How much does John Calipari make? Arkansas basketball coach's pay sits atop SEC rivals

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas basketball sits atop the SEC when it comes to financial commitments to its head coach.

According to the USA TODAY men’s basketball head coach salary database that was released on Wednesday, April, 8, John Calipari ranks third among highest-paid coaches in the country. No rival coach within the Razorbacks’ conference makes more than Calipari’s $7.75 million salary.

The two coaches who earn more than Calipari on a national level are Kansas’ Bill Self ($8.85 million) and UConn’s Danny Hurley ($8.02 million). Michigan State’s Tom Izzo ($7.19 million) and Tennessee’s Rick Barnes ($6.2 million) are directly behind Calipari and round out the top-five.

Arkansas has no plans on moving on from Calipari. But, for record’s sake, the Hall of Fame coach would be owed a buyout of $22.2 million as of April 1.

The database provides further evidence about the SEC’s commitment to basketball. Five of the top-10 and eight of the top-20 highest-paid coaches hail from the league. No other conference matches that level of investment.

Including Calipari, seven of the top-10 highest paid coaches reached the Sweet 16 in 2026. The three that did not were Self, Florida’s Todd Golden and Ole Miss‘ Chris Beard.

Kentucky, Calipari’s former employer, is paying Mark Pope a salary $5.25 million. That number ranks 13th nationally and sixth in the SEC.

Calipari is in the midst of a five-year contract that runs through 2029. He is the highest-paid coach in Razorbacks history, with his $8 million compensation surpassing what any football coach — including Sam Pittman and Ryan Silverfield — has ever earned in Fayetteville.

SEC basketball coaches: Total pay

(Vanderbilt’s coaching salaries are not public record since it is a private university.)

• Arkansas coach John Calipari: $7,750,000
• Tennessee coach Rick Barnes: $6,200,000
• Florida coach Todd Golden: $6,000,000
• Ole Miss coach Chris Beard: $6,000,000
• Alabama coach Nate Oats: $5,510,000
• Kentucky coach Mark Pope: $5,250,000
• Texas coach Sean Miller: $5,055,000
• Mississippi State coach Chris Jans: $4,400,000
• Missouri coach Dennis Gates: $4,200,000
• South Carolina coach Lamont Paris: $4,000,000
• Georgia coach Mike White: $3,910,000
• Oklahoma coach Porter Moser: $3,300,000
• Texas A&M coach Bucky McMillan: $3,075,000
• Auburn coach Steven Pearl: $3,000,000
• LSU coach Matt McMahon: $2,905,000 (fired at end of season)

Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: John Calipari contract | How much does Arkansas basketball pay head coach?