Report: John Calipari had interest in 1 other job besides Arkansas

Mar 28, 2019; Kansas City, MO, United States; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari speaks during a press conference for the midwest regional of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

John Calipari’s exit from Kentucky was a shock, but a new report suggests it has been coming for months, even before the Wildcats’ stunning NCAA Tournament exit.

Calipari has considered leaving Kentucky since February, according to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports. In fact, Calipari had serious interest in the Ohio State job, but ultimately determined that the timing was not right.

John Calipari leaving Kentucky has been on the table going back to February, sources tells CBS Sports.

He privately expressed significant/serious interest in the Ohio State job but the timing wasn’t right, per source. Arkansas coming available was a dream shot out of Lexington.

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 8, 2024

Ohio State ultimately promoted interim coach Jake Diebler to full-time head coach on March 17, four days before Kentucky lost to Oakland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. That loss may have hastened Calipari’s exit, but he was clearly looking for an exit route even before then. That tracks with other reporting that suggested Calipari no longer felt supported or welcomed in Lexington.

Calipari is certainly getting a big payday to leave Kentucky for Arkansas. However, more than money was clearly at play here, as the coach really wanted out.