Men’s basketball coach John Calipari signed a new seven-year, $52.5 million contract with Kentucky on Thursday.
Calipari is already one of college basketball’s highest paid coaches. He will get a base package of $6.5 million next season and $8 million over the final three seasons, according to the Associated Press. For the 2015-16 season it will be $7 million, $7.25 million in 2016-17, and $7.75 million in 2017-18. Calipari has been a potential candidate of job openings in the NBA. This spring he was a potential candidate to be the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. However he chose to stay at Kentucky because his new contract pays more than what most pro coaches get paid.
'I've said over and over that I have the best job in the country,'' Calipari said in a release. With the continued support from our administration and the greatest, craziest, fans in college basketball, we have accomplished a lot in our five quick years, but we still have lofty goals for the future."
He went on to add, ''We want to continue to help young people and their families reach their dreams, while at the same time maintaining our success on the basketball court, in the classroom and in the community.''
At Kentucky Calipari has a 152-37 record. He led the Wildcats to the national championship in 2012 and three Final Four appearances in five years, including this past season, according to ESPN. The Wildcats Final Four appearance this past season was the school’s 16th Final Four appearance.
Calipari has become a mast recruiter. The Wildcats should be a title contender next season and for a long time.
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