Mark Pope Officially Becomes UK's 23rd Basketball Coach

[Devin]

Interesting factoid I heard about Pope earlier from Oscar Combs: he played his freshman season at Washington under former Kentucky assistant Lynn Nance. Nance was an assistant in the mid '70s and would've been around when UK was assembling its powerful championship team.

Sort of a weird historical tidbit.

I like little tidbits in history, and how interconnected they are... I never knew that.

[Lighthouse]

Changing systems or rebuilds are tough. This is going to be harder because it's actually a cultural change attempt. There are a whole bunch of current fans that know little of anything but the Calipari model. Throw in NIL and the transfer portal and its a risky gambit...there are few talented kids willing to sit, stay and develop.
if hard work and enthusiasm can eventually make a winner, we have a good shot in a couple years.

.meantime, it seems basketball is exciting again and we look at the future with possibilities instead of the certainty of HOPING we have enough super frosh to compete.

Hang on guys....one way or another the roller coaster is heating up and gets rolling this afternoon.

As usual, well said Bill. At this point I'm so glad Cal is elsewhere, even the difficult spots we will have will be exciting, I hope. And James, I'm glad you are back watching our BB Cats.

[Joneslab]

I keep hoping I’ll get an update about some kind of contract snag or something.

This is a nightmare and y’all are lapping it up like vampires.

I think "vampire" is more apt for a situation where he starts losing and fans still back him. (And there's going to be losing here at the start, obviously. Bank it. Most Kentucky fans are gonna realize that and react accordingly.)

What's happening now is just people being fans.

[Lighthouse]

Fans being fans. Yes, and it's time for something positive because there's been enough negative for a spell.

[Jody Porter]

I think the concerns people are having are totally fair and legit. But until Pope shows that he can't win here, I think we should all get behind him and build some online momentum for him. We've seen quite a bit of that the last couple days, I bet it went from (approx nums) 2% for vs 98% against to 90ish vs 10ish now. (Based on IRL talks I've had, and my corner of Twitter...it's possible I don't have a good sample, I admit)

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[justafan]

Yes, concerns are fine, but some fans are definitely over-the-top doom&gloom.

As everyone pointed out, other successful coaches started out in less-than-stellar careers, including Hurley.

[George]

To his credit, Pope is already in position to start the season with one of the best front courts in America (Khalifa and Amari Williams).

[TrueblueCATfan]

Just read there are a lot of fans in line at Rupp...been there since 1:30

[Catsrock]

I keep hoping I’ll get an update about some kind of contract snag or something.

This is a nightmare and y’all are lapping it up like vampires.

So what’s the alternative? Does showing him how unwelcome he is make him fail quicker? Giving Mitch another go at it?

[KCKUKFan]

I keep hoping I’ll get an update about some kind of contract snag or something.

This is a nightmare and y’all are lapping it up like vampires.

Yeah same here.

This is a disaster and our fans are lapping it up because it reminds them of the Pitino 90s.

Note that these will be the same people calling for his head when we win 10 games this year.

[40bill]

Well...I hope KCKUK and Downes are wrong, but realistically who would you have after Drew, Oats and Hurley pretty much cited family as not wanting to come and Donovan APPARENTLY (and certainly warranted) wanting to wait until Chicago's season was over? Pearl was never going to be the choice of the UK higher-ups. Loyd perhaps?

It may well be a Joker Phillips hire. Or Pelphrey.
CLipari was ALWAYS going to leave the cupboard empty...his players were specifically recruited to play for the guy that cared about the name on the back...he was adamant about that.

ANY new coach would face a major rebuild.
So, names guys...who?
Anybody but Pope?

[Jody Porter]

As one tweeter said earlier, "the excitement is PAPAL-ble". I have the utmost respect for everyone in here, but I can't imagine not being excited today of all days lol.

But like Ive also said, I "get" the concerns, and really, we're not going to quell any of them, probably, until roster-building is complete and we get some results on the court.

Go Cats

[Catsrock]

My point is it doesn’t matter who. Pope was hired and no fan can fire him. Does it make one a bad UK fan, or just a stupid one to support the guy who has the job?

And—IF he proves to be an awful coach—those who are lapping it up now will have every bit as much right to call for his job as those who are currently acting as though something should be done about him getting the job in the first place. He got the job. Mad about it? Start a petition to fire Mitch before running Pope out of town. Those petitions are always real effective 🤣

[Lighthouse]

The Kentucky Basketball Program needed a change. Cal was never again going to win here. Mark Pope wasn't my choice either, but he is our coach and he may well fail. But before having gloom and doom thoughts, first look for something positive about Coach Pope, First, he wants to be here because it's Kentucky and that's a positive change.

[uglyduckling]

My point is it doesn’t matter who. Pope was hired and no fan can fire him. Does it make one a bad UK fan, or just a stupid one to support the guy who has the job?

And—IF he proves to be an awful coach—those who are lapping it up now will have every bit as much right to call for his job as those who are currently acting as though something should be done about him getting the job in the first place. He got the job. Mad about it? Start a petition to fire Mitch before running Pope out of town. Those petitions are always real effective 🤣

A petition may not be needed with the swimming scandal that's brewing.