Kentucky to hire Mark Pope: BYU coach and 1996 Wildcats player agrees to take over for John Calipari

Mark Pope, a former standout basketball player for the University of Kentucky (UK) Wildcats, has been announced as the new head coach of the UK men's basketball team, effective immediately, according to multiple reports. Pope, who led Brigham Young University (BYU) to the NCAA Tournament this past season, will replace John Calipari, who announced his departure from UK on March 28, 2023, after 12 successful seasons with the team.

Pope, who hails from Louisville, Kentucky, played for the Wildcats from 1993 to 1997, leading them to the NCAA championship in 1996, where they defeated Syracuse University in the final game. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four that year, averaging 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game during the tournament.

After his playing career, Pope began his coaching journey at his alma mater, serving as an assistant coach under Tubby Smith from 1998 to 2002. He then spent time at Vanderbilt University, where he was an assistant coach under Bruce Pearl from 2002 to 2005, before joining his mentor, Smith, at Georgia Tech from 2005 to 2008.

In 2008, Pope became the head coach at Utah Valley University, where he led the Wolverines to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments from 2015 to 2017. He was then hired by his former team, BYU, in 2018, where he spent five seasons, leading the Cougars to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2015 this past season.

As the new head coach of UK, Pope will inherit a team that finished the 2022-23 season with a record of 25-10, reaching the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament before being eliminated by eventual champion Connecticut. The Wildcats will return several key players, including Oscar Tshiebwe, who was named the National Player of the Year by multiple organizations, and Sahvir Wheeler, who led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in assists per game.

The hiring of Pope marks a return to his alma mater for the former Wildcat standout, who will look to build on the success that Calipari brought to the program during his tenure. With his extensive coaching experience, including leading teams to multiple NCAA Tournaments, Pope is poised to continue UK's tradition of excellence on the basketball court.

The University of Kentucky's athletic director, Mitch Barnhart, expressed his excitement about the hiring, stating, "Mark has a proven track record of success at every level of college basketball, from his time as a player at Kentucky, to his tenure as a head coach at Utah Valley, and most recently at BYU. We are thrilled to welcome him back to Lexington."

The hiring of Pope marks the beginning of a new era for UK basketball, and fans are eagerly anticipating what the future holds for the program under its new leader.