The first of several events recognizing the head coaching tenure of John Calipari at UMass will occur this May.  On the 8th of the month, Calipari will receive a Distinguished Achievement Award at the school’s Undergraduate Commencement. 

Next basketball season will also mark the 20th anniversary of the Minutemen team he led to the 1996 Final Four.  As a result, Calipari will have his jersey retired at the Mullins Center. 

The coach who has gone on to even greater success won five straight Atlantic 10 titles at UMass.  Calipari won a National Championship at Kentucky in 2012 and has been to the title game two other times. 

He has the rare distinction of taking three different schools to the Final Four as a head coach.  31 of his former players have made it to NBA and eight of his assistants have gone on to head coaching jobs in college basketball. 

Calipari also has had a distinct impact off the court.  Alumni weekends he runs in Lexington have raised over $1 million for charity.  The Calipari Foundation was started in 2012 and is involved in several initiatives throughout Kentucky. 

Two other prominent individuals with ties to UMass will also receive awards at the graduation, which will be held in McGuirk Alumni Stadium at 4:30 p.m. that day.  Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will be the commencement speaker.  

To inquire about John Calipari speaking fee and appearance cost, contact the agents at Athlete Speakers by calling us at 800-916-6008 or by Starting Your Booking Request Now.

John Calipari Speaks to a Group at Franciscan University of Steubenville: