UK Athletics Photo
The University of Kentucky named Mark Pope as the new head coach of their men’s basketball team. He’s the 23rd head coach in program history and a former team captain of the school’s 1996 National Title team.
Pope played two seasons for Kentucky after transferring from Washington and was a second round pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, playing a total of six seasons with stops in Indiana, Milwaukee and Denver.
It’s the ultimate dream job for Pope to return to his alma mater and coach the Kentucky Wildcats. He’ll bring the passion Kentucky fans have been long for over the last five years. You can go as far as saying this could very well be a match made in heaven.
Pope has nine years of head coaching experience at Utah Valley and BYU. His combined record at those schools is 110–52. He’ll step into the Kentucky job with a massive boost of NIL funds, significant facility upgrades and the brand of the winningest program in the history of college basketball.
The new Kentucky head coach signed a five-year contract worth $5.5 million per season. He’ll be introduced by UK Athletics in a news conference on Sunday, April 14 at 4:30 p.m. ET inside Rupp Arena.
30 Responses
I think Mark has a lot of upside, but like everything else I don’t control, I will wait and see. I am excited to have him and wish him nothing but the best. I just have the same feelings I always have when change happens. You are never sure of what you are getting or how things will work out. You just have to jump in and do your best.
OF…..I think you are speaking of the feelings of most of us. I was more skeptical 24 hrs ago bc it looked like a desperate move by Barney. After listening to the Barney and Ricky P’s interviews and comments, I do feel more confident and feel that will continue to build as the team takes construction.
Any kind of championship in the first 4 years will be a bonus. He will have a patchwork team next year and needs a couple of years to bring his players in who fit and will buy into his system. He will recruit kids from Kentucky and the surrounding states who want to be coached to play team ball. It will be a refreshing change from the "players first" philosophy pandered by the FRAUD.
It feels like someone opened a window and fresh air has been let in.
THEY DID!!! Don’t let the Virtue-Signalers get u down, they’re all done now, they have nothing left to attack us with now that they’re LOVECOACH is gone, all they have left are memories, and the best memories of CAL have already been a thing of the long-ago past LONG before he left UK!! the original CAL that was hired here left many many years ago. Oh, shame on me for saying such a thing!!!!!
I wonder if the kid from Harlan County can decommit and come to Kentucky?
No need to say things like that,cal did Kentucky an BBN good, lots of nice memories,
Lot of very good memories James
Does anyone know if Tyler Ullis is staying with us? Please tell me that we will not lose him!!!
I think that will be up to Tyler. Calipari doesn’t own him, but I am sure he will extend a very good offer for him to come to Fayetteville.
Maybe Pope will talk to Tyler and make an offer for him to stay, let’s hope so anyway. If given a choice, what will Tyler do…stay true to Calipari or be true to Kentucky?
I hope Tyler gets a choice and makes a good one in the eyes of BBN. Time will tell.
I think if given a chance, Tyler stays at UK
Barry, u might have something there about CAL OWNING Tyler! LOL
No he’s moving on with coach cal, sorry
If anyone hasn’t seen video endorsement by Pitino it’ll give you goosebumps.. The fact Pitino would write a check for N.I.L. money for UK while coaching at St. John’s is so freaking wild and incredibly heartwarming and such a great show of support. Truly amazing. Let’s ride
It shows that Pitino loves Kentucky, even if we didn’t ask him to come back and be our coach. I liked Pitino on the court, it was his off the court antics that got him in trouble. Considering that AND his age, I think Pope was the right choice. Let’s get the formalities over with tomorrow and let Mark get to work.
COACH MARK POPE will prove to be the bargain of the decade among college coaches. He is intelligent (2 years of Med School!), was the CAPTAIN of the loaded 1996 UK Champs with many super star players who went to the NBA! He has an awesome mind to apply to his offensive schemes and sounds like he has been applying a lot he learned from Pitino.
DEFENSE just arrived!
Pope PLAYED on the 1996 Champ TEAM whose DEFENSE was so incredible that Hugh Durham (UGA) called it a SHARK FEEDING FRENZY. The fire carried over to the offensive end.
The bench WILL be a motivator for DEFENSE because the Pet Program just flew the coop!
DESIRE + developing & coaching = WINS
What a welcome change from Cal! Go Mark Pope and his Wildcats! Lee Campbell–from Madisonville,Ky and since 1951–several places in Illinois. But I have continued to be a huge fan of the Wildcats!
Glad you have kept the faith lee
He does believe in defense LIttle Baron
Larry, what players are possibilities to stay? Heard Sheppard interview with Dick. Not hopeful.
I am not sure I would expect any current players back
I’m just glad that we won’t be hearing we’re YOUNG. It’s basketball & these kids gave been playing year round for many years. Go getium MARK & bring back the play & enthusiasm like Rick had in the 90’s. The program is bigger than the coach.
Like your thinking David
Coach Pope & these 7 players are a Top 10 team!
Consistent OFFENSE will flow out of a TEAM FIRST mentality. Player development FOR COLLEGE GAMES, solid coaching, set plays, real screens for 3’s, blocking out to rebound… will return the genuine UK BB to Rupp Arena!
Sheppard & Perry will be the top guard duo in the nation!
Joey Hart (a phenomenal HS player) ALWAYS WANTED to play for UK since his youth will give 15-20 min of quality backup.
Thiero & Burks had higher efficiencies than EVERY player with big minutes, except Sheppard. Pope will convince them their time has come!
UGO & Big Z will be developed – Pope was the “big man” on the Title Team! Their potential is sky high!
There gone,there cals guys,there not going to stay an listen to all this trash talk about coach cal, saying
What a relief after Cal. Go, go Mark Pope and the Wildcats! Lee A . Campbell. Born in Madisonville,Ky. My Dad moved to Illinois where I’ve been since 1951. But my heart and soul have been with the Wildcats!
I’ve watched BYU on tv a few times this past year…I enjoyed their style of play even though they were not a “big” team…initially I was not a proponent of the Pope selection(I wanted Pearl or Pitino) but as these few days have past since his selection I’ve reflected on the BYU games I’ve watched and made the decision that Coach Pope should be given the benefit of the doubt…I think he will make a complete makeover to the program and focus on the right things that make UK Basketball “so special”…it may take him a couple of years to get the program where we all want it to be but I want to believe that he will do it!….welcome Coach Pope
Good start let’s enjoy this again
At first I was shocked but yesterday I found peace with it. I would rather have a coach who loves the university with his soul rather than himself. Bring Kentucky back Mark Pope the whole state is on board. Lets.get the ball rolling. If he can convince just 3 or 4 players from last year to come back and he adds his best 4 or 5 players at BYU and gets a couple scorers in the transfer portal we might just beat Arkansas by 20. BBN