Like North Carolina, for example, Kentucky chose to replace John Calipari with one of its former players! It is Mark Popechampion in 1996 with the Wildcats, and coach of BYU for five seasons, after having trained at Utah Valley.
Having passed through the NBA with the Pacers, the Bucks and the Nuggets, Pope was not the first choice of the managers since Scott Drew (Baylor) and Dan Hurley (UConn) declined the position, and forced the managers to broaden their searches .
“Mark Pope not only brings an impressive record in nine years as coach, but also a love of the University of Kentucky and a complete understanding of what our program means to the people of our state.” commented Mitch Barnhartathletic director of the university. “As captain of the 1996 championship team, Mark was a valued and respected teammate. As a coach, he is considered an innovator. His teams play a dynamic and unique attack, and they fight hard on defense. He is a leading recruiter, with international links, and a person of integrity. »
A heavy legacy
According to ESPN, the two parties have agreed on a five-year contract, and Pope will therefore have the immense privilege but also challenge of replacing Calipari, who left for Arkansas, whose record at Kentucky is impressive: 4 Final Fours in 15 years and a championship title in 2012.
“The University of Kentucky is the pinnacle of coaching in college basketball. This is the very definition of a high-ranking program where you expect a banner to be hung every year.” Pope reacted. “Equally important, UK changed my life forever as a human being. The love and passion I have for this program, this university, and the people there goes deep into my soul. »
This is the first time since 1985 that management has chosen one of its former players as coach.
