John Calipari remains popular in the NCAA. The star coach will join the University of Arkansas and leave the Kentucky bench, announces ESPN And The Athletic. After 15 seasons with the Wildcats, including a championship title in 2012, John Calipari should commit for five years to the Razorbacks, who had just lost Eric Musselman, former coach of the Warriors and the Kings in the 2000s, who left to lead USC.
The move has the air of an NCAA-wide blockbuster, although it's not entirely surprising. Still renowned for recruiting talented freshmen, John Calipari spent four disappointing seasons at Kentucky.
The Wildcats have not gone beyond the second round of “March Madness” since 2019, the prize going to their elimination this year in the first round against Oakland, despite being a modest #14 seed. Kentucky had, however, assured that the technician's place was not in danger, his contract running until 2029.
What about the players recruited to Kentucky?
On the side of Arkansas, which plays in the same SEC conference as Kentucky, the challenge will be no less great, while the Razorbacks missed out on their season (16 victories – 17 defeats). John Calipari was particularly convinced by his links with John H. Tyson, a billionaire who is one of the university's main benefactors and a long-time friend of the 65-year-old coach. Arkansas has seen Daniel Gafford, Moses Moody and Bobby Portis pass through in recent years, as well as Joe Johnson, Sidney Moncrief and Corliss Williamson in its history.
It remains to be seen whether he will practice the same scorched earth policy as in the past, when he left Memphis for Kentucky in 2009, taking John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins with him. Kentucky had secured the recruitment of serious prospects like interior Jayden Quaintance and point guard Johnuel Fland, ranked 14th and 15th best prospects in the 2024 recruiting class by ESPN.
