Arkansas officially hires John Calipari

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas hired John Calipari as men’s basketball coach on Wednesday, a day after the Hall of Fame coach stepped down from the Kentucky program he led to the 2012 NCAA championship.

Arkansas vice chancellor and director of athletics Hunter Yurachek announced Calipari's hiring in a release. Calipari signed a five-year contract with a base annual salary of $7 million through April 2029 with a maximum of two automatic rollover years for NCAA Tournament appearances that would extend the contract to 2031.

The deal includes a $1 million signing bonus and features retention bonuses of $500,000 each year of the contract along with one-time bonuses for making the NCAA Tournament, reaching the second round, Sweet 16, Final Four and winning a national championship.

An introductory news conference is scheduled for Wednesday evening in Fayetteville.

Calipari, 65, replaces Eric Musselman and inherits a program that went 16-17 last season after three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including the Sweet 16 a year ago.

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