According to Seth Davis of The Athletic, the University of Kentucky has offered John Calipari a lucrative lifetime contract to remain in Lexington.
The report says the deal is an attempt to fend off an offer from UCLA.
Here is an excerpt:
The University of Kentucky has offered John Calipari what is essentially a lifetime contract extension in response to a lucrative offer the coach has received from UCLA, The Athletic has learned.
UCLA offered Calipari a contract worth approximately $48 million over six years, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation. The contacts between Calipari and UCLA have been more extensive than previously reported, but Calipari told UCLA last week he is not interested in leaving Kentucky.
Kentucky gave UCLA permission to speak with Calipari but did not take seriously the possibility that he would leave, partly because in the past UCLA has not committed nearly the same type of financial resources that Kentucky has for basketball. (Calipari is the highest-paid basketball coach in the country, making $9.2 million this year, according to the USA Today Sports database.) Once Kentucky learned how serious UCLA’s offer was, it offered Calipari, who turned 60 in February, the extension.
Not only would Calipari work 10 more years as head coach, he would be a “paid ambassador” for UK after retirement:
The school is not looking to substantially enhance Calipari’s annual compensation, but the new contract would include a 10-year term as coach plus a promise to serve as a paid ambassador for the school after his retirement.
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And Davis says this is NOT an April Fool’s Day joke:
And no this is not an April Fools joke. UCLA asked Kentucky for permission to speak to Calipari and it was granted.
— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) April 1, 2019
UCLA knew this would get out, which was intentional. https://t.co/UHnCSa1xeS
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) April 1, 2019
See, I think this is definitely true. UCLA doesn’t mind that this is out there.
The problem is, if they end up having to settle for a mid-tier coach and end up paying him something similar to what they paid Alford (not impossible), this backfires and doesn’t look great. https://t.co/4de0HreSq4
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) April 1, 2019
Shocking thing about Seth Davis's report if true is that UCLA was willing to pay 8million/year. Cal has 1 title in 10 years at Kentucky and is now the No 2 recruiting brand (which is still great). That is "we're buying 2-3 titles" money and the way this sport is…
— Justin Rowland (@RowlandRIVALS) April 1, 2019
