A breakdown of John Calipari's contract and what it means

The Kentucky basketball program has hit a crossroads, failing to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 2019 with first-round exits to double-digit seeds in two of the last three postseasons. On the other hand, John Calipari is an expensive man to have roaming your sidelines — and even more expensive to get rid of, should Mitch Barnhart decide to make such a move.

Just how expensive? Let’s break down the details of the “lifetime” contract he signed back on June 13, 2019, one that runs through the end of the 2028-29 season.

Calipari is paid a base salary of $400,000 payable in equal monthly installments, good for $33,333.33 per month. Through media and endorsements, though, he is paid in semi-annual installments on July 31 and January 31 of each contract year worth $8.1 million from 2022-25 and $8.6 million from 2025-29. That pushes his total annual salary to $8.5 million through 2025, then $9 million through 2029.

Other details of his contract include:

• Basketball camps using University of Kentucky facilities and equipment, retaining the net income after payment of appropriate but reasonable expenses, mutually agreed upon by Calipari and UK
• $50K with minimum .975 Academic Progress Rate for men’s basketball student athletes in any academic year, paid within 30 days of achievement
• Two late-model, quality automobiles for his official and personal use with business-related mileage reimbursed
• A fully reimbursed expense account for all reasonable and necessary expenses on behalf of the school
• Transportation expenses for guests of Calipari for regular season and postseason away games
• Standard employee benefits
• Twenty prime, lower-level tickets for each home basketball game, each away game and each postseason tournament game.
• Eight football tickets without charge for each home game
• One month of paid vacation leave per contract year
• Membership to any local golf and country club of his choice while school pays monthly dues and initiation fees

Beginning June 30, 2024, Calipari has the option to step down as head coach and become Special Assistant to the Athletic Director/University Representative or “Special AD Assistant.” He must exercise this option by April 15. Should he return in 2024-25 and chooses to exercise this option for the following year, he must provide notice by April 15, 2025.

Compensation for this Special AD Assistant role includes a base salary of $400,000 payable in equal monthly installments with semi-annual installments of $550,000 on July 31 and January 31 of each contract year. This would also include full benefits with eight lower-level basketball tickets for home and postseason games and four football tickets without charge for home games.

Should Calipari be fired without cause and for its convenience prior to the expiration of his contract, he agrees to accept 75% of the remaining compensation to be paid on a monthly basis. That’s good for $33,375,000 total, $6,675,000 annually and $556,250 per month through 2029.

What would a termination of contract with cause look like? That includes the following, among others:

• Any major violations of NCAA or SEC bylaws or regulations in the men’s basketball program by the coach or team personnel
• Failure to follow any written University policies and procedures
• Acts of misconduct including, but not limited to, conviction of a felony
• Refusal or intentional failure to furnish information relevant to an investigation of a possible violation of an NCAA or SEC bylaw or regulation or material University regulations
• Refusal to cooperate with the NCAA, SEC or University staff in the investigation of violations
• Involvement in arranging for academic fraud by or for prospective or enrolled student-athletes
• Involved in offering or providing prospective or enrolled student-athletes improper inducements or extra benefits
• Participating in any gambling activity that involves intercollegiate athletics or professional athletics through a bookmaker, parlay card or any other method employed by organized gambling

There is no reason to suggest any for-cause scenario is on the table, meaning a split would be an expensive one, though spread across five years at a rate of $550K (and change) per month. Better than a lump sum of $33.4M, if that is the path Barnhart chooses to take.

Another thing to keep in mind: Calipari’s contract is only a fraction of the financial dilemma at hand. From there, you’ve got to buy out the remaining contracts of coaches on staff, followed by finding and hiring a replacement and their assistants.

Are recent postseason shortcomings worth a costly change? That’s for the school and its boosters to decide.

You can read Calipari’s entire contract here.