Calipari saying goodbye to UK
Moon grad: Change was needed
LEXINGTON, Ky. — John Calipari is stepping down as Kentucky’s men’s basketball coach after 15 years, saying Tuesday that the “program probably needs to hear another voice” amid reports that he’s closing in on a deal with Arkansas to take over that Southeastern Conference program.
Calipari, a Moon Area High School graduate, posted a video on social media site X, in which he said that after talking with his wife, Ellen, he decided a change was needed. He added, “We’ve loved it here, but we think it’s time for us to step away and step away completely from the program.”
Calipari leaves a Wildcats program he guided to the 2012 NCAA championship among four Final Four appearances. He went 410-123 in 15 seasons. The past few seasons have been disappointing by Kentucky standards, with a 1-3 mark in its last three NCAA tournament trips, including first- round losses to No. 14 seed Oakland last month at PPG Paints Arena and No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s two years ago, despite being a top-three seed both times.
The most recent loss set off immediate calls to fire Calipari before athletic director Mitch Barnhart said Calipari would return next season. Firing Calipari would’ve triggered a buyout of more than $33 million under the terms of a 10year, so-called lifetime contract signed in 2019.
Barnhart said Kentucky would work diligently to hire “a proven, highly dedicated coach who embraces the importance of this program to our fans and the state of Kentucky.”
The AD added: “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.”
Calipari didn’t specifically mention the Arkansas opening he has been linked to since multiple reports surfaced Sunday night about negotiations with the school. The Hall of Famer simply said, “There have been opportunities that have been presented to us, so we’re discussing them as a family.”
The Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas scheduled a special meeting Wednesday morning to consider “a salary in excess of line item maximum” for its Fayetteville campus.