Kentucky gives Calipari 7-year, $52.5 million deal

Kentucky head coach John Calipari works from the sideline last season.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky has given coach John Calipari a seven-year, $52.5 million contract extension that will pay a base package of $6.5 million next season and $8 million over each of the final three seasons.

Already one of college basketball’s highest-paid coaches, Calipari led the Wildcats to the 2012 NCAA championship and is coming off his third Final Four appearance, a 60-54 title-game loss to Connecticut in April. He has often been rumored as a potential coaching candidate for NBA coaching openings, most recently this spring with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Calipari quickly reiterated his happiness with Kentucky, even tweeting his commitment after Los Angeles fired Mike D’Antoni.