Report: Calipari had 'significant' interest in Big Ten job

New Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari. Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Report: John Calipari had 'significant, serious' interest in joining Big Ten program

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 4/8/24

It was reported Sunday night that longtime Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari was finalizing a five-year deal to join the University of Arkansas.

This comes less than one week after Eric Musselman left the Razorbacks to join USC.

Additional details surrounding Calipari's decision show that the 2015 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee had "significant/serious" interest in the previously vacant job at Ohio State.

John Calipari leaving Kentucky has been on the table going back to February, sources tells CBS Sports.

He privately expressed significant/serious interest in the Ohio State job but the timing wasn’t right, per source. Arkansas coming available was a dream shot out of Lexington.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 8, 2024

Former Buckeyes leader Chris Holtmann was fired from his gig in mid-February after the team lost its 16th straight road game, which tied the longest streak in team history at the time.

The team was 14-11 under Holtmann in 2023-24 before finishing 8-3 with interim head coach Jake Diebler.

One of Ohio State's biggest wins of the season came in Diebler's first game at the helm when the team upset Purdue, 73-69, on Feb. 18.

After one more road defeat on Feb. 22, the Buckeyes snapped their lengthy streak of losses away from home by knocking off Michigan State on Feb. 25.

Ohio State finished the regular season on a four-game winning streak and won one game in the Big Ten Tournament. Diebler was named the full-time head coach before the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), where the Buckeyes advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Georgia.

Calipari has been with the Wildcats since 2009 and his resume includes 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, six trips to the Elite Eight, three Final Fours and a national title in 2012. The 65-year-old was also named the 2014-15 AP Coach of the Year.

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