The Kentucky Wildcats have finally made a decision on a head coach for the men’s basketball program and while it might be a name most fans aren’t familiar with, it’s a move that stays somewhat within the Kentucky family. Mark Pope, formerly the head coach at Utah Valley State and BYU, has accepted the job to lead the Wildcats after John Calipari’s sudden departure to Arkansas.
Breaking: Kentucky has officially named Mark Pope as its men’s basketball coach, the school announced. pic.twitter.com/Eqgp0kBW0C
— ESPN (@espn) April 12, 2024
Pope was part of Kentucky’s 1996 national championship team, and the Wildcats will surely play that up when introducing him. The reality is he wasn’t Kentucky’s first choice, with Scott Drew and Dan Hurley being the initial targets. Neither coach budged from their current spots, leaving the Wildcats to search for alternatives. The BYU coach probably comes out of left field considering there were coaches like Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger and Illinois’ Brad Underwood who may have also made the jump, but Pope has more ties to Kentucky than those two.
Amassing 110 wins in five seasons at BYU, Pope does have a track record for success. Unfortunately, he hasn’t made it past the first round of the tournament in either appearance with the Cougars. Pope did show he could take his team to the tournament after leveling up in conferences with BYU moving from the WCC to the Big 12, so that bodes well for the challenge the SEC brings.
Grade: B
This isn’t a home run hire, largely because this isn’t Kentucky’s first choice. Pope knows that and is likely going to have to answer some questions regarding the search process about that. He’s unproven when it comes to NCAA tournament success, something which ultimately sent Calipari out the door despite the recruitment level remaining high. Pope is going to get good players at Kentucky, and he’s probably a better Xs and Os coach than Calipari on gameday. That alone should alleviate some of the issues Calipari had when playing teams predominantly comprised of freshmen and sophomores.
Pope is going to run this program differently and probably introduce more of a veteran presence necessary to win in college basketball these days. Calipari tried doing this but Pope is going to fully embrace it. That’ll be a benefit to Kentucky over time when it comes to postseason results. Although the Wildcats might slip a bit in recruiting rankings, those postseason victories will make up for it. There’s always a baseline for success with a program of Kentucky’s caliber, so Pope will have to prove he can make it his own and elevate it.