It looks like Drew to UK - Nope Drew turns down Kentucky - UK scrambles and turns to Mark Pope (BYU)

AKA… good job it looks like Pope.

 

Thoughts?

My UK friends don’t seem too stoked.

 

First off let me say it is unfair to Pope as he will get the backlash. As the AD you say that you are going to get a PROVEN winner and this candidate is not this yet as a college basketball coach.

However this is my bed as I wanted Calipari out any means necessary so I deserve what we get. I guess no one wanted to be the coach at UK.

I will say this, if this doesn’t work they both will be out in a hurry.

On a positive note his teams do play with pace and he is a go getter. I’m just honestly numb.

 

5 years at BYU. First was COVID year with no post season. Would've made the big dance. Next 4 years, lots of years with double digit losses, 1 year no post season bid, 1 NIT quarterfinal appearance, and 2 Round of 64 exits. 5 years, zero NCAA wins. That's not going to win the press conference in Lexington. If Pope wasn't an alum, he would never sniff the KY job.

 

Our AD went rogue. This either going to be a massive failure or brilliant lol.

 

It seems the AD had to stop the bleeding, eventually they found someone who would not turn them down and who had UK ties. My guess is, this will be an experiment, seems no one wanted to be the guy who followed Cal. So if this guy doesn't do well and is fired, the next guy won't feel quite the pressure and UK would have more time getting a better coach who won't turn them down.
Also this was a Hail Mary, they went and found a Pope.

 

Yeah, outside of really strange and specific circumstances, my rule for judging hire quality is how many of the Top 20 programs, if they need a coach tomorrow, would make that their choice. Pretty sure the answer is none but his own school in this instance. Not usually a good sign, although anything can happen at an individual level.

 

Mark Pope.

Kentucky fans are livid.

They wanted our coach lol along with many others.

 

I'm just glad it's not Donovan.

 

Not surprised so many turned them down and they ended up with the family choice, hopefully they are about to Nebraska/Indiana themselves

 

Pope? LOL. They are toast in the SEC.

 

I was here for the 8th choice!

Big Blue font today:

POPE! NOPE!

 

I’ve had time to sleep on it albeit tossed and turned. It is not what I was expecting, but you have to give him a chance.

He is everything Calipari is not. He is young, innovative, and he will be Kentucky first. My only worry is obvious- recruiting!! The first step is Reed!

I am excited for a new start at UK. I am cheering hard for this to be a success. Our fans always have unrealistic expectations and so wish they would choose another program to support.

 

The great news is we will all get to see how it plays out. I hope he is already recruiting his tail off. Reed is the first one he needs to recruit. His father Jeff was Pope's roommate at Kentucky. This will be the first signal. If Reed leaves then that tells me something right away!

 

Honestly Fox I think this was our AD's second choice in his mind. I imagine our AD is hoping this is our Oats or Pearl with not much tourney success, but huge upside. The bottom line is they are tied together so it will either be a great move, or the AD's last move at UK.

 

aka . . . I edited your title for any late to the thread. If you don't like it, fix it however you want.

 

Why was Pitino so low on the list?

 

Pitino, Hurley and Donovan were pipe dreams.

 

I think this puts Kentucky at a generous 4th now in the SEC, behind Bama, Tennessee and Auburn (and barely ahead of Texas, with likely Arkansas and possibly Florida scorching at its heals). The SEC is now elite in the basketball world.

 

We don't even deserve to be that high. We are basically starting from the ground up. The more I think about it, the more excited I am about trying to build this back.