After 15 seasons at Kentucky, head coach John Calipari is headed to Arkansas.
The shocking story started to develop on Sunday and evolved rapidly. The move comes after the Wildcats were upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, falling short of the second weekend for the third year in a row.
In a video posted on Tuesday thanking Kentucky, Calipari confirmed that he was leaving his job at the helm of the Wildcats program. He stated that the two sides agreed that the program would benefit from a change at head coach.
A message to #BBN: pic.twitter.com/TG344ipTfZ
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) April 9, 2024
“The last few weeks, we’ve come to realize that this program probably needs to hear another voice,” Calipari said. “That the university as a whole has to have another voice, giving guidance about this program that they hear and the fans need to hear another voice.
“We’ve loved it here, but we think it’s time for us to step away and step away completely from the program. There have been opportunities that have been presented to us, so we’re discussing them as a family.”
Calipari’s departure from Kentucky marks the end of an era for Big Blue Nation. Even though he only collected one national championship ring during his tenure, Calipari became an icon for the program, establishing himself as one of the best recruiters in the country and pioneering the one-and-done era in college basketball.
Replacing him won’t be easy, but a prestigious program like Kentucky should have a long list of credentialed coaches who will be interested in taking the job.
The Sporting News has you covered with the latest rumors on Kentucky’s coaching search below.
MORE: John Calipari replacements: Ranking Kentucky’s best coaching candidates, from Mark Pope to Rick Pitino
Kentucky coaching rumors tracker
BYU’s Mark Pope ‘lined up’ to be Kentucky’s next coach
Date: April 11
Source: Matt Norlander, CBS Sports
Pope is Kentucky’s guy, per reports, and the Wildcats are expected…
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