Arkansas men’s basketball coach John Calipari said this week that nine players on his roster earn more money than his assistant coaches, and that the remaining three players on the team out-earn his entire coaching staff combined.
Calipari made the comments Wednesday while discussing the need for reform in college athletics compensation. “I’m gonna say this; I probably shouldn’t. Nine of my players make more than my assistants,” Calipari said. “The other three make more than all my staff, and we are not one of the highest payers.”
He added that the disparity extends beyond his own program. “All the coaches on this campus in every sport make less than the rev share, which is $22 million, and it’s much less. So the players are getting more than the coaches; I just don’t understand who could be against it,” Calipari said, referring to the broader push for reform across college sports.
Calipari, who earns an estimated $8 million per season, made the remarks as Congress moves toward new rules governing college athletics. The Protect College Sports Act recently passed in the Senate and could set a national framework for name, image and likeness deals, athlete compensation, eligibility and the transfer portal, which has operated with few consistent rules in recent years.
The legislation’s details on how athlete pay should be structured remain a point of disagreement among lawmakers, athletic directors, coaches and the athletes themselves. Calipari’s comments came amid that ongoing debate, as college sports programs across the country, including his in Fayetteville, adjust to a landscape where players can earn significant money through revenue-sharing agreements and NIL deals.
Calipari did not name the specific players or dollar figures involved in his comparison.
