Kentucky coaching search update: New candidate with UK ties emerges, per report
Kentucky is considering BYU head coach Mark Pope for its vacant head coach position, according to a report.
That’s per college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, who notes that Pope was a member of Kentucky’s 1996 national championship team.
Sources: BYU's Mark Pope is a candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Kentucky.
Pope was a member of the 1996 national title team in Lexington.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 11, 2024
Pope has been the head coach at BYU since 2019 and led the Cougars to a very successful transition into the Big 12 this season. BYU went 10-8 in Big 12 play and earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It was BYU’s second appearance in the Big Dance over the past 4 seasons.
Pope’s name is emerging after Baylor coach Scott Drew publicly withdrew his name from consideration on Wednesday. Other candidates for the job reportedly include Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls and Dan Hurley of UConn. Both Donovan and Hurley have won 2 national championships at the collegiate level in their careers.
Pope has been a college coach since 2009. He began as an assistant at Georgia, Wake Forest and then BYU. He got his first head coaching job from Utah Valley State in 2015 and then stayed there for 4 seasons before moving on to the BYU head coaching position.
He is 187-108 in 9 seasons as a head coach between Utah Valley State and BYU.
Pope ran a 3-point heavy offense this season at BYU. The Cougars shot 50.4% of their total field goal attempts from 3-point range, which ranked 4th nationally. The strategy largely worked, as BYU finished the season with the No. 14 offense in the country, per KenPom’s efficiency metrics.
However, BYU’s offense in previous years under Pope was much-less centered around the 3-point line. Only once in BYU’s previous 4 seasons under Pope did the Cougars have a 3-point attempt rate above 40%.
In 1996, Pope averaged 7.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game for a Wildcats team that went on to win the national championship. Ironically, that UK team defeated a John Calipari-led UMass team 81-74 in the Final Four. Pope had 8 points and 3 rebounds off the bench in that contest.
Kentucky is expected to make a head coaching hire in the coming days.
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Y’all like the fat girl at the prom. Can’t get anyone to dance with you. LMAO
Well if I need any condolences, I’ll start in Knoxville with the bunch that has missed out on the Final Four – Forever
Ah, don’t mind or let him get to you! At least y’all still have footba… Oh wait. My bad!
I mean he does have more final fours and a championship than anyone at UT.
Can’t see Kentucky going this route .. they have to get a proven guy not an up and comer
Is Pope even an up and comer? So far, he’s just a guy.
They might be able to pull old mediocre Mike from uga!
If I were them, I would go after your guy before Pope.
If they hire him BBN will come unhinged.UK has the bucks. Hope Donovan doesn’t make the playoffs and pony up and make him an offer similar to what there suggesting in the article00
Seriously SEC123? Have you forgotten your football searches the last few years? Ya might just want to keep your stupid comments to yourself.
Yes I do. That’s why it’s called payback. Enjoy
The Vols just aren’t very good
Man I know one thing. Money is going to be flying fast and furious all over the country. Just unreal about all the NIL. And you know, if Arkansas has boosters with deep pockets, so do just about all the other schools in the power conferences, or at least the ones that end up in a super league, which you know is going to happen. It’ll be like the high stakes poker games. Don’t come to the table unless your pockets are full. 18 years old looking for the highest bidder.