Mitch Barnhart confirms John Calipari will return to Kentucky in 2024-25

John Calipari will return as the head coach at Kentucky for the upcoming 2024-25 college basketball season, Mitch Barnhart confirmed late Tuesday evening.

The two sides met in the early afternoon to discuss the trajectory of the program and what it will take to get back to the “standard of national titles,” as Coach Cal described on Monday during his call-in radio show.

They came to an agreement that could still be done under the current head coach, who just wrapped up his 15th season in Lexington. Despite a run of two first-round exits in three years and no second weekends since 2019, Calipari will be back for year 16.

“As we normally do at the end of every season, Coach Calipari and I have had conversations about the direction of our men’s basketball program and I can confirm that he will return for his 16th season as our head coach,” Barnhart said.

Calipari said Monday that he “(looked) forward to hearing (Barnhart’s) thoughts” on “how we can be better” as a basketball program following its recent dip in postseason success.

What is his own vision?

“We have a standard here. I said early on, they don’t put Final Four banners up, only national championship banners,” he said. “My standard is we’re playing to play deep into the NCAA Tournament and compete for national titles, win national titles. I wanted this job knowing that was the case. I love this job knowing that was the case. I’ve never left this job. That is what the standard is for me.

“… We’re not changing the standard and we’re chasing what we chase here, which is championships.”

Barnhart clearly believes this program can get back to that under John Calipari.