12:02 pm | April 1, 2019 | Go to Source | Author:
Kentucky has offered basketball coach John Calipari a lifetime contract, ESPN has confirmed. The deal would be a combination of a head coaching extension and a paid role as an ambassador following his retirement.
The news was first reported by the Athletic.
Calipari had been in contact with UCLA about the school’s open head coaching position and had offered Calipari $48 million over six years, the Athletic reported.
Calipari, whose current contract at Kentucky runs through 2024, is the highest-paid basketball coach in the country, with total compensation of $9.2 million this year, according to the USA Today Sports database.
Kentucky lost to Auburn 77-71 in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
Calipari, 60, has coached Kentucky to Final Fours in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. The Wildcats won the NCAA title in 2012.
Calipari has a 305-71 record at Kentucky and lifetime record of 709-208. He led his teams to the NCAA tournament 20 times in 27 seasons, with six Final Fours and one title. Calipari has twice taken teams to the Final Four only to have the wins vacated by the NCAA.
His 2007-08 Memphis team, which lost to Kansas in the title game, was forced to vacate all 38 wins from the season, including five NCAA tournament wins, because star player Derrick Rose‘s SAT scores were invalidated.
In 1996, his UMass team’s Final Four appearance was erased after star player Marcus Camby accepted money from two sports agents.
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