Jacob Toppin says coach John Calipari has been there for players during the time before, during and after the protest. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Being questioned or second guessed is not something new for John Calipari — or any major college coach that has a passionate fan base.
“There’s always people who are going to question. That’s what coaching is. It doesn’t mater what you do, there’s people going to say you can do it better or do it a different way,” Calipari said Friday.
“You could be playing man and be one of the best defensive teams in the country and you should be playing zone. You have a big team, but you should play like you have small guys. You have a small team, why don’t you post it?
“If I listened to what’s coming out of the stands and I listened to it, I’ll be up there shortly. You just coach your team. When you focus on your team and you coach your team and that’s your focus, that stuff doesn’t affect you.”
Calipari knows where he’s getting blistered by fans. Others let him know about it.
“I know that I must be getting hit somewhere when I’m walking out of mass in the morning and a guy says, ‘Stay strong, Coach. Coach, you’re going to be fine.’ I’m like, what happened? Who said what? And so, most of the stuff I don’t see. You guys could say I’m under total fire, I wouldn’t know that,” Calipari said.
The UK coach has UK personnel that let him know when there is something he should know and there’s been plenty the last week since UK players and coaches knelt.
He was several criticized by a national writer this week over his stance with the national anthem and responded on Twitter Thursday by saying he stood behind his players.
“The only reason I responded –- and you guys (in the media) know I don’t respond to that kind of stuff that’s out there –- the core of who I am is caring about kids, and when that is questioned I’ve got to,” Calipari said.
“Anybody that knows me knows what I stand for and knows my beliefs. And it doesn’t matter if I’m living in California, Texas, Kentucky, Florida, Boston, my beliefs are what they are. I made the statement, ‘I stand by these kids. I believe in these kids.’ And they know that.
“You just, again, you march on. You do what you think is right. Normally what’s right isn’t always popular and doing what’s popular is not always right, and that’s why you’ve got to fall back on your faith and your belief system.”
Calipari’s players certainly appreciate the way he stood with them and supported them during and after the protest.
“Coach Cal loves his players. He treats us like we’re his sons. He’s never going to be against us. He’s always for us and he’s always supporting us no matter what it is,” UK sophomore Jacob Toppin said. “That (criticism of Calipari) was nonsense. He’s definitely helped us through all of this. He’s definitely been there for us through all of this. He’s a great guy. He’s a great coach.”
Toppin said the team discussed the criticism Calipari got and didn’t like it because it was a “false narrative about him.”
