Calipari is a master at the art of coaching, recruiting and being a well-liked brand ambassador for Kentucky basketball.
Mike Krzyzewski was the highest-paid college basketball coach in 2018 according to USA Today. The Duke University coach reportedly made almost $9 million, more than double what he earned in 2011, $4,195,519 when he became Division I men’s basketball’s career wins leader.
But Coach K is 72 and he’s accomplished everything any college coach could ever hope for. From winning multiple championships and coaching an Olympic Dream Team to leading the Zion Williamson show.
Kentucky coach John Calipari is just 60 and has been on Coach K’s heels as the premier coaching recruiter and brand ambassador in college hoops for some time. Having won just one chip, Calipari doesn’t have the accolades that Coach K has, but he’s influenced the culture of the sport as impactfuly during his time at Kentucky. His new lifetime contract sets him up to become the boss of bosses once Krzyzewski exits stage left.
NEW: UK has released John Calipari's new contract. Read here for details on his ambassador role whenever he decides to give up coaching and what the deal says about what happens if Calipari receives other job offers https://t.co/PLP41MOFK2
— Jon Hale (@JonHale_HL) June 13, 2019
Here’s why Calipari’s new contract may have already moved him into GOAT status.
1. Securing The Big Bag
John Calipari’s new lifetime contract could keep him as Kentucky’s men’s basketball coach through 2029.
The 10-year deal worth $86 million pays Calipari $8 million per year for each of the next two seasons, $8.5 million per year from July 2021 to June 2025, and $9 million per year from July 2025 to June 2029. The contract was released by UK on Thursday afternoon.
That’s just a sick bag for a college basketball coach. Calipari has built a kingdom of riches on the backs of Black athletes and he is just as much a part of the NCAA’s exploitation of these student-athletes, but everybody still loves and respects his G. Everybody loves a winner.
The contract perks are sick too.
Here's what John Calipari's $86 million 'lifetime' contract at Kentucky actually looks like. https://t.co/1WGZfbV0L4
— Andrew Hazard (@AndrewOHazard) June 14, 2019
“One of the truly unique things about Kentucky men’s basketball is its legacy of head coaches who have made their own lasting mark on this program. John is a perfect illustration of that,” Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart said in a statement.
“He has added a special chapter to the greatest tradition in college basketball and it’s a chapter we want him to continue writing until the end of his coaching career. We are pleased to announce a new contract that will enable him to do exactly that.”
2. The Future Boss of Bosses
When it comes to getting the bag and being a walking billboard for a brand, Calipari has maneuvered his way into an incomparable position. Despite the rich history that proceeded Calipari, Kentucky’s current existence as a basketball paradise is totally dependent on Calipari’s presence.
He flipped the script on everybody and became the shot-caller.
Calipari’s basketball journey dates back to the 70s when he was a point guard at UNC Wilmington and Clarion. His extensive coaching career started in 1982 as an assistant coach at Kansas and spans more than 900 games and 700 wins as a D-1 head coach at UMass, Memphis, and Kentucky. Calipari also did a 184 game-stint as an NBA head coach. It was a grueling lesson that heightened his awareness, humbled him and set the stage for his unstoppable return to college hoops.
Calipari has made four Final Fours and won an NCAA Championship in 2012. He’s the master of the one-and-done and has coached some of the elite basketball superstars of our generation, which has increased his visibility and marketability as a brand.
Only a true boss can pull that off for this long.
3. Lifetime Contracts Are Almost Nonexistent in College Sports
Kentucky has faced backlash for giving Calipari a lifetime contract. It’s another example of the hypocrisy of the NCAA
Calipari has a bailout plan that moves him right from the sidelines to make close to $1 million per year in” retirement” as an administrator.
Beginning with the sixth year of the contract (the 2024-25 season), Calipari has the option to step down as coach and assume a role as “special assistant to the athletic director/university representative.” In that role, Calipari’s charisma, leadership, and recruiting expertise would still be part of the culture he’s built at “One-and-Done U”.
He’d be responsible for helping assist the university in fundraising and promoting the athletics department, including the men’s basketball program.
Calipari’s salary would drop to $950,000 per year in that position. How’s he going to feed his kids on that?
4. Calipari Has No Restrictions When It Comes To Maximizing His Brand
The new deal does not include a buyout Calipari would owe UK if he takes another job. It does include a clause stating Calipari must inform the athletics director of other employment opportunities before negotiating with other prospective employers.
In essence, Calipari can do whatever the hell he wants to do as far as seeking other job opportunities, as long as he gives Kentucky a chance to sweeten the pot on his own contract and perks before doing so.
There’s not an offer in the world that Kentucky couldn’t and wouldn’t match. Anytime Calipari’s name surfaces as a potential replacement at another University, Kentucky ups his financial package.
So Coach K, Calipari & Chris Holtman would be in the top 5 of the NBA’s highest paid coaches. Both the #NCAA & the #NBA are multi billion dollar BUSINESSES but one promotes itself as amateurism & the other doesn’t. #NumbersNeverLie @espn pic.twitter.com/xMSYwotN8q
— Jay Williams (@RealJayWilliams) March 1, 2018
It’s the kind of leverage that no other coach in the country besides Coach K at Duke poses, making Calipari a clear candidate for GOAT status when it comes to getting the bag, changing culture and becoming the face of a program that produces superstar players on a regular basis.
