Run it back with Pope next year or move on to Schertz?
Mark Pope or Josh Schertz next season?
- Thread starter jwildcattrester
- Start date
It doesn’t matter. If Pope wants to come back, he’s coming back. He might even get a 4th year if he wins 22 games and maybe gets to the round of 32.
Schertz would be a crapshoot.
Not like he really stepped up much in competition going from Indiana St to SLU.
Not like he really stepped up much in competition going from Indiana St to SLU.
I agree Pope will be back next year unless he does steps down.
Next coach should have two qualifications: recruiting success and a previous F4.
I have followed LMU since my brother went there in the late 60's and love what Josh Schertz did for the Splitters, but you have the correct answer, and it has nothing to do with personal feelings about Pope. Pope will be here next year.
That wouldn’t satisfy all and would certainly shrink the pool of possible hires. For instance Drew won a championship and I have heard more than once on this board that he caught lightning in a bottle and not very good.
Definitely would have to bring in someone more proven and a power 5 coach big name and recruiter
When people say "we got get this guy" because he's having a really good season, yeah just ignore the rest of his resume. SMH
Lots of coaches have that 1 really good season. Most fail to continue to be "that guy".
This Schertz guy's highlight has been reaching the NIT final, and then probably in a month playing his first NCAA-T game.
No thanks!!!
Lots of coaches have that 1 really good season. Most fail to continue to be "that guy".
This Schertz guy's highlight has been reaching the NIT final, and then probably in a month playing his first NCAA-T game.
No thanks!!!
I don't want Mitch Barnhart hiring another basketball coach
It's a given that Pope will be here as long as Barney is the AD. As to an eventual replacement for Pope, it's anybody's guess. That's why a committee of experts should be impaneled to do a discreet search and develop a list of upwardly mobile young coaches who have demonstrated long term potential. Allowing an AD with questionable judgment to make a unilateral decision is not the way that a big time program should operate.
Look for a coach that has won every where they’ve been. That’s how Indiana found Curt Cignetti. Schertz has the highest winning percentage of any coach on any level over the past 10 years.
He’s the best available coach in the country, I’d much rather have Schertz than Drew or Pearl.
Be sure to notice what he does at the Power 4 school that hires next.
Mitch can have zero say in the next basketball coach. Honestly, he should be shamed constantly for his picks (or lack thereof) throughout his tenure. His legacy wont be remembered by how good the women's volleyball team was.
It’s gonna be Pope, but sure, let’s uselessly speculate because by gawd this here is Kentucky!
True but fit is paramount at UK.
The job is what it is and you have to embrace it like Cal.and Pitino.
The job is not going to change to fit a particular coaches personality.
Cignetti also took over a program that was absolute rock bottom and had with few exceptions always been that way.
Schertz would have to ask himself if he had a realistic plan to bring UK back to powerhouse level.
A " niche" coach just doesn't work at UK.
Pope is going to get one more year, but people saying he is going to be here as long as he wants (regardless of results) are crazy. He is going to have to show mark improvement next season IMO.
This is the ONLY answer!!!!
Absolutely do not want an unproven coach after the Pope fiasco. Idc if the guy is 75, sign him for 3 years and let him win and get UK basketball back on the map
Anyone besides me notice, that all the posters who are quick to say Pope is getting a 3rd season, seem to be giddy school girls about it, rather than deeply concerned?
“All”
No, not really. “Most” are pointing it out because it’s true. There may be a handful like that but from what I’ve seen,”most” are concerned and think if it’s not right next year he’s gone.
I agree with this, it should have been this way before, if people were truly turning us down I highly doubt Pitino would have said no to come coach back at camelot for 3 years and retire in glory. Now we need a stop gap safe sure fire bet. We always joke about Rick Barnes ... but he should have been well above Pope on the list of candidates.... that's how bad the Pope hire was and how bad pope's resume was prior to UK and not deserving of the UK hire. I'll never understand the pope hire... that's your hire after like 40 other coaches say no. I pretty much could just google search coaches who have won their conference or conf tourney and some ncaa success and they should have been above pope on the who is qualified list.
I'm starting to think many are deep state level trolls. They want us to keep the captain that's sinking the ship.
We should have hired Dusty May instead of Mark Pope
Who's the next Todd Golden, Dusty May, type out there? Josh Schertz is the best I could come up with.
Who's the next Todd Golden, Dusty May, type out there? Josh Schertz is the best I could come up with.
Wether Popes here depends on which big Boosters come knocking pissed - and how pissed they are . If folks like Gustavson, Hancock, and Craft are really pissed Popes done. Granted maybe a long shot but I dont think Pope is 100% here next year . If if if he is gone it will likely be Oats and maybe Hoiberg. Wish it was Pearl - hes got 5 years left Id rather build name back then go after a better coach than Oats but ...... I would gladly tske Oats instead of Pope. Unsure if go Shertz over Oats.
Yep. I’m far from a Pope basher but I’d say it’s 50/50 if he gets year 4 . He’s put himself in a precarious position going into year three .
I’m not giddy about it, but I can guarantee that we’re not firing a champion alum after 2 seasons without a hint of scandal. If he was a drunk with a contract on a bar napkin, I could see it. But as it stands now, there’s gonna be a year 3.
And if year 3 is as bad as year 2, there won’t be a year 4. Year 1 bought him years 2 and 3. Year 2 is buying him “win big or get out” for year 3. I don’t see why this is so hard for some of you to grasp.
As someone who hates revisionist history, we couldn’t have hired Dusty May.
May was hired by Michigan on March 24,2024, three days after we lost to Oakland.
John Calipari resigned as UK coach on April 9, 2024. Mark Pope was hired April 12,2024.
Timeline doesn’t work unless you say we should’ve fired Cal (without cause) and eaten that entire buyout??
Some of these dopes don't realize we can't just "harrrr" whomever we want.
Arrrgh yer whuts cawsin’ us to beecom Indianer
It does seem that it’s mostly one’s that want him back that keep saying that.
But I want Pope fired yesterday and I believe he won’t be. I’m not 100% certain now. But close.
The St Louis guy would be an improvement over Pope. But is that the bar?
Popes gonna get a 3rd yr. But if this is fantasy land water cooler talk, give me Schertz...but only if Cream Abdul Jabbar/Larry Nerd/Larry Blurred/Milk Chamberlain gets another year.
We're ALL concerned, but "deeply concerned"? There's more to life than basketball, lol. You can be concerned and know that Pope will be here another year, but that doesn't fit the narrative does it?