Arkansas officially announces John Calipari as head coach

And there it is — John Calipari is officially the 14th men’s basketball coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Arkansas made the announcement on Wednesday morning. Calipari, who announced on Tuesday night that he was parting ways as the head coach at Kentucky, will be formally introduced this evening at 6:00 p.m. CT at Bud Walton Arena.

Per Arkansas’ press release, Calipari’s contract with the Razorbacks is a five-year deal beginning at $7 million per year with plenty of incentives baked in. The contract runs through 2029 with a maximum of two automatic rollover years for NCAA Tournament berths. Calipari also receives a $1 million signing bonus.

“By all accounts, John Calipari is one of the premier coaches in college basketball,” Arkansas Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek said. “A national championship coach, a four-time national coach of the year and one of the nation’s top recruiters, Coach Cal has consistently demonstrated his ability to attract outstanding talent and build championship teams within the Southeastern Conference and position his programs among the best in the nation.”

Calipari, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015, leaves Kentucky for Arkansas as the Wildcats’ second-winningest head coach in program history. Throughout his 15 seasons in Lexington, he posted a 410-122 overall record that included 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven Elite 8s, four Final Fours, and a national championship in 2012.

“As I visited with Coach Calipari during this process, he acknowledged the tremendous opportunity we have at the University of Arkansas to attract and retain top players and compete for championships,” Yurachek added. “He understands the deep passion of the Razorback Nation and has experienced the tremendous home court advantage of Bud Walton Arena. I have no doubt that under Coach Calipari’s leadership and with the collective support of all those who love the Hogs, Razorback Basketball will continue to maintain its national prominence within college basketball.”

With Calipari officially off to Arkansas, UK and athletic director Mitch Barnhart will continue their search for his replacement.

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