Arkansas endured plenty of hardship during the first year of John Calipari’s reign. But after besting No. 7 Kansas and No. 2 St. John’s in the opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, it’s hard to view the Razorbacks’ campaign as anything other than a success.
Arkansas is set to return to the Sweet 16 one year after posting a sub-.500 record. It has done so despite injuries ravaging elements of its roster, namely Boogie Fland and Adou Thiero.
Calipari has earned much of the credit, and rightfully so. Many of the program’s best players arrived on campus because of the Hall of Fame’s glistening reputation.
But he’s not alone. Sitting alongside him on the sidelines is a host of notable tacticians and salesmen in their own right, many of whom have collected gobs of experience across the college and NBA game.
With that, here’s what you need to know about the Razorbacks’ coaching staff.
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Arkansas basketball coaching staff
Calipari has built up quite the crew to accompany him on Arkansas’ bench, taking a holistic approach to crafting his tactical corps.
The 66-year old searched far and wide to compile his gang of conspirators. In the end, he landed on five associate and assistant coaches, all with varying levels of experience working alongside their Hall of Fame boss.
Here’s a closer look at the coaches tasked with instructing the Razorbacks’ roster in 2024-25.
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Associate head coach: Kenny Payne
Leading the line alongside Calipari is associate head coach Kenny Payne. The 58-year old has long trawled the sidelines for collegiate sides, serving as Louisville’s head coach from 2021-2023. Payne spent six years in the associate head coach role at Kentucky, helping lead the Wildcats’ impressive recruiting exploits — under Payne’s stewardship, Kentucky landed top-three recruiting classes on 11 occasions.
Payne’s recruiting chops proved useful in Derby City, as well; his Cardinals ranked in the top-six nationally in 2023.
Payne also sat on coaching benches in Oregon and with the Knicks prior to his time in Fayetteville.
Associate head coach: Ronald “Chin” Coleman
Joining Payne as the Razorbacks’ associate head coach is Chin Coleman, a coaching veteran who also has history with Calipari.
A Weber State and Lamar alum, Coleman previously featured on Calipari’s staff during his final three years with Kentucky. He’s been lauded as a guard whisperer — perhaps an offshoot of the backcourt wizard he displayed during his playing days. Coleman aided in the development of a treasure trove of Wildcats guards, including Sahvir Wheeler, Cason Wallace, Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham. He also spent some time with Illinois, helping shape the trajectory of another gifted playmaker — Ayo Dosunmu.
Coleman got his start coaching in 2005 with heralded Chicago-based AAU side Mac Irvin Fire. He’s spent 15 years drawing up plays at the collegiate level, also lending his services to Colorado State, Nebraska, Bradley and UIC.
Assistant coach: Chuck Martin
Another Calipari acolyte, Chuck Martin served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator on Calipari’s Kentucky staff during the 2023-24 season. Predictably, the Wildcats fielded one of the best recruiting classes in the country, landing five ESPN top-100 prospects — Sheppard, Dillingham, DJ Wagner, Justin Edwards and Aaron Bradshaw.
Martin brings more than two decades of experience to Cal’s staff, lending his services to a series of blue-chip programs, including Oregon, South Carolina and Indiana. He and Calipari first started working with one another in Memphis, where Martin served as the Tigers’ assistant coach from 2006-08.
Martin also worked as a scout with the Thunder (2013-14).
Assistant coach: Brad Calipari
Rounding off Calipari’s list of assistant coaches is a familiar name and face: his son, Brad Calipari. The 28-year old is by far the youngest member of John Calipari’s coaching staff. A 2019 Kentucky graduate, Brad Calipari spent five years playing college basketball — three with the Wildcats, two at Detroit Mercy.
In 2021-22, Brad Calipari joined Kentucky’s staff as a graduate assistant. He then spent one-year stints at Long Island University and Vanderbilt before landing in Fayetteville alongside his dad ahead of the 2024-25 season.
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| Name | Position |
| John Calipari | Head Basketball Coach |
| Kenny Payne | Associate Head Coach |
| Chin Coleman | Associate Head Coach |
| Chuck Martin | Assistant Coach/Recruiting Corodinator |
| Brad Calipari | Assistant Coach/Director of On-Court Player Development |
| Bruiser Flint | Special Assistant to the Head Coach |
| Tyler Ulis | Basketball Assistant |
| Chris Woolard | Men’s Basketball General Manager |
| Riley Hall | Director of Basketball Operations |
| Ronnie Brewer Jr. | Director of Student-Athlete Development & Mid-South Recruiting |
| Lunetha Pryor | Men’s Basketball Chief of Staff |
| Matt Townsend | Head Athletic Trainer |
| Kevin Butty | Video Coordinator |
| Dave Richardson | Head Strength & Conditioning Coach |
| Daniel Reeves | Assistant Equipment Manager |
| Tony Hall | Graduate Assistant |
| Darin Minniefield | Graduate Assistant |
| Timajh Parker-Rivera | Graduate Assistant |
| Ray Surratt | Graduate Assistant |