Report: Arkansas finalizing deal with Calipari to be next HC

John Calipari. Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Arkansas finalizing deal with John Calipari to be next head coach

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated 4/7/24

Less than a week after Eric Musselman left Arkansas for USC, a huge name is close to filling the position of head basketball coach.

According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, John Calipari is finalizing a five-year deal to be the next head basketball coach at the University of Arkansas.

Sources: John Calipari is finalizing a five-year deal to become the next coach at Arkansas. The deal is expected to be completed in the next 24 hours.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 8, 2024

The move is a shocking one for both Arkansas and Calipari, as Calipari was expected to stay at Kentucky despite another first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament.

Despite Kentucky's recent struggles in the tournament, he is more than a viable replacement for Musselman and brings a championship pedigree to Fayetteville.

After a disappointing season on the hardwood, Eric Musselman left Arkansas to go back to the west coast. Arkansas went after both Chris Beard and Jerome Tang to potentially be the next coach of the Razorbacks, but both coaches declined, leaving Arkansas fans nervous about the future of the program.

As others have reported, John Calipari and Arkansas engaged in deep negotiations once Chris Beard and Jerome Tang were off the board, a source confirmed.

Calipari has held the job in Arkansas in high regard for years, dating back to his time at Memphis.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 8, 2024

Without a doubt, those nerves has been quelled.

Calipari has been at Kentucky since 2009, and his resume with the Wildcats includes 12 trips to the NCAA Tournament, including six trips to the Elite Eight, three trips to the Final Four and national championship.

Calipari will have plenty of resources, both talent and otherwise, to compete for national championships at Arkansas. His time in Fayetteville is the perfect opportunity for him to reinvigorate his career following a less than ceremonious exit from Kentucky.

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