The Highest-Paid Coach In The NCAA Tournament Got Knocked Out On The First Day

March Madness has barely gotten underway, and we've already seen some tremendous upsets on the first "full" day of action. A pair of 12-seeds won, as McNeese State dominated Clemson and Colorado State knocked off Memphis. Drake had its way with Missouri; the Bulldogs besting the Tigers will surely make dog fans around the nation happy.

We also had a minor upset as a pair of legendary coaches faced off in Providence, Rhode Island. John Calipari and his Arkansas Razorbacks defeated Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks, 79-72.

A 10-seed beating a 7-seed isn't a major upset, though Arkansas did come into the game as 4.5-point underdogs. The Razorbacks ended the game on a 15-5 run to ice the game and capture the victory.

Alex Slitz/Getty Images

With the Jayhawks knocked out, the highest-paid coach in the NCAA Tournament is already eliminated. Self signed a lifetime rolling deal in November 2023. It's the largest contract for a coach at a public university, worth about $53 million over the first five years. Self, whose Jayhawks have won two championships during his tenure, made $8,803,800 this season.

It's the first time since 2006 that the Jayhawks have lost in the first round. It nearly happened last year, too. Kansas was a 4-seed and barely hung on against Samford, perhaps aided by a very generous foul call. Self made even more money during the 2023-24 season. His salary was over $9 million; with total compensation he earned about $13 million over the course of the year.

That leaves Calipari as the highest-paid coach remaining in the tournament, at least for now. The Arkansas coach takes on Rick Pitino and the St. John's Red Storm in the second round. Calipari signed a five-year deal with Arkansas in 2024 after a long tenure with the Kentucky Wildcats. Calipari made $8 million this year, with a $7 million salary and a $1 million signing bonus. And if you're scoring at home, Pitino is making a reported $3.3 million in salary.

Ultimately, only one team can become the champion. Sixty-seven other ones will lose along the way. Still, you'd think the team with the highest-paid coach might last just a little bit longer.