Kelly and Joe Craft felt the energy from new UK coach Mark Pope Sunday.
Kelly Craft has been inside Rupp Arena for a lot of big moments in Kentucky basketball history.
However, the UK booster/fan just felt something different Sunday during the introductory press conference/pep rally for new coach Mark Pope.
“It was Rupp Arena again. We felt energy. Tradition was alive,” she said.
Craft and her husband, Joe, have been significant financial contributors to UK athletics in various ways, including the fundraisers former coach John Calipari did for disaster victims. The Crafts did not know Pope when the selection process started but could not be more pleased with UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart’s choice.
She said she was out running — something she enjoys — on Sunday morning before the press conference when something hit her.
“I told Joe we have to rename NIL with Mark here. He has brought name, image, and loyalty (instead of likeness),” Kelly Craft said. “He is so gracious, very humble, and does not expect anything.
“He gave back to my husband. I don’t know how else to describe it. When he was talking I kept looking at Joe who has been part of the program since 1976. Mark came here to give back and Joe was one of those recipients along with a lot of other fans. The pride in Joe watching him almost made me cry.
“I just felt the tradition with all the former players back and Mark talking about what it was like to play there and be part of the program and what it all meant to him. There were just chill bumps all around. It was amazing.”
Craft said it was obvious to her that Pope was “giving back” to the Big Blue Nation what he felt Big Blue Nation gave him when he played and was part of the 1996 national championship team.
“He remembered all that. He understands what the fans did for him and he gave back. It was not about him. He kept saying ours, not mine,” she said. “I was not surprised Rupp Arena was full because going through this process I saw how gracious he was and did not feel entitled at all. He was very humble. I just felt like he gets it. He was here. He played here. He knows the fans. He understands the tradition because the tradition was him.”
Pope was a unanimous pick as captain on the national championship team even though he was not a starter for coach Rick Pitino. Craft said that told her he understood the value of winning and the value a leadership position played in winning.”
After Pope was hired, donations were made to UK basketball’s NIL (name, image, and likeness) that exceeded $4 million. Craft didn’t want to comment on that but there should be no doubt that the Crafts were significant contributors to that fund which is so vital to recruiting and roster management.
“What a day it was Sunday to have someone who understands Rupp Arena and respects the Kentucky tradition. He is the direct beneficiary of that tradition and he gets that,” she said.
She believes Pope is the “epitome” of the way you want a young man raised with his selfless attitude and willingness to give back for what he received.
“Nobody could have expected the magnitude of what happened Sunday,” she said. “But Mark just gets it and fans get that he does. Until you have played on that floor, nobody can really understand what that means.
“We are always talking about teaching young players to give back. He can talk about that because he has done it and is living it out. I just think he’s going to be so good for Kentucky and all of us who truly respect the tradition of Kentucky basketball.”
16 Responses
We all seen he can talk the talk I just hope he can walk the walk. Im just going to see how this plays out. Because as much as the fans want it. It has to be earned. 75% of coaching in college is recruiting. The other 25% is motivation and x’s and o’s. Calapari came in swinging for the fences by the players he brought in that first year. I don’t expect Pope to do the same with his first team because he’s not a ace recruiter. But if he can bring in top 100 players(transfers and freshman) year after year by year 2 we should be making some noise. I think if he gets the right players this year we can get to 20 wins and possibly the tournament. It all depends on what who he brings in and who comes back. I think Thiero, and possibly Burks comes back for another year. If we could just get Thiero back ill be happy.
With all due respect, how many championships did recruiting all those 5-star McDonald’s All-Americans bring to UK? One can say 75% of college coaching is recruiting, but I’d rather have a team that gets a higher percent of coaching with lesser known players and wins than just a bunch of big name players that stay one year and move on.
Realistically, a new coach needs 4 years to have a tournament competitive team. The portal could shorten that by a year, maybe two. Whatever the team makeup for next season, Pope will bring creativity and team play on offense. The defensive effort will be more of a function of who we have, but I see Pope bringing discipline and toughness to our team. North Carolina hung Dean Smith in effigy his first season, but he turned out pretty good…for a Tarheel. Pope will get us where we want to go with a little time.
