Why Kentucky coach Mark Pope decided to follow a legend

• Myron Medcalf, ESPN

  • Personnel WriterNov 12, 2024, 10:00 AM ET Close Covers college basketball
  • Signed up with ESPN.com in 2011
  • Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

MARK POPE felt uncertain.There was a minute,

he confessed, after it was clear that he was Kentucky’s choice, when he stood alone at home and grappled with apprehension about a task that provided both spoils he knew well and barriers, too.Pope was the head coach at BYU, the second-winningest program in the state of Utah. If he took this task, he would be the head coach of the winningest group in guys’s college basketball history– following John Calipari, whose run consisted of a nationwide title and 4 journeys to the Last Four in 5 years.”You never follow a legend,

right?”Pope stated he questioned for a couple of minutes that night.”You never ever follow a legend.”Pope decided to anyway, even after Kentucky fans had publicly campaigned for more significant and effective coaches. But in the months considering that, Pope has actually converted a great deal of the cynics by being himself. That credibility– and a sped up push to build his first string– have turned concern to enjoyment about his very first season.But on the day of his introductory news conference at Rupp Arena, it was tough not to consider the stakes.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated It was the biggest moment of Pope’s profession, and he was riding on

a charter bus bring him and lots of

previous Wildcats players through campus– and then through a filling dock and onto the court.”The expectations at Kentucky are greater than anywhere else,”Pope stated to the crowd.

“That’s the standard which’s the history of Kentucky. If you don’t hang a banner, then you haven’t had an effective season. And I love that. “Showing up on a bus? That kind of fancy statement hadn’t been Pope’s design. However everything at Kentucky is exaggerated. In that moment, it was another reminder that he was no longer residing in the mountains of Provo, Utah, however had now gotten in an active volcano that has actually shown up the heat on everyone who has actually held the task over the past thirty years. At Kentucky, you normally get burned.Once Pope descended the bus’s steps on that Sunday in April, more than 15,000 fans– a number of whom had chosen to embrace the hire only hours earlier– rose and cheered for the captain of Kentucky’s 1996 nationwide title team and their brand-new leader. “It was like a family reunion,”Pope said.Pope’s previous teammates reminded him of the job ahead right before he got the microphone to reestablish himself to the Kentucky fan base at his very first news conference.” My previous teammates resembled,’Do not mess it up, man … Don’t mess it up,’ “Pope remembered. “He just had that quality of commitment and leadership that made a group fantastic,” former Kentucky

coach Rick Pitino, right, stated of Pope. Picture by Andy Lyons/Getty Images TONY DELK HAD warned Pope for the last time.For the 1995-96 Kentucky Wildcats– a group with nine future NBA players led by Rick Pitino– every practice had been controversial leading

as much as their run to the national title. But five days before the 1996 Last 4, Pope had actually set a series of difficult screens on Delk, later to be named the Most Outstanding Gamer of the 1996 NCAA competition, throughout a team drill. Delk told Pope to stop.Instead, on the next play– and four more times after that– Pope moved into position at the top of the secret and set the same hard screen that had bothered Delk before.

“It was like possibly 5 minutes from when we ran the play, and I pass him and I simply struck him in his midsection,”Delk said.”He drops and he’s down for the count. I said, ‘Mark, I gave you a caution.’And Coach Pitino was like, ‘Tony, go run on the treadmill!'” For Pope, Delk’s warning wasn’t enough to change his assignment. Pitino stated Pope made the nod as captain of that Kentucky squad for the exact same factors his teammates might have resented him in the minute for the

difficult screens on Delk: He always did what he was expected to do.Pope’s attention to detail and instruction brought him throughout his basketball journey. He had actually left Washington and transferred to Kentucky in 1994 after coach Lynn Nance had been fired following his second year with the program. His teammates rapidly discovered his

detailed approach, his positive disposition and his willingness to work.Pitino said he presumed Pope would do something other than coaching in the future because of his intelligence. He was a Rhodes Scholar prospect who later on registered at Columbia University’s medical school while he was in the NBA before he considered a course in coaching.But his colleagues knew he had leadership qualities.

