On Sunday, just days after John Calipari left town, Mark Pope stood on the podium in front of a sold-out crowd at Rupp Arena.
Kentucky's new coach, who signed a five-year contract worth $5.5 million per season, said during his official introduction that he is aware of the expectations surrounding the program.
“I understand the mission,” Pope said. “We're here to win a banner. As we continue on this journey, we're here to win a banner in Nashville.” [at the SEC tournament] Because you're going to be different in Nashville, and that's important. And our job and mission here is to win the final four of the national championship. that is our job. ”
Pope's arrival was the latest in a remarkable series of events that changed the SEC and men's college basketball. Three days ago, Calipari was named head coach at the University of Arkansas after a 15-year tenure that included a national title in 2012. Calipari has decided to leave the Wildcats after a series of lackluster results in the postseason and speculation about his future.
The University of Kentucky is widely considered one of the top jobs in sports, but reportedly includes University's Dan Hurley, Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, Baylor's Scott Drew, They were pursuing elite candidates such as University of Alabama head coach Nate Oats. Pope, a member of Kentucky's 1996 national championship team, emerged as Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart's pick after the school failed to land several of its most coveted candidates.
Pope, who previously coached at both Utah Valley and BYU, told the thousands gathered at Sunday's news conference that his previous leaders always understood his passion for Kentucky. He then averaged 7.9 PPG and 5.7 RPG from 1994 to 1996. His transfer from Washington. He then played in the NBA for six years.
“They know my heart is blue for Kentucky,” Pope said. “and [Barnhart] I knew that. Maybe he called me a little cautiously because he knew I would say yes before the question was over. ”
Fans outside Rupp Arena in the hours before Sunday's introduction appeared to be initially skeptical, but the fanbase quickly turned around to accept the hire. Pope replaces a coach whose team has failed to advance to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2019 and suffered two first-round losses in the past three years.
Before his speech, Pope hoisted the 1996 National Championship trophy and entered the court on a bus filled with former players, including members of the 1996 national title team. He then handed the trophy to Derek Anderson, one of the stars of the winning team.
The 6-foot-10 former center said he didn't have to convince his family about transferring to Lexington. He said his wife and four daughters were all cooperative once it became clear that the state of Kentucky was targeting him.
Pope has amassed a 187-108 record in his coaching career, but has yet to win a conference title, conference tournament championship or NCAA tournament game. Under Calipari, Kentucky routinely acquired first-round picks. In assembling his first roster, Pope said he is currently recruiting players from the current team, members of Calipari's retired recruiting class, and players from the transfer portal.
“We're going to find players who are a good fit here, players who understand the way we play and understand what a talent it is to play at the University of Kentucky,” he said.
At one point, Pope says the coach is a “shepherd,” and the camera turns to Pope's college roommate and former Kentucky standout and father of NBA prospect Reid Shepard. It panned to star Jeff Shepard. But he didn't mention it directly.
Still, Pope said he respects the program's history at Kentucky and only wants players who excel in his system. Last year, more than 50% of BYU's shots were his 3-point attempts, and the Cougars were also top-60 in adjusted defensive efficiency.
“At BYU, we had the second-best 3-point shooting percentage in college basketball,” Pope said. “But in Kentucky, we're not second. My team last year had the fourth-most assists in the nation, and in Kentucky we share everything. We're not second-best offensively. We're going to be incredibly aggressive. We're going to continue to do that.'' Change things up and let people focus on defense. ”
Towards the end of the event, Pope said that although he is not as experienced as some of the top coaches he has coached in the state of Kentucky, he welcomes the high standards because he knows they will not change.
Pope, who led Kentucky's national championship team in 1996, will be the head coach at St. John's University, who led Kentucky's national championship team in 1996, as he navigates the challenges ahead while trying to meet the high standards of an eight-time national championship-winning school. He said he will rely on mentors such as coach Rick Pitino.
“We're not ignoring it. That's the mission,” he said.