Pope, Brooks Both Impress Tubby Smith On and Off the Court

Coach Mark Pope with Tubby Smith at Big Blue Madness. (Vicky Graff Photo)

When Rick Pitino made his triumphant return to Rupp Arena for Kentucky’s 2024 Big Blue Madness he was not the only former UK coach who was supposed to be there.

It was no surprise that new Kentucky coach Mark Pope invited Pitino, his former coach on UK’s 1996 national championship team, to be part of Pope’s first Big Blue Madness. But he also invited former UK coach Tubby Smith, who won a national title in 1998.

“My sister was ill and I could not be there but I was supposed to be there,” said Smith.

Pope invited Smith back again this year and this time Smith was able to make it back to Lexington for the Big Blue Madness festivities.

“I was pleasantly surprised and pleased that they invited me to participate,” Smith, who had a 263-83 record in his 10 seasons at UK, said.

Making a trip back to Kentucky is not unusual. He was already coming to Kentucky for a NIL fundraiser at Kentucky State University. A few weeks earlier he had done the same thing for Eastern Kentucky University. He was also in Lexington when Tayshaun Prince, one of his former players, was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame.

“It was good to see a lot of former players,” Smith said. “I spent some time with Mark last year and I coached against him when I was at Georgia (and Pope played at Kentucky). I also had a chance to visit with (UK women’s coach) Kenny Brooks who wanted me to come in and say a few words to his team. He told me I had been a role model to him for years.

“I was so impressed with the character of the coaches that are leading our Kentucky Wildcats.  I’m so impressed with the level of teaching and coaching and how their players communicate and respond to their teaching and coaching.”

Smith was also impressed with the Big Blue Madness atmosphere.

“It was so well done and Kentucky fans are unbelievable. They are the best and it was a great feeling to be there,” the former UK coach said. “The Fan Fest (Saturday afternoon before Madness) was fantastic. I spoke there on the stage with Kenny Brooks, signed autographs and just had fun with fans.

“They no longer do the camping (outside Memorial Coliseum). I liked that. Our players would take doughnuts and pizza out to the fans camping out. (My wife) Donna went out there, too, with the fans.”

Smith, the national coach of the year three times in his 27 years as a head coach, believes Pope’s team will be better than his first team that reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen.

“I think he has an outstanding team. They are better than they were last year. He has top notch players returning, players like Otega Oweh and Trent Noah,” Smith said. “Jasper Johnson looked good in practice. Really, they all looked good. They have great size. I was so impressed with the team’s depth and size.

“I think Mark did a remarkable job last year with a new team. Getting to the second weekend (of the NCAA) with no returning players is remarkable. To build a competitive team that quick is not easy. If he had not got some kids hurt I think they would have won the league.

“This job is not easy. You are representing the best program and best fans in the nation and you are always thinking about what you can do to make Kentucky basketball better in any way you can. But you have to still be yourself and I think Mark did that last year.”

Smith might find himself back in Kentucky even more soon. He said his wife has mentioned that maybe they should move back to Lexington where they lived for 12 years — two years when he was an assistant under Pitino and 10 years when he was head coach.

“We never really had a second home anywhere. We lived in Lexington longer than we did anywhere else and still have a lot of friends here as well as a lot of great memories,” Smith said. “So we are definitely considering a move back here.”