Hogs' coach doesn't plan to leave coaching anytime soon

“As long as I can keep helping young people and their families, then I’ll do it,” Calipari said on the Jim Rome Show earlier this week. “The minute I’m not capable of doing it because the rules have made it or the environment has made it with NIL and with the transfer portal, if it’s transactional versus transformational, why would I do it?”

Calipari is a transformational coach as he continues to evolve along with the everchanging college landscape.

Money has changed the way many view college athletics duebecause of NIL and transfer portal activity.

It's no longer who can compile the best available talent through high school ranks, but restructuring each year with the appropriate blend of those freshmen, transfers and players returning.

"My daughter tells me all the time, 'You do it 'cause you wanna do it 'cause you don't have to do it,' Calipari said. "But I love doing what I'm doing, and so I'd like to help 20-25 more families, 30 more families, and then I'll say, 'It's been a good run.'"

For the second straight year, Arkansas signed a Top 10 high school recruiting class with the addition of two 5-star McDonald's All-American's in point guard Darius Acuff and shooting guard Meleek Thomas.

His exceptional class doesn't end with them as Top 50 signee Paulo Semedo and Top 100 signee Isaiah Sealy could potentially find a role on a deep Razorbacks roster.

Should Calipari reach that 30 family threshold he says he wants to help, then he could be at Arkansas for the remainder of his coaching career should things continue to go well.

Last year, several of his former players signed max contracts that totaled $800 million between Malik Monk, Tyrese Maxey, Immanuel Quickley, Jamal Murray and Bam Adebayo.

Calipari's relationship driven coaching has allowed him to maintain relationships with his former players that continues to help him in recruiting now that he is at Arkansas.

"[Coach] Larry Brown told me early in my career: 'If you care about the kids, authentically care about the kids, you’ll always have a job because they’ll always want to play for you,'" Calipari said. "'Whatever you do they’ll want to come to you. If you authentically care.'

"The great thing about kids, they can smell it. They know if you’re a fraud. Do you add value? If you add value to young people, you’re always going to have a job. That means someone is going to say I want him to coach my guys."

In his first season with the Razorbacks, the results left much to be desired with a disastrous 1-6 start to SEC play.

Arkansas rallied behind its belief in Calipari's system which allowed them to earn a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament, including upsets of No. 7 seed Kansas and No. 2 seed St. John's en route to a Sweet 16 appearance.

Unfortunately, the postseason run came to a halt when Arkansas couldn't hold onto its 16-point lead over Texas Tech in the second half and closed the door on the Razorbacks season in heartbreaking style.

What also helps Calipari earn his stars contract money comes during the regular season with a loaded non-conference slate coming this fall.

The Razorbacks 2025-26 schedule includes games against Duke in Chicago, Houston in Brooklyn, Texas Tech in Dallas, road trip to Michigan State and the Hogs will host Louisville in the SEC-ACC Challenge.

Those type of games along with a SEC schedule that includes games against Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss and Mississippi State will not only strengthen the team, but get eyeballs around the country on their television sets to see just how good Calipari's young men are.

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