Veteran sportscaster Kenny Rice, a Kentucky native, understands how important this season is for coach Mark Pope. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kenny Rice, 69, is probably best known for his horse race reporting, including the Kentucky Derby, with NBC and MMA coverage for HDNet. The eastern Kentucky native also has been sports director for WTVQ-TV in Lexington and was a national stringer for ESPN from 1982-1990. He started work for NBC in 1999 and worked two Summer Olympics.
He’s also a 1980 University of Kentucky graduate who still follows the Wildcats closely but also has a national perspective on what UK men’s basketball and football are doing.
“I think this is such a big season coming up for Mark Pope. I am not an advocate of looking for new coaches but fans want instant results and want to win. At a program like Kentucky, getting to the NCAA is not a big deal. You are supposed to do that,” Rice said.
“I thought it was a big ask for Mark to come in here not having any proven success in NCAA Tournament play. Pope is smart. He’s likable. But that is not translating to the court. I think Kentucky certainly has to do better this year. I am not saying this is his last year but he has to make a run. The Sweet 16 is the least he should be happy with.”
Rice said he knows fans still love Pope but it has not been a two-year love fest after UK lost 14 games last year.
Rice can remember when John Ray, a hotshot Notre Dame assistant coach, came to Kentucky in 1969. He went 10-33 in four years, including 4-24 in SEC play.
“We have seen a lot of coaches come and go,” Rice said. “Mark Stoops is a friend of mine. I thought he did a good job, relatively speaking, and did things that had never happened at UK.
“(Will) Stein is another unproven guy. I hope no one tells me how tough the SEC is. You are in the SEC and you know the schedule is tough every year. Plus, it’s hard to make that claim considering what Vanderbilt and Missouri have done. It looks like he is bringing in good talent. He didn’t re-sign (quarterback) Cutter Boley and this new guy (Kenny Minchey) better be better than Boley.”
Rice knows UK needs both men’s basketball and football to be competitive in the SEC for fans to be happy and worries if Pope does not have a better season that UK could be headed for irrelevance like former national powers Syracuse and Indiana have experienced recently.
“The good thing for UK fans is that (women’s basketball coach) Kenny Brooks is building a first-class program. So if you are looking for somebody to cheer for next March, I think the women’s team will be a safe bet,” he said.
