Calipari and Stoops sign contract extensions

Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari directs his team during the game against the Wichita State Shockers in the second round game of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN on Sunday, March 19, 2017. Photo by Michael Reaves | Staff

News Staff

Men’s basketball head coach John Calipari and football head coach Mark Stoops signed contract extensions, according to an announcement by UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart on Wednesday.

Both coaches signed a two-year extension, which carries Calipari’s contract through 2024 and Stoops’ through 2022, according to a press release by Guy Ramsey, Director of Strategic CommunicationsUK Athletics.

Calipari’s guaranteed compensation will increase to $7.75 million for the 2017-2018 season. For the remaining seasons of the amended term, the total will be increased to $8 million.

Calipari began coaching at UK in the 2009-2010 season. In his eight seasons at UK, he has taken his teams to six Sweet 16 appearances, including this Friday’s game against UCLA. He and the 2011-2012 team also won the NCAA national championship.

“John has achieved consistent championship-level performance at Kentucky,” Barnhart said. He also said UK has been blessed to have Calipari and his wife Ellen in Lexington.

Stoops, who took UK to its first bowl game since 2011, has coached at UK for four seasons. His guaranteed compensation for the current year is $3.5 million, with a $250,000 increase in each successive year through 2022.

In addition to the bowl game, he also led the football team to a second place tie in the SEC Eastern Division this past season.

Barnhart said that while Kentucky football still has progress to be made as a rebuilding program, Stoops is the best person to continue what he has already started at UK.

“He has never wavered in his commitment to building Kentucky football into a consistent winner,” Barnhart said.

The full press release with additional details about the contracts can be found at http://www.ukathletics.com/news/calipari-stoops-sign-two-year-extensions-03-22-2017.