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Give Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart for doing all he can to make sure UK fans fully embrace Mark Pope as UK’s new coach.
Pope was a beloved player on UK’s 1996 national championship team. Fans, teammates and media all loved him for the way he performed on the court but also handled himself off the court. He loved interacting with fans and was a go-to guy for media members needing a story/quote.
I do not think Barnhart whiffed on hiring a “bigger name” coach after John Calipari left for Arkansas. He went after UConn’s Danny Hurley and Baylor’s Scott Drew but there was not enough money to get them to leave their current jobs. He had some interaction with NBA coach Billy Donovan but I was never a huge believer in a coach who had not been recruiting, has had no interaction with the transfer portal, and not been involved in NIL was the best fit.
Pope could be the rising star that former UK coach Rick Pitino said he was Friday in a video he released supporting Pope.
Still, Barnhart knows this was not a “splashy” hire. He would deny it, but that had to be part of the reason Barnhart went on Kentucky Sports Radio Friday morning to explain the hire.
“He brings the tenacity, the toughness, and the positive energy,” Barnhart said on KSR. “You can’t be around Mark Pope very long and you don’t hear the positivity in his voice. He uses words like ‘We’re crushing it. We’re gonna crush that. We’re gonna get after it.’ His positive energy for anybody that comes into contact with him is contagious.
“I just say he has a lack of fear of the situation. He is ready to take everything on and he knows how big this job is. He knows how important it is to the state.”
Barnhart hopes he’ll find out just how much Sunday afternoon at his introductory press conference at 4:30 p.m. at Rupp Arena.
The event is open to the public with fans being admitted starting at 3:30 via the main entrance of Rupp Arena off of High Street. Limited parking on High Street will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for free admission.
There has never been a head coaching introductory press conference at Rupp Arena. Pope will entertain fans and his love for UK basketball will come through loud and clear for fans who might not know him or remember him from his two years at Kentucky under coach Rick Pitino.
Barnhart wants and needs this hire to work as much as UK fans do. Pope was not the “big name” hire some UK fans hoped for but he’s a Barnhart-type of guy who will do things the way UK fans want. He won’t talk down to fans. He won’t bail on radio show commitments. He will be way more accessible than Calipari.
But can he win big? No one knows but every successful coach had to get the right job. Joe Hall, Pitino, Tubby Smith, and Calipari had not won a national title when they took over at UK and all four won national titles with the Cats.
Pope likes an entertaining offense, the same kind of offense Pitino had when Pope played for him. BYU made 11.3 3-pointers per game, third-most in the country, and took more 3-point shots than 2-point shots during the season. That’s the modern college basketball trend.
Pope has always been a tireless worker. Maybe he’s not recruited top 15 players before but who has at BYU? Recruiting at UK is not easy but it is easier than it was at BYU and he understands the transfer portal.
And he clearly has the full backing of Barnhart, something that Calipari did not have in recent years as the divide between him and Barnhart grew even if both tried to deny that in the recent BBN Tonight interview that fooled almost no one.
Sunday the Mark Pope era at UK begins and I have a feeling there will be a really big turnout of Big Blue fans to welcome the former Cat home.
33 Responses
The window has been opened and fresh air is finally coming through.
Yes!
Let’s Go!!!!!
Great hire.
With each new day, I am liking this hire more.
For the first time in years, I feel great anticipation for UK Basketball’s future.
The Sun Shines Bright on My Ole Kentucky Home & UK !!! Again!
It is a breath of fresh air without any pollution which brings back memories of Pitino injecting sunshine into a program in disbelief after Emory Air sabotaged a package for Eric Manuel (?) to strip UK of star players by being unjustly placed on probation.
Professor, I was waiting on your thoughts and yes I’m excited as well.
At.first I was blindsided and then after the adrenaline settled down so did my thoughts on pope I remember cheering for him in the mid nineties he’s always been a winner and he was a catalyst of the 96 championship team. Pitino picked him for a reason to be the captain. He was a coach on the floor for the greatest team I’ve ever seen at Kentucky. I think we had 1 McDonald’s all American on the team. I might be wrong but I think Mercer was the only McDonald’s all American again I could be wrong. Pitino didn’t care about the happy meal all star game. He got players who played good defense and could run up and down the court and find the open man for a transition 3. The same way Pope coaches. We are getting a young Pitino with pope. He almost plays the same way as Pitino. So I’m all in. If our core players come back off this team and he adds his best players from BYU and gets a couple of transfers and Perry still comes we will be ok. I’m glad Knox and company’s isn’t coming a bunch of ballhogs who wants to upgrade their NBA mock draft numbers. I got so sick after every game watching our players jump up a couple spots with a win and drop a couple spots with a loss. That is not what you should be playing for if your not playing for the betterment of the team then get off the court. Lets go cats and lets go pope lead us to the promised land.!!!
