The University of Kentucky have now secured John Calipari in a contract that will keep him in Lexington until 2021. In addition, Calipari’s will get an increase in annual salary to $6.5 million. Overall, Calipari will be making about $52 million if he stays with the Wildcats until 2021. It seems both sides had long knew the marriage wasn’t ending but were simply just ironing out the kinks.
“This was agreed to in principle right after the season,” Calipari said in a phone interview. “It was let’s try to get this right and let’s try to get it right for your staff. I want this to be someplace you’re comfortable being the rest of your career, and I said, ‘That’s good, let’s do it.’ “
“All I know is that Kentucky is one of those places that is unique to work,” Calipari said. “There’s great satisfaction, yet it’s one of those jobs that it’s hard to stay on top of. It’s just what it is. I don’t know the statement that’s made other than hopefully people look at us and they see that we’ve set a standard on a lot of different fronts, from academics to what we’ve done on the court to developing players to developing young men and then also what this position can do as far philanthropic endeavors and how this position can be leveraged into something that’s bigger than all of the little pieces combined.”
Wildcat fans can near breathe easy that the ‘Calipari to the NBA’ rumors are false for now.
[h/t UK Athletics]
