Financial details revealed for John Calipari's new five-year contract with Arkansas

John Calipari officially signed a five-year deal with Arkansas to become the basketball team’s new head coach. Now, those financial details have been revealed.

Calipari’s move was a stunner across college basketball. Kentucky is still in the middle of a coaching search for his replacement.

ESPN’s Jeff Borzello provided more on Calipari’s new contract.

“Calipari has signed a five-year contract to lead the Razorbacks with a salary beginning at $7 million per season,” Borzello wrote. “The contract runs through April 30, 2029 with a maximum of two automatic rollover years for NCAA Tournament appearances that would extend the contract to 2031.

“The deal includes a $1 million signing bonus and features retention bonuses of $500,000 each year of the contract along with one-time bonuses for making the NCAA Tournament, reaching the second round, Sweet 16, Final Four and winning a national championship.”

USA Today’s Steve Berkowitz revealed more details regarding Calipari’s contract. The $7 million, excluding retention, is guaranteed to the coach at 75% should he be fired without cause.

Also, if Calipari leaves Arkansas, he owes $6 million.

Calipari arrives in Fayetteville with a Hall of Fame resumé in college at UMass, Memphis, and Kentucky as well as experience in the pros, specifically with the New Jersey Nets.

For all that he has done in his career, his decade and a half in the bluegrass was the most notable time on the sidelines. On the court, the Wildcats went 410-123 (.769) overall with a dozen conference titles, a dozen selections in the NCAA Tournament, and four Final Fours with one national championship.

Then, off the court, though, he has been equally successful with eight No. 1 recruiting classes with only two outside the top-two and just one outside the top-three. That has led to a record number of selections in the NBA Draft with former alumni of his littered across teams in the association.

For where Arkansas’ coaching search started, a hire of someone of Calipari’s caliber is about as good as you can do in college basketball. Now, with it finally signed, sealed, and delivered for the ‘Hogs, he will now lead his fourth program into their, as well as his, next era.

Calipari replaces the outgoing Eric Musselman, who left Arkansas to take the USC head coaching job earlier this month.