I think people get stuck on whether or not a GM will help or not and miss that technically we have the responsibilities of a GM spread about amongst several of the staff currently. Mark Fox is our defacto GM currently if you had to pick anyone who wears the most GM role hats verses Pope doing it all himself.
The problem, as we have heard from various sources, recruits, agents, etc is multi-dimensional. We don't have anyone in house currently who is keyed in enough into the ACTUAL value in NIL dollars for these high level recruits and competing schools are using that against us. Pope refuses to get into bidding wars with other programs over a player he wants. This staff is VERY secretive about their NIL offerings with insiders and multiple sources said often won't even give a concrete NIL dollar offer, just potential earnings. Other programs know this and make fake offers for kids they don't want and make UK overpay for them by not knowing the actual player value. We also apparently don't make promises to players because "this is Kentucky...." and Pope gets emotional if a player isn't sold on playing for the name on the front of the jersey.
Not just a GM, but a plugged in GM who has navigated NIL, knows player value, can evaluate talent, knows how to negotiate, and can speak the language the players and agents need to hear, as well as navigate donors, JMI, and the administration, and can talk tough with Nike and get us into a better position with them, would go miles for the program in landing recruits. Pope and his staff can focus on coaching, and talent evaluation, recruiting who they want, and player development, etc and simply tell the GM who Pope and company want and to go get it done. Bonus points for a younger GM who played in the NBA and can connect with recruits, and/or with current NBA connections, a law background, experience as a GM, etc. I actually think Bruce Pearl would take that job and his age wouldn't be as big of a concern as say being a head coach. Maybe the board wouldn't be so harsh at that hire since he wouldn't be the face of UK basketball. Someone could argue a former player like Rondo, Prince, or Wall might excel given a position like that. Or poaching a recently let go GM from an NBA team. Regardless of who, we need a pit bull closer who gets the guys our staff wants at UK.
I think Pope can coach, I really do. (a completely other discussion needed on why), but I think he needs to just focus on that. I think he does a decent job of recruiting and getting us to the table with high caliber players. I just don't think he can close. The less we have to rely on him trying to shove recruiting across the goal line, the better, for the program it seems. The "right" GM hire, can do that. There isn't a world where I think Alvin Brooks and Jason Hart can't recruit. So it's either Pope can't close, the JMI deal is trash for elite basketball players, or we don't have the money people claim we do. And I refuse to believe we don't have the money. I don't think a GM solves all the issues. I do think a GM solves a few fixable ones.
The immediate fix is firing Mitch and burning down anyone in his athletic department tree that might replace him. Complete fresh new AD hire with no UK connections.
look at the football set up. Maybe you will grasp the concept.
