"Justice for Eric Muscleman" "Crazy coaching carousel": Fans divided over John Calipari's Arkansas move as Kentucky now hunts for new head coach

John Calipari has served as the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats basketball team for the past 15 years. However, as per a recent report by The Athletic, the 65-year-old will soon ink a new massive contract to become the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks starting next year.

In an update, Insider Pete Thamel recently tweeted about Calipari's deal with the Razorbacks.

"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," Thamel wrote.

The news of Calipari departing Kentucky after 15 seasons has left college hoops fans divided over the decision. One fan commented about former Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman, who recently left to coach the USC Trojans.

"Justice for Eric Muscleman"

Another fan expressed his awe at the coaching transitions that have been taking place.

"Crazy coaching carousel this off-season"

This fan wrote that a fresh start is what both teams need:

"Both Kentucky and Cal needed a fresh start"

Another fan talked about how Kentucky players will now be entering the transfer portal as well:

"Welp all the Kentucky players about to transfer elsewhere."

Another user chimed in and said that Calipari leaving Kentucky is something the fanbase had been hoping for:

"Wowww dammm Kentucky fans been wanting this for so long."

This fan compared Calipari to former Aggies football coach Jimbo Fisher:

"The Jimbo Fisher of basketball is headed to Fayetteville"

Someone else expressed their confusion as to why Calipari would decide to leave the Wildcats:

"Wait what??? Why would he leave Kentucky?

This fan stated that Calipari is leaving Kentucky because of his stagnant run with the program:

"He left KU bc he been mid for a decade"

Another fan shared a meme welcoming John Calipari to Fayetteville.

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How much is John Calipari's buyout from Kentucky?

Calipari's contract with the Kentucky Wildcats runs through the 2028-29 season. Should the program decide to terminate his contract after this season, they would be obligated to pay $33 million to the 65-year-old. The possibility of his termination became a hot topic of discussion following Kentucky's first-round loss to Oakland in this year's NCAA tournament.

However, if Calipari decides to walk out this season, there is no buyout built into his contract. During his 15-season stint with the program, John Calipari won just one national title which transpired in the 2011-12 season.