Skip Bayless praises John Calipari following upset win over St. John's: 'Worth every penny at Arkansas'

The Arkansas Razorbacks pulled off one of the bigger upsets of the tournament so far, stunning the St. John’s Red Storm. It was a massive win for John Calipari and the Razorbacks, who emptied their bank accounts to bring him to Fayetteville this offseason. Following the upset win, Skip Bayless was singing the praises of Calipari on Twitter.

“Coach Cal was worth every penny to Arkansas. His kids played harder and smarter than Pitino’s–played inspired basketball for Calipari, defending his honor and legacy. This did not look like an upset. The better team won,” Bayless explained.

Coach Cal was worth every penny to Arkansas. His kids played harder and smarter than Pitino's — played inspired basketball for Calipari, defending his honor and legacy. This did not look like an upset. The better team won.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 22, 2025

John Calipari also landed a massive contract bonus

John Calipari finds himself in a familiar position at a new job. His first season at Arkansas has resulted in a Sweet Sixteen appearance after upsetting St. John’s Saturday afternoon. One of the NCAA Tournament’s most anticipated matchups thus far, the coaching battle of Calipari vs. Rick Pitino went to Cal.

A nice raise will be heading his way for the win too. Steve Berkowitz of the USA TODAY laid out the contract situation of Calipari, saying a $150,000 pay increase will kick in next season. The total is now up to $250,000 after earning something similar for beating Kansas in the Round of 32.

“No. 10 seed Arkansas defeats No. 2 St. John’s to reach NCAA men’s tournament Sweet 16,” Berkowitz said via X. “Razorbacks coach John Calipari’s contract includes no lump-sum bonuses — but today’s win adds $150,000 to automatic pay raise he will get, beginning next season. That raise is now at $250,000.”

As Berkowitz points out, there are no one-time payments to Calipari for postseason success. Any kind of additional money will be in the form of a raise for the following season. If Arkansas can continue this run in the NCAA Tournament, next year’s paychecks are only going to grow for Calipari.

Next up is a trip out West to San Francisco where Arkansas is just two wins away from a Final Four. Either Drake or Texas Tech will be the opponent, scheduled to play later on Saturday. Multiple teams are still alive on the other side of the bracket, most notably SEC foe Florida.

On3’s Griffin McVeigh also contributed to this article.