WATCH: $45m-worth John Calipari arrives in style as Arkansas welcomes new head coach
John Calipari is officially set to become the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, who has a net worth of $45 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, recently arrived in Fayetteville, Arkansas ahead of his official introduction. 247 Sports shared the footage on X, courtesy of Anthony Kristensen.
Check out footage of John Calipiari arriving in Arkansas below:
The school made the move official on Wednesday as they announced Calipari's hiring in a press release, with athletic director Hunter Yurachek stating:
"By all accounts, John Calipari is one of the premier coaches in college basketball. A national championship coach, a four-time national coach of the year and one of the nation’s top recruiters, Coach Cal has consistently demonstrated his ability to attract outstanding talent and build championship teams within the Southeastern Conference and position his programs among the best in the nation."
He continued:
"As I visited with Coach Calipari during this process, he acknowledged the tremendous opportunity we have at the University of Arkansas to attract and retain top players and compete for championships. He understands the deep passion of the Razorback Nation and has experienced the tremendous home court advantage of Bud Walton Arena. I have no doubt that under Coach Calipari’s leadership and with the collective support of all those who love the Hogs, Razorback Basketball will continue to maintain its national prominence within college basketball."
Calipari is widely considered one of the premier coaches in college basketball. He has compiled an 855-263 record in 32 seasons coaching at the collegiate level, including stints leading the UMass Minutemen, Memphis Tigers and Kentucky Wildcats.
What did John Calipari say about leaving the Kentucky Wildcats?
John Calipari released a video on Tuesday confirming the rumors that he would be leaving the Kentucky Wildcats to accept the vacant head coaching position with the Arkansas Razorbacks. After noting that leading the Wildcats was a dream job, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer added:
"The last few weeks, we've come to realize that this program probably needs to hear another voice, that the university as a whole has to have another voice giving guidance about this program that they hear, and the fans need to hear another voice. We've loved it here but we think it's time for us to step away and step away completely from the program... It's been a dream what we've been able to do, but 15 years, time for another voice and you know I'm always going to be a fan."
Check out John Calipari's announcement that he is leaving the Kentucky Wildcats below:
Calipari leaves a strong legacy at Kentucky that includes winning the 2012 national title and reaching four Final Fours. He led the program to six SEC regular-season championships and six SEC Tournament championships.
Calipari was also named Naismith College Coach of the Year and AP College Coach of the Year in 2015 while earning SEC Coach of the Year honors four times. In 15 seasons, he led the Wildcats to a 410-123 record.