Wait a minute Crybaby Barry. You wouldn’t stand for nothing short of FF’s a month ago. Now you say it’s going to take 4 years to be "tournament competitive". Are you serious? Not 4 years to go to a FF, but to just be competitive. Your standards sure did drop. What a full blown HYPOCRITE! I thought with the "portal" any team could be a contender every year. Alabama went to a FF this year with a team full of transfers, but it’s gonna take Pope 4 years. It didn’t take Pitino, Tubby, or Calipari 4 years to be "tournament competitive". You’re a complete joke!
Jimmy! Jimmy! The more you run your big mouth, the more you show that you know nothing about basketball. My position on FF’s applied to the Fraud. He did nothing since 2015,
Mark Pope bleeds Kentucky blue, you bleed pigshit brown. Tournament competitive means being capable of winning it all. You were the one who was bad mouthing Pope as a replacement for the FRAUD and now you want us to believe that you are on board with our new coach? Everybody here knows what you are…a Calipari asskisser with a big mouth! Your place is in Fayetteville with all of the other squealing pigs!
You keep making up lies in that itty-bitty mind of yours. You Are A Lieing Little Crybaby Sissy! I Never bad mouthed Pope. Tell everyone the title of the article where I was bad mouthing Pope. There’s NOT ONE. I don’t care what anybody believes especially a little whiney, crybaby, sissy like you. You change the narrative to fit your agenda. By the way if you’re gonna whine, know your facts dumb ass. Calipari took the Cats to the Elite 8 in 2017 and 2019 dip-shit. 2020 would have been a good run, but it was canceled. Now cry some more Baby Barry.
Mark Pope has brought back excitement and hope to UK. Thank you, Kelly, for all you have done to make UK better! Go, Cats!!
A truly amazing article! I have never felt so thankful for the multitude of Craft contributions until I read the many excellent remarks by Kelly Craft. It is thorough an so descriptive of the essence of UK Basketball history!
Being a UK fan, I hope Pope kills it at Kentucky. However after watching Kelly Craft during the governor debate, it’s obvious she is obnoxious and doesn’t have a clue.
Jimmy! Jimmy! Everybody here knows you are the most obnoxious big mouth that doesn’t have a clue about anything except kissing Calipari’s azz! You will never be welcomed here with the true Kentucky fans who joined together to run the FRAUD out of town. You said Pope wasn’t fit to even be interviewed to be our coach and now you try to make us think you’ve changed. All of you Calipari asskissing losers need to move to Fayetteville where everyone SQEALS like a JIMMY JIMMY!
You are a Big Crybaby Liar. I haven’t said one bad word about Pope. I don’t want to be welcomed by the whiney Big BooHoo Nation that you belong too.. I’m a UK fan. Not a member of your Crybaby Club.
I’m thrilled with Mark Pope, great hiring decision by Mitch! With that said we all need to realize that things are different now, culturally, NIL, portal, etc. Teams are throwing a lot of energy and money into their programs. UK will need all boosters doing their best, plus average fans need to engage and financially help NIL. Kansas made this clear last season and is doubling down on it for next season. Ohio State is pumping lots of money into its programs. Arkansas, apparently there will be no limits for them. More pride in the traditions of UK was needed, but we have to back it with NIL.
Sheppard is going pro and I hope San Antonio drafts him with their pick at no. 5. Khalifa is going to Louisville and will redshirt next season. I haven’t heard anything on Thiero; it would be nice to have him back, but I understand how he had grown tired of Calipari’s playing pets instead of the better players.
So we have Perry, Burks, and Chandler for next year. Mark’s staff should be complete by the first of the week and be free to go after the guys who can fill out our team. It will be interesting to see who the new faces will be and fun to watch Mark teach them his system. It’s too early to say what the outlook for wins will be next year, but we can count on seeing creativity and team play on offense along with discipline and toughness on defense. That will be a fun team to watch.
“name, image, loyalty” – I like it! My guess is the Crafts have done a lot more beyond the scenes to support the program far beyond donations that we may never know about.
your guess would be a good one LR
Cal was good for Ky when they needed it, wish him well, Coach Pope is now running the show, and honestly, unless you have something positive to say, all I care to hear is go Cats!