He was Pitino’s translator and liaison. After one game, Pitino let the players know he had actually not been pleased with their performance, however before he could make it through his monologue, Pope stood and addressed everyone.”He’s like,’ We’re being contented,’ “Delk stated. “And we resemble,’Wait a minute? What the heck? What do you mean contented?’You know, we were working our butts off. We’re doing everything the coaches requested for. That stuck in the back of my mind. The primary reason I seethed was that I didn’t understand what’contented’ suggested. I had to go to the library and look the word up.”Added Pitino:”Every little thing that I would state, he would back it up to the team. He simply had that quality of loyalty and management that made a team terrific. I’ve coached extremely few Mark Popes in my life.”Those qualities also made him an endearing figure throughout his basketball profession. Pope, according to those who’ve witnessed his journey for years, has always had the capability to connect with individuals from a range of backgrounds.Although he averaged just 1.9 PPG in a six-year NBA career, Pope managed to discover a spot in professional basketball for almost a years( he likewise played in the CBA and overseas)due to the fact that of his character.”I always believed Mark was going to be a leader,”stated George Karl, who was the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks when Pope was on the group in the early 2000s.”He had a respectful worry but a significant amount of guts in almost everything he did. And I think he comprehends his obstacle at

Kentucky is going to be tough, but I think he’s also thrilled about the challenge of getting it done. “AT THE FINAL 4 in Phoenix last April, Tubby Smith took a seat for breakfast at his hotel simply as Calipari strolled into the room. Minutes later on, Pope– who was staying at the exact same hotel– appeared after a workout. The trio talked, and Pope requested for a picture with a pair of coaches he ‘d always admired.Just 24 hr later on, Calipari revealed he was leaving Kentucky to take the Arkansas job, which opened when Eric Musselman left for USC. Days after that random meetup, Pope became a not likely prospect for the Kentucky task.”It was actually surreal, “Smith said.” Now that I recall

on it, I can see how individuals may have said, ‘They must have been plotting something.’ “Smith, maybe more than anyone else on earth, can connect to Pope’s plight. In 1997, the former Kentucky assistant was worked with to replace Pitino, who had won the national title in 1996 and made a run to the title game in 1997 before

bolting for the Boston Celtics. Smith won a national title in his very first season, then invested almost a years attempting to duplicate that task to no avail. He left Kentucky in 2007 for Minnesota.

“Well, you’re always on at Kentucky, “Smith stated. “You have to win and you need to be productive. And even when you win, in some cases it’s insufficient. Obviously, every coach wants to win champions. We all want to win. However it’s not as easy as it looks or as it appears to win. And at Kentucky, you have the tools, you have the resources, but even with that, you’ve got to have some luck. However I think [Pope] will do a terrific job.”Pope is not an outsider listening to cautionary tales about the Kentucky experience. He has actually lived it– and liked it.

Pope had the option to temper the anticipation after he accepted the gig. He never ever did.”You consider how Coach Pitino altered the game with the 3-point line,”Pope stated.”You think of how Coach Tubby changed the game in regards to being a great resident for the game. You consider Cal reinventing the game in terms of recruiting. Kentucky is a fantastic program. Kentucky is a leadership program. So how do we continue this gorgeous [legacy]

“Calipari, who showed up prior to the 2009-10 season, injected optimism into the program when future NBA stars John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins led the group to the Elite Eight in 2010. 2 years later, Anthony Davis won the Wood Award and carried the Wildcats to their first nationwide title in more than a years. Overall, Calipari reached the Final Four in four of five seasons from 2011 to 2015. However he slowly lost his grasp on the top young players in America, and once the transfer portal became the most essential center for skill in the nation, Calipari’s propensity for luring elite freshmen to Lexington no longer mattered as much. In his last four years with the program, he learnt a nine-win season and stopped working to leave the preliminary of the NCAA tournament two times, unforgivable sins to Kentucky’s fan base. However those mishaps opened the door for a brand-new voice.Pope has actually already begun to sculpt the program in his image and personality. By the end of his period, Calipari had actually left his news conferences to his assistants and mainly refused to do interviews with local and national outlets. After the 9-16 season in 2020-21 and 3 first-weekend exits in the NCAA tournament in 3 years, Calipari seemed to shut down.Not Pope, who has actually literally kissed children and taken photos with hundreds of Kentucky fans. He likewise has crisscrossed the country and even made a global trip to assemble his first team. He flew to South America to enjoy Jasper Johnson, a first-class recruit from Lexington, contend in the FIBA U18 AmeriCup, and circled around the United States to build a roster from scratch through the transfer portal. A couple of weeks back, he sent out a signed jersey to Dolly Parton, the country music superstar. And he and his group also constructed a home with Environment for Humanity and attended the Kentucky football season opener against Southern Miss, which was delayed for two hours due to the fact that of lightning.

