Vicky Graff Photo
If you believe the Kentucky men’s basketball program needs a general manager to help oversee the operation, you likely will not like what Kentucky coach Mark Pope said on his radio show this week.
Pope admitted a general manager had been an “ongoing conversation” but didn’t sound like UK was anywhere near ready to make the move and hire on.
“We’ve had a lot of conversations trying to find exactly the space that will work best for us. As everybody figures this out, that is certainly a direction that some teams have gone with, with really incredibly varied levels of success,” Pope said. “So we’re probably having conversations about it on a weekly basis.”
Those conversations have not moved fast enough to probably impact UK’s 2026-27 roster even though Pope said when he was hired that he brought the idea of hiring a general manager up without being prodded to do so. That was almost two years ago with no real speculation that hiring a general manager is going to happen any time soon.
The transfer portal opens in just over a month on April 7. Kentucky does not have a high school player signed or verbally committed for next year and could face a major roster rebuild for the third straight season.
While Pope has had success in the transfer portal, he’s not really hit any home runs in the portal and many thought before the season even started that he overpaid for this year’s roster.
Without a general manager to help with personnel and budgeting, Pope could again have a difficult time building a roster capable of competing for a national title.
5 Responses
Who has the "example" program UK should look at? I don't know who has a GM and who doesn't so I can't compare. I do know, GMs are hired and fired nearly every week in pro sports. If you get a good one, that is great; make the wrong hire and everyone fails.
I can understand Pope being hesitant. Give a GM too much control and everyone's success rides on someone other than yourself. Give them too little control and what is the point in having one? Do you run it as the coach is the "owner" or the GM is the "owner?" What duties do you want to give to someone else and what duties do you take from others? Will assistants feel slighted if you tell them you have found someone you trust more than them to make the decisions they have been making?
It is a huge a step and not one you can just jump in to without a lot of thought, planning, and taking the time to find the right person.
Who is in control now? Pope? Barnhart? JMI?
Think Priority One should be making sure we have the right coach!
EXACTLY!!!
Ya.. tried yo think of an alternative answer to your post.. ive got nothing..cant argue with that