Mark Pope believes assistant coach Jason Hart is a special coach. (UK Athletics Photo)
Several national college basketball analysts felt Mark Pope hit a home run when he put Jason Hart on his staff because of his high school, college and NBA connections. Pope said Hart, the former G League Ignite head coach, even turned down an NBA opportunity to come to Lexington.
“After I hired him here, an NBA team actually came really, really hard after him. He went through the interview process and just decided it wasn’t the right time or situation for him,” Pope said.
Hart has also been an assistant coach at Southern Cal and Pepperdine. He was a G League head coach from 2021-24.
“J-Hart is a no-brainer. He just finished as a head coach in the G League. If he hadn’t taken the job with Ignite, he would be a head coach somewhere else right now,” Pope said. “He’s one of those guys who’s on an insane trajectory in this business because he’s that good.”
Pope said Hart could easily be an assistant NBA coach next year and eventually a NBA head coach.
“He’s that good. He’s universally beloved throughout basketball,” Pope said. “He’s already been a great head coach, but he’s going to be one of those guys either in the NBA or college ranks that you’re going to be looking at as one of the best coaches in the game. He’s really, really special.”
