My letter to Mark Pope (please read Coach)

Drcats2025

Heisman
Nov 13, 2012
7,991
15,885
93
HeyDrcats2025, this is Coach Mope!

thank you for taking your time to expand on my short comings to this point in 2026, your write up is just beautiful!

Your thoughts on our title team is spot on, SPOT ON. Wearing this sacred jersey really just hits me deep, so deep I even wear my old jersey to bed sometimes, did you know that!

I am putting everything I have into this job, that I promise you Drcats2025! Did you know I recently went into an active war zone for a recruit! I sure hope that one goes our way, I know that Wade guy can legally give money now, not so beautiful am I right haha!

Your love for this team is what I keep doing what I’m doing young man! Please keep the spirit of Kentucky Basketball alive so we can get this sacred team back to relevancy in 2032 and beyond!

Remember this is Kentucky, we are here to hang banners!
Coach I appreciate your response, I truly do, but I’m not sure you quite picked up on what I was laying down…
 
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bleedsblue5

Senior
Jul 1, 2025
455
969
93
Anyone else keep feeling like he comes in and proves everyone wrong this year? Like I cannot stand his defensive strats, offense looks meh and his energy is weird.
But 3rd year and folks stay healthy and he has some sort of magical year and one of these recruits catch fire or crazy hungry. I mean I get that more likely outcome is we end lower than 8th in the SEC but just this odd part of me feels like he pulls a rabbit.

I would have to eat a lot of crow, and would be happy to do so.

All that said, we are most likely headed for a new coach in 27.
 
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TheApostleSaulSmith

All-Conference
Mar 30, 2026
898
2,068
83
as long as we're sharing our writings inspired by Mark Pope :

(sung in the style of an old sea shanty)

"Dear Mark Poop, you are a dope,
Your coaching makes me want to mope,
Your recruiting makes me just say 'nope',
With you in charge, there is no hope,
I'd rather wash my eyes out with soap,
And then hang myself with nylon rope,
Than hear another tired cliche or trope,
From the chicken lips of ol' Mark Pope"
 

Drcats2025

Heisman
Nov 13, 2012
7,991
15,885
93
as long as we're sharing our writings inspired by Mark Pope :

(sung in the style of an old sea shanty)

"Dear Mark Poop, you are a dope,
Your coaching makes me want to mope,
Your recruiting makes me just say 'nope',
With you in charge, there is no hope,
I'd rather wash my eyes out with soap,
And then hang myself with nylon rope,
Than hear another tired cliche or trope,
From the chicken lips of ol' Mark Pope"
That funny Saul, but we don’t want to discourage him.

Btw, how is Donna? I miss seeing her and those Pom Pom’s in the stands
 

keiths

Junior
Oct 13, 2014
182
348
63
LOL, JFC, some of you people. So he's just going to walk away from a job that pays 5 million a year? LMAO
 
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Smeegs

All-Conference
Nov 19, 2025
826
2,371
93
Laugh all you want, but I think this letter has a legit chance of touching Pope. He’s a good man. I just hope everyone appreciates my efforts here and are mainly joking around.
What would you do in his situation?

If you say you’d walk away from the contract, then I’ll know you’re a liar.
 

Drcats2025

Heisman
Nov 13, 2012
7,991
15,885
93
What would you do in his situation?

If you say you’d walk away from the contract, then I’ll know you’re a liar.
I understand it’s a lot of money, but the love for this program far out weighs monetary value for any real fan. That is straight facts.

I believe Pope will do the right thing.
 

Kywildcat_nation28

All-Conference
Jan 28, 2014
2,437
2,826
113
Dear Coach Pope,

First off, thank you. Thank you for being a Kentucky Wildcat. Your enthusiasm and leadership played a huge part in us winning our 6th national championship; on a team that any partial, basketball mind will NOT find 5 better teams in the history of college basketball. You were the captain to this amazing squad, and forever will be beloved for that reason.

Now, let’s get to the present. Coach, you were put in a terribly unfair position. You were offered the job of your dreams and no one in their right mind would have turned it down, but it was a big ask. It was a big ask by our administration to expect you to come here and replace the greatest recruiter in our programs history, when you had never even won a tournament game, or established yourself well enough to get the types of recruits we need here at Kentucky. You were just starting to get the ball rolling at BYU, and was not quite seasoned enough to take over such a prestigious program with lofty expectations. Again, this is of no fault of your own.