Rather of slipping the group through a VIP entryway, he and the players waited with everybody else outside the gates. Every relocation Pope made this offseason– locally, nationally and internationally– was documented by the Wildcats ‘social media channels, consisting of a current trip to the US Open, where he beinged in a VIP box.”They’re having a Kentucky basketball tailgate at the next football game where you can just come and meet the players, “said Drew Franklin, a radio host with Kentucky Sports Radio in Lexington. “That never ever taken place under [Calipari] It was almost like a president. You had to call someone to call someone to get to [Calipari] Now you just walk out your front door and there’s a high possibility you’re going to face Mark Pope someplace in Lexington. “It’s as if Pope wants to send out the message to an enthusiastic fan base that he wants to work harder than anyone else who might have taken this job. He’s a basketball coach who seeks the popular vote.It helped that Pope never ever declined the doubters, which was among his predecessor’s strengths. In reality, soon after Pope’s arrival, a popular booster was singing about his frustration in Kentucky’s choice. Pope never ever flinched.”Give me his number,”he informed Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart. “I’ll call him.””We talked, and now he is among our top advocates,”Pope said. “The only thing I stress over is I think he’s overextending himself excessive,”Pitino stated.”I simply hope he doesn’t get fatigued. It’s a long season, and he’s just doing everything to satisfy the thirst of the fans. I simply do not desire him to fatigue himself due to the fact that it’s excellent to do what he’s doing and he ingratiates himself very well to the fan base,

but likewise, he needs to have a great deal of energy in that tank since the SEC is truly difficult. ““At the University of Kentucky, it’s got more eyes on it,” Pope stated of the wild fan base.”It’s got more attention on it than any other program.”Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images ON A STUFFY July afternoon near the Georgia-South Carolina border, Pope took a call as he grappled with the newfound attention the letters “UK “on a crisp white polo attracted.As he hustled from one fitness center to the next at the packed Peach Jam occasion in North Augusta, South Carolina, viewers, training colleagues and pals all tried to stand out of the new Kentucky men’s basketball head coach in the corridor.”Hey, Coach! “one man yelled before Pope turned for a fast fist bump.”Coach Pope!” a young boy stated as Pope looked his method and nodded his head.But Pope didn’t break his stride, and the phone remained glued to his ear.”At the University of Kentucky, it’s got more eyes on it,”Pope acknowledged. “It’s got more attention on it than any other program. “Thus far, Pope has discovered a balance in between chasing banners and developing a program– and most importantly– making a long time to enjoy all of it. He used the portal to assemble a group that protected a top-25 ranking going into the season, and he has a collection of veterans and playmakers who bought into his pitch about what Kentucky can be.”Well, just him as an individual and as a coach, “stated Lamont Butler, who moved from San Diego State, on what drew him to Pope.”I feel like he really prioritized recruiting me, and I felt like he had a great vision for me for this year and even for

the future, which I really reputable and I really wished to belong of.” In early September, Jasper Johnson– the five-star possibility from Lexington– revealed his dedication to Kentucky over Alabama and North Carolina, a significant win for the first-year head coach who had actually already protected a dedication from another in-state prospect, four-star center Malachi Moreno, a 7-foot-1 skill. Moreno stated he enjoyed Pope’s offending scheme at BYU, a group that shot 3-pointers on over half of its basket tries last season and permitted big men to play a significant role, too.”He was just sincere with me, and he informed me what I was really good at and what things I might get better at,”Moreno stated.”And after that he told me he might coach me on what I could improve at.”At Peach Jam, Pope sat at center court to see A.J. Dybantsa, the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, and a choice of decorated potential customers. On the baseline, Calipari mingled with his pals, consisting of TCU’s Jamie Dixon. Expense Self chuckled on the sideline, and Sean Miller looked for a seat. It’s a casual affair, a mini getaway for the coaches who go to the most significant grassroots occasion each summertime, which often includes 9 holes at a nearby golf course if they can squeeze it in.Not Pope, who would soon hop on another plane back to Lexington the following day to see former Kentucky players in The Basketball Tournament, the$1 million winner-take-all occasion. That day in North Augusta, he sat there at Peach Jam and watched every play, every dribble, every movement Dybantsa and his teammates made.His phone remained in his right hand. His notebook remained in his lap.”There are terrific programs all around the country with extraordinary fan bases, and the vast bulk are in this league and in the Huge 12,”Pope said. “And after that there is just Kentucky and

it’s practically indescribable. It is a one-of-one in that sense.” “I believe the fans are going to fall back in love with him and truly value what he’s going to bring,”stated Antoine Walker, Pope’s former teammate and a former All-American at Kentucky.”Because he’s going to be a difficult employee. He’s going to demand excellence. I’m eagerly anticipating it. It ought to be an amazing time in Lexington. “