April 26, 2008

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - University of Memphis Director of Athletics R.C. Johnson announced Saturday that John Calipari has signed a contract extension which will keep the renowned head coach at the helm of the Tiger basketball program through the 2012-13 season.

Calipari's new contract now has a total guaranteed package of $2.35 million which reflects a $500,000 increase over his 2007-08 salary. In addition, if Calipari remains the Tigers' head coach through the 2012-13 campaign, he will receive a donor-funded longevity bonus of $5 million.

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CALIPARI ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Graduated 15 of last 17 seniors at Memphis; in addition, had an 80 percent graduation rate during his time at UMass
• Won 412 games in his first 16 years as a collegiate head coach; only Roy Williams had more victories in that span of time
• Sixth active winningest coach in NCAA Division I history by percentage (75.2 percent)
• Winningest head coach in NCAA Division I history for a single season with 38 victories in 2007-08
• Winningest head coach in NCAA Division I history for a three-year period with 104 victories from 2006-08
• Second coach in NCAA Division I history to have three-straight 30-win seasons (Kentucky Adolph Rupp's was the first from 1947-49)
• One of three coaches in NCAA Division I history to guide two different schools to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament (Roy Williams and Bill Self are the other two)
• One of five coaches in NCAA Division I history to guide two different schools to a No. 1 national ranking (Frank McGuire, Ralph Miller, Roy Williams and Eddie Sutton are the other four)
• Only coach in NCAA Division I history to direct two different non-BCS schools to a No. 1 national ranking and the NCAA Final Four
• 2008 Naismith National Coach of the Year, marking the second time he received the honor (one of two coaches to receive it twice since award's inception in 1987; Duke's Mike Krzyzewski is the other)
• Directed two non-BCS schools to six NCAA Tournament Sweet 16s, five Elite Eights, two Final Fours and one championship game appearance
• Guided Memphis to eighth-longest regular season win streak in NCAA Division I history with 45-consecutive victories from 2006-07 through 2007-08
• Directed Tigers to a 26-0 start to the 2007-08 season; second time he had a team start a year 26-0 as UMass did so in 1995-96
• Averaged over 27 wins per year in his eight years at Memphis (27.4)
• Averaged nearly 26 victories in his collegiate career (25.8)

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"Eight years ago, we hired John as head coach for our basketball program, and he and I set three goals," said Johnson. "First, graduate student-athletes under his tutelage. Next, place this basketball program on a national stage and compete for championships. Finally, rekindle and strengthen the bond between the city and basketball program.

"He's accomplished all three. John has committed to the university and community just as we have committed to him."

The 2008 Naismith National Coach of the Year, Calipari took the Memphis hoops program to heights not seen in the Bluff City in quite some time, while also hitting some personal milestones in 2007-08. The Moon, Pa., native guided the Tigers to the NCAA Final Four, the program's first since 1985, and the NCAA title game, the school's first championship game appearance since 1973.

"My position has never wavered," said Calipari. "As long as the school was committed to having a top-10 national program, I wanted to stay. Obviously, I feel that this has been done in the past and will continue to be done in the future."

Memphis, under Calipari's guidance in 2007-08, won an NCAA Division I record 38 games (38-2 record) in advancing to the NCAA title contest. The Tigers, which began 2007-08 with a school-record 26-straight wins, moved into the No. 1 spot in the national polls in January and remained there for a school-record five-consecutive weeks. Calipari is one of five coaches in NCAA Division I history to lead two different programs to a No. 1 national ranking (UMass, Memphis). The other four coaches to do so were Frank McGuire, Ralph Miller, Roy Williams and Eddie Sutton.

Furthermore, Memphis held down the No. 1 or No. 2 spots in the national polls for another school-record 16-straight weeks. The Tigers finished the 2007-08 season ranked No. 2 in both polls, the highest final rankings in school history.

The 2007-08 Tigers also completed quite possibly one of the best three-year runs in NCAA Division I history. Memphis posted a 104-10 record since 2005-06 - all under Calipari - and the 104 victories are tied for the most in a three-year period in NCAA Division I history. The 104 wins also make Calipari the winningest coach in a three-year span in NCAA Division I history.

On Mar. 8, the Tigers defeated UAB to win their 30th game of 2007-08, and the victory placed Memphis and Calipari in elite company. The Tigers, 30-1 at that time, became the second program in NCAA Division I history to win 30 or more games three-straight seasons (Kentucky was the other program/1947-49, 1996-98). A week later, UCLA joined Memphis and Kentucky in that group. For Calipari, he became the second coach in NCAA Division I history to post three-consecutive 30-win seasons, joining Kentucky's Adolph Rupp who did it from 1947-49.

In late February, Calipari won his 400th game as a collegiate head coach, and his overall record stands at 412-136. He is only the second head coach in the history of NCAA Division I basketball to reach the 400-win plateau in his first 16 seasons as a collegiate head coach. Roy Williams is the other coach to do so.

Calipari directed the Tigers to their third-straight C-USA regular season and tournament titles in 2007-08. It is the first time in the program's history that Memphis has claimed three-consecutive regular season and tournament crowns.

The Naismith National Coach of the Year award was Calipari's second of his career, as he also received the same honor for the 1995-96 campaign while directing the UMass Minutemen to the 1996 NCAA Final Four. Calipari is only the second coach to win the Naismith Award twice since the honor's inception in 1987. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski is the other coach to do so, taking home the award three times.

Calipari, who was named Conference USA Coach of the Year for the second time in three years (2006, 2008), was also a National Coach of the Year finalist for the Henry Iba and Jim Phelan Awards.