John Calipari to Critics of Lifetime Kentucky Contract: 'Why Are You Mad?'

Kentucky Wildcats head basketball coach John Calipari questioned critics of the lifetime contract extension he signed with the school on Monday. 

Calipari appeared on the Wednesday edition of ESPN's Get Up (via Chris Fisher of 247Sports) to discuss his new deal and noted he didn't understand the negative response from some media members.

"There are people that, I don't know if it's their opinion or their hope, but they get mad and it's like, 'Why are you mad? What's this make you mad about?' Our fans are happy, our administration is happy, I'm happy. I guess that's all it's about."

Kentucky came to terms with Calipari on the unique long-term contract amid rumors the UCLA Bruins were trying to make a push to hire him away.

Seth Davis of The Athletic reported UCLA offered a six-year, $48 million contract, but the 60-year-old Pennsylvania native turned down the proposal.

Although Calipari didn't discuss specifics during his appearance on Get Up, he did state he's regularly in contact with people outside Kentucky at both the collegiate and NBA levels, per Forbes' Adam Zagoria.

"So yeah, I talk to people at the end of every year," he said. "I've talked to NBA teams at the end of every year. And it may not be something that I have an interest in, it may be a relationship that I want to have because a lot of times they're drafting my kids, and I want to be able to pick up a phone to an owner and say, 'Hey, what about my guy?'"

Clay Travis of Fox Sports Radio was among those to speak out about the deal, arguing the contract is "indefensible given revenue UK basketball produces" and his status as a state employee.

The former head coach of the Massachusetts Minutemen, Memphis Tigers and the NBA's New Jersey Nets said he doesn't see the reasoning behind the backlash.

"Let me say this, a lifetime contract, sometimes they declare you dead in three years," Calipari said on Get Up. "So you never know with this stuff how it goes."

Calipari owns a 305-71 record across 10 years at Kentucky, highlighted by leading the Wildcats to a national championship in 2012.