this month if he had been to just accept a proposal to develop into Arkansas’ subsequent coach.Â
Calipari, 65, took the job at Kentucky in 2009 after spending 9 seasons at Memphis. Calipari beforehand had stops as an assistant coach at Kansas (1982-85) and Pittsburgh (1985-88) and was the pinnacle coach at UMass from 1988-96. Calipari dipped his toes into the NBA world and was the coach of the New Jersey Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets) from 1996-99 and spent one season as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers through the 1999-2000 season.
The information of Calipari speaking with Arkansas comes weeks after his assembly with Barnhart. The conclusion from that assembly was Calipari would return for his sixteenth season with this system.
“As we usually do on the finish of each season, Coach Calipari and I’ve had conversations in regards to the course of our males’s basketball program and I can affirm that he’ll return for his sixteenth season as our head coach,” Barnhart stated final month.
The Wildcats season ended with a loss to No. 14 seed Oakland within the first spherical of the NCAA Match. Kentucky failed to succeed in the second weekend of the NCAA Match for the third consecutive season with the loss to the Golden Grizzlies. Kentucky missed the match in 2021 and misplaced to Saint Peter’s and Kansas State, respectively the 2 earlier seasons.
In his 15 years on the faculty, Calipari compiled a 410-122 document with 4 Closing 4 appearances (2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015) and coached Kentucky’s final nationwide championship workforce in 2012.
Calipari is named top-of-the-line highschool recruiters within the nation. Kentucky landed the No. 1 general recruiting class within the 2023 cycle, which included standouts Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, Justin Edwards, D.J. Wagner, and Aaron Bradshaw.
The Wildcats’ incoming recruiting ranked No. 2 within the nation behind Duke. That recruiting class consists of five-star middle Jayden Quaintance, four-star guard Boogie Fland, four-star middle Somto Cyril, four-star guard Travis Perry, four-star guard Billy Richmond, and four-star ahead Karter Knox.
The Arkansas job opened after Musselman left to exchange former USC coach Andy Enfield, who departed for the vacant job at SMU. Musselman spent 5 seasons with Arkansas and helped them attain the Elite Eight twice and the Candy 16 as soon as throughout his tenure.
The Razorbacks completed this season with a 16-17 document and (6-12 in SEC) and missed the NCAA Match for the primary time throughout Musselman’s tenure. A number of Arkansas gamers akin to Tramon Mark, Khalif Battle, and Davonte Davis have already entered the switch portal.