Coach, I truly believe you’re doing your best. You’re putting everything you’ve got into this job, but as much as it pains me to say, it just isn’t enough. For whatever reason, you and your staff have been unable to put together the type of roster that should be expected at this great university. I know it’s hard to accept, but deep down you know this is true, too.

I ask to you to please consider stepping down. Humbly accepting that this job and its demands are just too much for you. There is no shame in that, and you will be so respected in doing so. Please force the hand of our administration to have to take action; to at least give us a shot at retribution, though I’ll admit I have little faith they’ll make the right hire after you.

What I do know is that this isn’t working, and that there is no realistic reason to believe it’ll get better. We appreciate your efforts, and you’ll always be a legend here.
Just please consider this before things get too out of hand. It wasn’t your fault, and we love you, Coach.

Sincerely,
A Desperate Fan
Lmao yeah ok
 
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Drcats2025

Heisman
Nov 13, 2012
7,991
15,885
93
You avoided the question.

So I’ll ask again. What would YOU do in the same situation?
Smeegs, with all do respect, it’s pretty got damn clear what I would do based on that response. I’d give up the money. It’s just paper.
 
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Smeegs

All-Conference
Nov 19, 2025
826
2,371
93
Smeegs, with all do respect, it’s pretty got damn clear what I would do based on that response. I’d give up the money. It’s just paper.
And now I know you’re a liar.

The only people who claim they’d turn down guaranteed millions are those who’ve never actually been guaranteed millions. You’d be singing an entirely different tune if you had his contract. And you know it.
 

Drcats2025

Heisman
Nov 13, 2012
7,991
15,885
93
And now I know you’re a liar.

The only people who claim they’d turn down guaranteed millions are those who’ve never actually been guaranteed millions. You’d be singing an entirely different tune if you had his contract. And you know it.
Don’t call me a liar, Smeegs. I don’t take too kindly to that kind of talk. I’ll give you one chance to take that back. I’m sure you’re just having a bad day, but make it right.
 

Coach777

All-Conference
Dec 19, 2022
478
1,224
93
Dear Coach Pope,

First off, thank you. Thank you for being a Kentucky Wildcat. Your enthusiasm and leadership played a huge part in us winning our 6th national championship; on a team that any partial, basketball mind will NOT find 5 better teams in the history of college basketball. You were the captain to this amazing squad, and forever will be beloved for that reason.

Now, let’s get to the present. Coach, you were put in a terribly unfair position. You were offered the job of your dreams and no one in their right mind would have turned it down, but it was a big ask. It was a big ask by our administration to expect you to come here and replace the greatest recruiter in our programs history, when you had never even won a tournament game, or established yourself well enough to get the types of recruits we need here at Kentucky. You were just starting to get the ball rolling at BYU, and was not quite seasoned enough to take over such a prestigious program with lofty expectations. Again, this is of no fault of your own.

Coach, I truly believe you’re doing your best. You’re putting everything you’ve got into this job, but as much as it pains me to say, it just isn’t enough. For whatever reason, you and your staff have been unable to put together the type of roster that should be expected at this great university. I know it’s hard to accept, but deep down you know this is true, too.

I ask to you to please consider stepping down. Humbly accepting that this job and its demands are just too much for you. There is no shame in that, and you will be so respected in doing so. Please force the hand of our administration to have to take action; to at least give us a shot at retribution, though I’ll admit I have little faith they’ll make the right hire after you.

What I do know is that this isn’t working, and that there is no realistic reason to believe it’ll get better. We appreciate your efforts, and you’ll always be a legend here.
Just please consider this before things get too out of hand. It wasn’t your fault, and we love you, Coach.

Sincerely,
A Desperate Fan
OP true statements you made but of course he will never see it. But it’s amazing how people on this forum get pissed off so easily. Not sure what’s to get upset on what you posted. Any ways the low IQ and immaturity of this board increases daily. It’s a place to express your thoughts but today’s society likes to rage about anything and everything regardless on how trivial. Have a good day OP
 

Drcats2025

Heisman
Nov 13, 2012
7,991
15,885
93
OP true statements you made but of course he will never see it. But it’s amazing how people on this forum get pissed off so easily. Not sure what’s to get upset on what you posted. Any ways the low IQ and immaturity of this board increases daily. It’s a place to express your thoughts but today’s society likes to rage about anything and everything regardless on how trivial. Have a good day OP
While there are truths in the post, I thought it was pretty clearly a joke.

