A UK fan dressed as the pope greeted new UK coach Mark Pope Sunday. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Mark Pope left Kentucky as a player and returned as coach and it was like a family reunion Sunday at Rupp Arena.
The former Wildcat standout and captain of the school’s sixth national championship team was formally introduced as the school’s 23rd head coach in front of a capacity crowd that gave Pope the same kind of “Heroes’ Welcome” it gave in 1996 to those champions.
He led the crowd through the chant of C-A-T-S! Cats! Cats! Cats! and posed with the No. 41 jersey he wore after he was presented a new one (No. 23) during his formal introduction.
“Every coach in America at every other job in America stands up at the press conference and they try and moderate expectations,” he said to the delight of those in attendance. “We don’t do that here at Kentucky. When Mitch (Barnhart) called me and talked to me about being the head coach here at Kentucky, I would have walked here. I understand the assignment. We are here to win banners.”
It’s exactly what Barnhart was looking for when he hired his third men’s basketball coach.
“You need a guide, you have to have someone who has been on the journey before and knows the way, the work, the challenges and eventually the beauty of the destination — to understand the heart of this special place,” Barnhart said.
When Pope got the call from Barnhart to come back home, he “understood the assignment” he was asked to perform once he signed the dotted line. Almost immediately, he began planning the journey back home and jokingly said he would have walked from Provo, Utah, to Lexington for the job.
Less than a week after former coach John Calipari resigned and bolted for Arkansas, the school hired one its own to shift the emphasis from “Players First” to “Kentucky First.”
“We’re here to win banners in Nashville, because you guys turn out in Nashville like nobody else and that matters,” he said of the SEC tournament in perhaps a jab at Calipari who put less emphasis on the league tournament. “We are here, our job here, our assignment, is to go win banners in the Final Four, win national championships.”
It has been a dozen years since the last national championship and the Cats have not played in a Final Four in nine years.
To get there, Pope said, understanding the name on the front of the jersey has to be more valuable than the name or number on the back of the Blue and White.
“I learned about gratitude here at Kentucky,” he said. “I learned so much about gratitude. Entitlement leads to sorrow and depression. And gratitude leads to joy. And I will tell you this, you know all these players know, what all of the future players will learn really quick, okay, is that they are not doing those jerseys a favor by letting the jerseys clothe them. Our guys will know quickly, and it is hard not to know, it will be one of the great honors of their life to put that jersey on.
“There are only a select few players in the world that ever get to wear a Kentucky jersey. It is one of the greatest honors guys can ever have as a basketball player.”
All throughout the press conference, which lasted nearly an hour, Pope displayed the same passion he had while he played for the Wildcats. Some of his former players, including Jeff Sheppard, whose son Reed Sheppard played for the Wildcats this season, and Jared Pricket were in attendance.
“He’s going to win SEC tournaments — he’s going to win every game and he wants to win the banners,” Pricket said. “So he’s like, you know, ‘clear the spot off’ let’s put a banner up there.’ It’s a fun style of basketball he plays. It’s upbeat. You know it’s fun to watch. People will be excited about it. “
A fan base that was surprised after Pope was named coach on Friday morning, were united and behind one of their own less than 48 hours later.
“I thought he knocked it out of the park,” Barnhart said. “He did great and he’s exactly who I thought he’d be. He did exactly what I thought he would do. He was in love with them before he walked in (Rupp Arena). I think they’re now in love with him.”
Let the honeymoon begin.
