After nearly two full days of pondering an offer from the University of Kentucky to become their next basketball coach, John Calipari decided today to accept the job with the Wildcats and leave the University of Memphis after nine seasons, according to a source close to Calipari.
A news conference to introduce Calipari as the new Kentucky coach will take place Wednesday in Lexington, Ky.
On Monday afternoon, just when it appeared certain Calipari would accept Kentucky’s deal, he met with influential University of Memphis boosters including William B. Dunavant, John Stokes and Paul Tudor Jones, according to a source.
Later in the night, Fed Ex founder Fred Smith went to Calipari’s house for a meeting. Their last-ditch efforts to get Calipari to stay included a lucrative retirement package and incentives that one Memphis booster described as unique.
Late into Monday evening, a source closely connected to Calipari described the situation as “intense” and said Calipari was divided about whether to leave. He showed up at Gibson’s Donuts in East Memphis on Tuesday morning and indicated he would make a decision in the afternoon.
The program will now move to its first coaching search since 2000, when the program was in deep turmoil following the departure of Tic Price.
Among the names being mentioned as possible replacements include Missouri coach Mike Anderson, Southern California coach Tim Floyd, Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy and Xavier coach Sean Miller.
Calipari guided the Tigers to a 252-69 record in nine years at Memphis. He’s indicated his entire coaching staff will join him in Lexington as could several current Tigers players. Also joining Calipari at Kentucky could be some recruits who originally gave an oral committment to Memphis.