I have definitely enjoyed the responses lol.
 

UKBB4Ever

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
2,035
3,572
113
Anyone else keep feeling like he comes in and proves everyone wrong this year? Like I cannot stand his defensive strats, offense looks meh and his energy is weird.
But 3rd year and folks stay healthy and he has some sort of magical year and one of these recruits catch fire or crazy hungry. I mean I get that more likely outcome is we end lower than 8th in the SEC but just this odd part of me feels like he pulls a rabbit.

I would have to eat a lot of crow, and would be happy to do so.

All that said, we are most likely headed for a new coach in 27.
No
 
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Im The Village Idiot

All-Conference
Sep 7, 2025
459
1,316
93
Purely from an entertainment perspective, it was good post OP! I do appreciate that you parsed your disappointment of him as a coach and appreciation for him as a player. That's actually very respectable and cool IMO.
 
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MidseasonTweak

Heisman
Mar 1, 2020
10,100
17,055
113
Dear desperate fan,

You just asked me to walk away from millions of dollars the University of Kentucky is contractually obligated to pay me.

No.

Sincerely,
Coach Pope
I know no one will believe me, but I would forfeit millions to resign if it meant the University of Kentucky, worth several billion, could get out ahead.
 

UKGrad24

All-American
Apr 2, 2024
3,004
7,475
100
At least you removed the "--" and didn't source your HatePope.docx template. Well done!
While I’m not surprised, it is astounding to me. “You just hate Cal” was an absolute staple here for about 5 years. Constant, non stop. Didn’t matter what it was, if you supported a change, you “just hate cal”. One of the worst things ever uttered here.

And wouldn’t ya know it, even though Pope literally cannot be hated personally, even though it’s not possible to hate the guy in any way really, it’s happening again. More and more “you just hate pope”, although worded differently, is happening now.

It’s amazing because if someone will say that phrase about Pope when it’s totally untrue and there’s no pathway to accuse anyone of it, it stands to reason that no matter what happens or who it is, “you just hate” excuse is going to live forever. If that excuse can be applied to Pope, it’ll be applied to anyone.

It’s a huge annoyance for me, personally. If a coach of Kentucky murdered 100 people and 90% of the fanbase wanted them out, you can believe the coach brigade would say, “you just hate ______”. What is really amounts to is, coach fans cannot come up with viable reasons to keep him, they cannot find anything but excuses. Can’t find a record or history to point to. Can’t find anything in the future to hold. So they say, “you just hate coach”. And that settles it, a win. A way to find some fault in the person who sees clearly a change is needed, and win. It’s not substance, it’s hate. And “you” are a hateful person. So now, the coach is covered, and I win.
 
Last edited:

SlowWalkerSTL

Sophomore
Jun 12, 2023
104
121
43
He wasn’t put in a difficult situation.

He put himself in that position. He put his name out there. He took the call. He accepted the position. He got a huge raise for doing so.

At any point, he could have said that he isn’t ready, isn’t experienced enough, isn’t the right guy…he didn’t.

If he loved UK as much as he says he does, he would have never accepted the role. If he loved UK as much as he says he does, he would step down.
 
Jul 17, 2025
131
139
43
False.

He committed to coaching these players and has obligations to the University to run through the tape come hell and high water or a bright and sunny day with doves delivering olive branches.

Wanting the man out doesn't mean there is no shame in cutting and running on your commitments when it gets difficult.
 

Goingfor9

All-Conference
Jan 27, 2003
16,280
3,139
113
Surely a random letter from someone he never met and never will meet whose motives he has no way to assess will prove an irresistible factor in making a decision that will not only change the rest of his life but have a huge impact on his family and friends.

I think it is safe to say Pope will be gone by this time next week, assuming you sent it snail mail. If email, he may be gone already. I better refresh Rafters...
Play on Popes ask last night on Twitter he asked for feedback from Big blue nation. So don’t make fun of the OP make fun of Pope for opening that door.. It just shows how weak and ineffectual he is to make that ask. I think he’s just looking for some pats on the back. He’s gonna toss out 90% of it. It’s like get out of here dude type post and he’s gonna just stick with the 10% that are pope pumpers.
 
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