John Calipari expected to be announced as Arkansas head coach this afternoon

We appear to be coming down the home stretch of what has been a wild 48-ish hours.

According to KSR’s Matt Jones, he’s hearing from people at UK that John Calipari is expected to be announced as the new head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks sometime this afternoon.

“Folks at Kentucky now expect an announcement this afternoon from Arkansas that Calipari will be the new coach,” Jones wrote on social media. “They are however waiting for Calipari to inform the University before (Mitch) Barnhart makes a statement.”

Folks at Kentucky now expect an announcement this afternoon from Arkansas that Calipari will be the new coach.

They are however waiting for Calipari to inform the University before Barnhart makes a statement

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) April 9, 2024

After news began to break on Sunday night that Calipari would leave Kentucky for Arkansas, it’s been mostly quiet from his side and Barnhart’s. Outside of an awkward video of Calipari walking his dog with a stroller down Richmond Road on Monday, we haven’t heard anything from Kentucky’s longtime coach.

However, as Jones said, we appear to be inching closer to the finish line. ESPN’s Pete Thamel even said ahead of Monday night’s national championship game that everything is in order with Calipari to Arkansas and an announcement is expected on Tuesday.

Matt Norlander of CBS Sports also reported that the expectation is Calipari’s contract with Arkansas will be approved “any hour now”, adding that Calipari still has yet to make contact with Barnhart. Norlander says that Calipari did meet with “two UK administrators at his house yesterday” where the message was clear: a breakup is inevitable.

Latest on Calipari: He still, as of this moment, has not had any contact with UK AD Mitch Barnhart, sources say. Seems he's waiting on approval on his Arkansas contract (any hour now) before finalizing the divorce with Kentucky. The expectation is that will happen later today.

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 9, 2024

Calipari did meet with two UK administrators at his house yesterday, sources told CBS Sports. One source briefed on those conversations said the messaging from UK's end was clear in that there was no salvaging matters, if ever there was a desire to anyway. Time to split.

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 9, 2024

Once Calipari is officially locked in with Arkansas, we’ll then expect to hear from Barnhart on the next steps moving forward with the Kentucky men’s basketball program.