"Do not think he'll be the coach of Kentucky next season": NCAAB analyst drops verdict on John Calipari following upset against No. 14 Oakland

John Calipari's Kentucky Wildcats exited March Madness in the first round following an 80-76 loss to No. 14 Oakland on Thursday.

It marked coach Calipari's third early exit in a row. As whispers for his firing continue to gain momentum, a college basketball analyst voiced his thoughts on the matter.

During the post-game take on CBS Sports, Gary Parrish said:

"I do not think he will be the coach of Kentucky next year. The buyout is $33 million. That's a lot of money. But the fanbase is fed up with it. Zero Final Fours since 2015. Zero Sweet 16 since 2019.

"Texas A&M just paid roughly $75 million to get rid of a football coach. Does Texas care more about football than Kentucky does basketball? That's the question that needs to be asked."

What happens if Kentucky fires coach John Calipari?

Following the 2018-19 season, John Calipari and the Wildcats signed what was initially called a 'lifetime contract'. However, it was later revealed to be a 10-year extension, paying him $9 million per year. If Kentucky were to fire him, there would be a $33.4 million buyout.

However, it's reported that there's a special "ambassador clause" in his contract which would allow John Calipari to step down as coach but serve as “special assistant” to UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart.

This option can be triggered only by Calipari and would earn him $950,000 per year. That would total $44.5 million over the next five seasons.

For now, there are no statements from AD Barnhart or the UK President Eli Capilouto. Following the loss, John Calipari said:

“We’ve gotta figure out who’s coming back and who’s not. We got this transfer stuff going on. We may not need it. We have an unbelievable group coming in that I feel really good about. We add some guys and (some current guys) stay. (Via Kentucky Sports)

“I feel bad for our fans who all traveled again ... These kids — they know they’re playing for these fans and our fans, who are the best in the country ... And I imagine they’re hurting like we are hurting. So I’ll look at other ways that we can do stuff.”

For now, the Wildcats return to Lexington with a lot to think over. Oakland, meanwhile, takes on NC State in the second round of March Madness.