Think back to Joe B Hall a national championship player for Rupp who came back to coach a national championship team himself. Mark played for one of the best in Pitino. I have faith in him. Welcome home Mark, I for one am glad you’re back and I don’t think I am alone. Welcome back GO Cats
THIS is a GREAT DAY in UK History – not the greatest day as a certain day was falsely labeled 14 years ago.
But it will be remembered as a Great Day for UK after we hang #9 when Sheppard returns, Perry, Hart, Thiero, Burks & Big Z join him nailing 3’s with UGO smiling big since his whopper blocks set up a lot of them!
I’m going to try not to hang my happiness on hanging a banner.
I will be thrilled if we get to play in the 2nd weekend of the tournament next year.
I just want to see a "honest effort" from coach, players and everybody.
Mitch Barnhart just scored some big points with his class act announcing Pope as the new UK HC. He has spent too long in the dog house being owned by the fraud. Mark Pope success will have a positive impact on many folks in & from Kentucky.
Mark Pope will quickly erase the memory of John Who? This guy runs circles around the FRAUD when it comes to the Xs and Os of the game. There is still time for him to get with Thiero and keep him here at UK. I think Perry will still come, and Burks will be back. I really think Sheppard will stay another year, especially if Pope brings Jeff on to his staff. Who knows about the rest of Cal’s leftovers…let the chips fall where they may. Personally, Onyenso is the only other one that I would want to keep. Pope has a stable of guys at BYU who may very well want to follow him here. They know his system. They had an 18 KenPom rating on offense. Sure, they got nervous and choked in the Dance, but that won’t happen again. There is also a lot of talent in the portal still…enough to put together a competitive team. The only guy I know who still misses the FRAUD is Jimmy Jimmy. He needs to rent a UHaul trailer and move to Fayetteville…everyone there SQUEALS like a pig! SQUEAL JIMMY JIMMY SQUEAL!!!
He’s wallowing in the mire with his Daddy.
Billy Strings has a song that tells about it.
Pope is a great guy. I’m with him all the way. Crybaby Barry you and the Punk from the West are STILL Whiney Bitches!!!
We are inclusive!!!
Although I don’t think you and Barry will ever be friends.
Jimmy! Jimmy! You are a brave man behind a computer screen. Everybody here knows what you are and you will never be part of BBN from now on. You have a big mouth and the only thing its good for is a cockholster for Calipari. Move to Fayetteville and SQUEAL with all of the other pigs Jimmy Jimmy.
So funny now
I’m willing to step out from behind this keyboard. Crybaby Barry I’m a UK fan. I’m not a member of the "Big Boohoo Nation".
VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE POPE ERA…..HE LOVES KENTUCKY…CALIPARI JUST THOUGHT OF UK AS "A JOB"
Agree Jill
Love EVERYTHING about this hire! Welcome home Mark! Let’s go!!!
Same here Bob
Clearly this train had run off track with Cal.. The fascination with 1 and 2 recruiting classes left me quite a whe ago .. If they aren’t coupled with success on the court it’s for naught. I’m 100 % on board with Mark Pope . Purdue and Uconn aren’t 1 and dones and they are doing quite well. Let’s go big blue.
He was not my first choice. However, now looking at it much harder, I see UK’s vision and feel they exercised good leadership in making the hire. I was initially wrong, Pope is indeed the best hire! Today for the first time I went to Club Blue and made my small dollar contribution to support UKBB men’s basketball. IMO, we need to all get behind him as strongly as we can. Time to go all in!! Poke will give us the pride of UK tradition combined with adjustments to the portal and NIL! Club Blue: https://clubbluenil.com/join/
You’re a real fan.
Just see that Mark Pope hires Stacy Reed Sheppard as an an assistant and we’ll see the Cats bringing it at both ends of the floor……….just look at Reed!!!!!
I am on board for the new look Wildcats.
Don’t have a choice but to be all in Mitch told u now before and u will
If you weren’t going to hire back Rick Pitino, I’m quite happy with one of his stalwart players from the “untouchables”. For all the reasons already stated above, Mark Pope will be a smashing success in a few short years.
Go Blue!
WEEP NO MORE, MY LADY…….WEEP NO MORE, TODAY……WE WILL SING ONE SONG FOR MY OLD KY HOME—-FOR MY OLD KY HOME—AND TO JOHN CALIPARI—GOOOOOOODNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGHHHHT!!!!!
Welcome home, Coach Pope! The glue to the 1996 national championship that took down the Fraud in the REAL Natl Champ Game on the way to Banner #6…..
Remember, KING begins with a K, not a C……a K, as in KENTUCKY…….KENTUCKY IS KING!
KENTUCKY IS KING, KENTUCKY IS BACK, KENTUCKY IS FOREVER…….
Coaches and players come and go, but one thing always remains: KENTUCKY
#WEAREKY
#WEAREBBN
ITS A GREAT DAY TO BE A WILDCAT!!!!!