Mark Pope (Vicky Graff Photo)
We could all take advice from coach Mark Pope’s playbook.
I will freely admit sometimes while listening to Pope’s press conference I have to google a few words. Just a few months into the season I have learned there is such a thing as analytics in basketball. Do I understand it? No. However, after Kentucky’s start to the season, I believe in it.
No fan will ever be on the bench making game decisions. However, if we all took the time to be a little more like Pope in our actions and words perhaps we could make a difference in this crazy world.
THANKFUL/GRATEFUL
Coach Pope uses these words in every speech and interview. He is genuinely thankful to be the coach at the University of Kentucky. He is grateful to represent each member of the BBN every day.
As fans, we should be thankful to be part of the best (craziest) fan base in the nation. Be thankful that while traveling and sporting your UK gear you are recognized by fellow fans with a “Go Cats.” Be thankful that there are fellow fans throughout the world who share your passion. Be thankful that Pope has united the fan base. As a side note, be thankful for Tyson Chicken.
UNDERSTAND THE ASSIGNMENT
As fans, we should understand that there will be wins and there will be losses. Fans will vent on radio shows and social media but will quickly return to being a united fan base. Fans know Pope will accept blame, make corrections, and go back to the drawing board. We are not talked down to and we know Pope realizes that every game and tournament is important.
NOT ONE PERSON BIGGER THAN THE PROGRAM
From Adolph Rupp to John Calipari many a strong man has held the position of head coach at Kentucky. There have been good and there have been mediocre and maybe a little bad but one thing has been constant — the fan base has not faltered. Rupp Arena has always been near capacity for all games even through the worst of times.
Pope has openly stated on many occasions that it is not about him. It is about the tradition of Kentucky basketball. It is what is on the front of the jersey, not the back. It is his job to uphold the tradition, not make it about himself. Remember this year as you cheer for the Cats that this team was handpicked by Pope to be a part of the greatest tradition in college basketball. They dreamed of donning the blue and white and playing in Rupp. Remember that when the shots aren’t falling. This is not a stepping stone for the players but for many a final destination.
Koby Brea recently was quoted saying, “Coach Pope is a good human.”
We should all strive that in our lives someone would say that about us.
6 Responses
Nice article,
No matter what anyone says about Calipari’s coaching, he is a good human. Calipari helped more people in the state of Kentucky than any coach ever! I would say anyone ever. I’m not saying Pope isn’t a good guy. Also just because you have always dreamed of playing for the Cats doesn’t mean you are good enough to play for the Cats.
Nobody ever said John Calipari was a bad guy. He has done much to help people who needed it. My issue with Calipari was his "players first" bullshit. After the loss to Wisconsin, he lost his edge. He did win the SEC in the Covid year, but never got farther due to the cancellation of play. His first round losses in the NCAA afterwards and his cute excuses did him in. If he ever had the chance to redeem his coaching prowess it would have been this year at Arkansas. It’s still early, but things are not looking too good for him or the Hogs.
Pope still has growing pains to endure this season. We don’t have a dominant post presence and that hurts our rebounding and defense. Pope is trying to establish a culture here that most of the kids are resisting. The two kids who really do bleed blue aren’t good enough to help much this year. There is not a drop of blue blood in the rest of the team. Now when it matters, these seniors are going to play for what matters the most to them…a possible NBA shot…and you really can’t blame them. You can’t blame Pope, he had 6 weeks to assemble a coaching staff and a group of kids that had never played together. This is the wrong year for Pope or Calipari to jump into the SEC with patchwork teams and hope to excel. BBN was hoping for more, the Hogs were EXPECTING more. Pope will get a fresh start next season. Next season could be Calipari’s last.
Last sentence is a mic drop statement!
He is always going to defend CAL and love CAL no matter what we say–it ain’t never gonna change–he might as well be rockin RAZORBACK gear–hes not a true KY fan–hes a CAL-FAN, and theres a big difference. CAL-FANS will wish CAL could be the KY coach forever, meaning CAL himself is bigger than the KY program. CAL himself believed he was bigger than the KY program, and that’s really what did him in with (most) fans—true fans. But the TRUE FANS understand that UK and BBN is bigger than any one coach or any one player. Only one person would ever have the right to even try to claim that title, and it would be the architect, the founder, and the BUILDER, of what UK and BBN are, and that’s the man whose name is on the arena. He is the UK GODFATHER—plain and simple. And he set the standard of success for all future coaches who would come here after him. 8 NCAA championships won by 5 different coaches. Sustained level of success by multiple coaches and players over a century’s worth of time and a century’s worth of bball. There are a lot of our "fans" who don’t know anything about or understand everything about this program’s history, and what it has meant to many people. BBN wished for a coach who feels exactly about the UK BBALL program the way we wanted them to, and we got our wish! U aren’t going to find anybody else, except for other former players, who are going to feel about UK BBALL the way Mark Pope feels about UK BBALL. It was meant to be. And he will build his program his own way the way he wants to and with the players he wants to, and each year, it will get better and easier as he is here longer, and he has had time to establish his identity and his culture. With all of this said, the game has clearly changed dramatically, as far as the kids are concerned, and it is becoming increasingly questionable as to how many of them care more about working on their own game and trying to become better and loving a certain team or a program over their own individual money-making abilities and everything they will receive and get. Its a different generation of kids. That’s why I love having kids like Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno–two kids who are from KY and LOVE KY, and whose love we know at least played SOME PART in their decision to come here. But obviously, we also have to try to still keep KY at or near the top in terms of recruiting because u have to have some semblance of TALENT as well, and lack of talent I believe is the biggest issue with this team right now. So that will be one of the challenges that Coach Pope will face as he goes along into next year and the year after that. Its KY—its high expectations—nobody said it was easy. If it was, KY wouldnt BE WHAT IT IS. That was part of where CAL went wrong–the older he got, the more he wanted things to be easy, and he didn’t like or want the pressure anymore. And that showed in the results and the quality of play and quality of coaching ON THE COURT in the last 5 yrs. So because of all that, and because of his feelings and attitudes towards the fan base and towards the bball program itself having soured, HE LEFT ON HIS OWN! He made the decision. And he also mistakenly believed that we would get down on our knees and beg him to come back after he made his announcement—think again, CAL. YOU ARE NOT KY. There is no C in KING—-KING begins with a K. KENTUCKY IS THE KING. And Mark Pope understands that better than anybody. And especially at this day and age, I would take having someone who DOES understand that, and is also ONE OF US, DONT FORGET, over anybody else out there. And I will take his intelligence and knowledge of the game too, any day, over most. That could really be of aid to a team, especially one like this that maybe isn’t at the normal level of talent that we have had in the program for awhile. GO COACH POPE, AND GO CATS!!!! WE LOVE U!
Next season won’t be Cal’s last. If Pope goes to 7 elite 8’s, 4 FF’S, and wins one in his first ten years, then you can run your mouth James. "Fans" like you have become whiners since 2016. Pope is not a super coach. If he was he could figure out how the team can score when not hitting three’s. He just wants to shoot more. No defense except Butler. Maybe you "basketball bennies" can give him some advice. You wanted the "old players". I wish Kenny Brooks would give him some advice.