John Calipari Agrees to Arkansas For Coaching Job

The writing was on the wall for Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari to leave. However, nobody expected it to happen as quickly as it did. After another early NCAA Tournament defeat, Calipari leaves Kentucky. But he stays in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

John Calipari agrees to Arkansas for a five-year contract as the team’s new head coach. He will replace Eric Musselman, who left the Razorbacks to coach USC. Expect the formal announcement on Tuesday.

The move came as a surprise to many people. While Calipari was thought to be on the hot seat, Kentucky announced he was going to return next season. That’s typically not a good sign, however, when a school has to announce a coach will return to fulfill his contract.

Rather than go through another season under a microscope, John Calipari agreed to Arkansas. He will have a chance to help the Razorbacks compete against the elite college basketball teams in the country.

Calipari’s greatest strength is as a recruiter. He may not be the best coach when it comes to analyzing NCAAB matchups or drawing X’s and O’s. But he attracts top-quality talent. That isn’t going to change in Arkansas.

The 65-year-old was pretty average against the college basketball spreads (ATS) with Kentucky. His teams went 245-250-12 ATS. It does not take a betting odds calculator to see it’s a losing record.

That’s to be expected at a big-name school like Kentucky. The sportsbooks often shade the line against the public teams. The Wildcats did have a fair season against the spread in 2023-24, going 18-15 ATS and 23-10 in totals.

A Solid Coaching Career

Calipari has been a winner wherever he has coached. He has a lifetime 855-263 record, which works out to a 76.5% winning percentage. He’s had just two losing seasons in 32 years. However, one of these was with Kentucky. That didn’t sit well with fans regardless of the 26-8 record the team posted the following season.

His career started at UMass, where he had five straight NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to the Final Four. Calipari left the Minutemen for an ill-fated NBA coaching career with the New Jersey Nets that lasted three years.

Calipari returned to college basketball and became head coach of Memphis after spending one year as an assistant coach with the 76ers. In nine college basketball seasons with the Tigers, Memphis won the NIT and played in six NCAA Tournaments, including a Final Four appearance in 2008.

He joined Kentucky in 2009 and won the NCAA Tournament in his third season. The Wildcats reached the Final Four in 2014 and 2015. This was the last time the team made a serious title run. Kentucky made the NCAA Tournament in seven of the next eight years, although that’s not going to cut it in Kentucky.

In 2019, he signed a 10-year contract with Kentucky. That’s what made it so newsworthy when John Calipari agrees to Arkansas for its coaching position. Calipari leaves Kentucky with a 410-123 record. He is second in school history in wins behind Adolph Rupp.

For NCAAB rankings, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

Can’t get enough? Here’s more!

• UConn 6.5-Point Favorite Over Purdue in NCAA Men’s Title Game
• The UConn Huskies Are Expected To Be Favorites In Finals If They Move On
• NCAA Men’s Final Four: Top UConn vs Alabama Team Props
• March Madness Final Four: Alabama vs UConn Score
• March Madness Final Four: NC State vs Purdue Props & Final Score