Shortly after, UK athletic director Mitch Barnhart made a post, seemingly confirming that Kentucky will hire a new head men’s basketball coach next season. Around 11:19 p.m. on Sunday night, ESPN’s Pete Thamel originally reported that Calipari was finalizing a five-year deal to become the next head coach at Arkansas. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reported the biggest Arkansas donor family is prepared to make a major commitment to bring Calipari to Arkansas. UK officials have been notified about the talks as Calipari’s contract terms mandate, he must inform Kentucky if he engages with another school about a job interview