What’s the first thing Pope does to get this program back on track?

Rainmaker

All-Conference
May 13, 2015
990
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Mark Pope will never coach at an Elote Program again. Once he gets the can here he will end up an above average coach at a lessor Power 4 school like Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers or Washington type. He will win 60-63% or so of his games and those schools won’t mind it and call it success. Thats where he belongs because that’s the caliber of coach he is. He lacks leadership and accountability to be elite and he will never have that.
 
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Seth_C

All-American
Mar 12, 2017
4,595
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Take another job somewhere. He gave it a whirl, don’t blame him at all for taking the job. Next year will be so toxic for him, honestly I’d hate to see it happen to such a beloved former player.
I don’t know what Mitch was thinking!!
From a financial point of view, he’d be insane to willingly leave because the contract he received gives him all the power.

We will see whether he values money or happiness, because next year is going to be absolutely miserable for him. Another season like this one and he will have sadly burned all the love Kentucky fans had for him.

We will soon see how smart he really is, and what he values in his life.
 
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ChicagoCat90

All-American
Oct 12, 2014
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Flying Take Off GIF by Airbus

Goes home
 
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Blue Jesus

Senior
Aug 24, 2013
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1) clean house (keep Moreno and Chandler)
2) go get talent like Calipari used to get
Recruit to his strengths, and not try to compensate for his weaknesses. I think Pope needs to think in terms of outscoring the other team. Win games in the 90s if you have to. Obviously you can't be awful at defense, but defense is easier to improve than offense in my opinion. The hardest part about basketball is putting the ball in the basket.
 

UKGrad24

All-American
Apr 2, 2024
2,807
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Pope is not an average coach, he’s a BAD one. He has no record of accomplishment, horrible recruiter, bad floor coach, a bad winning %, terrible tournament history.

My God are some of you this dense? LOOK AT HIS RECORD he is a bad coach. Not average, he’s bad.

Yes you’ve been gaslit🥴
 

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FitchandMurray29

All-Conference
Dec 11, 2021
2,389
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The non joking answer is the dude has to get the PG position right.

Paying between 4-5M for Jaland and Jasper was a complete disaster even before factoring in Acaden’s decommitment.

Aberdeen stepped up in a scoring guard role that limited turnovers but he also never was a PG that created anything.

I don’t care what the financial dollar is, he has to get that position right or he’s out after next year.
 

Hopmix

Senior
Mar 7, 2011
1,263
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1) clean house (keep Moreno and Chandler)
2) go get talent like Calipari used to get
lol. He cant get talent at this point. . He’s handcuffed by JMI.
chandler will not be here next season. He’ll be in the portal before April.
moreno may stay but he’s going to test the waters.
We keep Hawthorne. That’s it. Next years team if pope keeps his job will 100 percent be made up of mid major transfers that are getting way over paid because Kentucky will desperate to floor a roster. . what I think will happen is the boosters will move focus to football and give stein a real shot. Confidence in pope has eroded. If he gets a third season it will be a lame duck season.
 

Anon1762656614

Sophomore
Nov 8, 2025
86
181
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Unfortunately I don’t see him getting this program back on track. He probably is what he’s been for his entire coaching career and that’s an average coach who doesn’t get top talent and belongs at a lower tier school. Pains me to say that but we are a long way from being an elite program right now.
BYU especially prior to NIL is probably not a good metric to base that from due to the rules. Prior to Popes departure from BYU, he was the fastest to 60 career wins at BYU.
 

JPFisher

Heisman
Jul 24, 2013
6,606
12,517
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1) clean house (keep Moreno and Chandler)
2) go get talent like Calipari used to get
1. Get a GM.



2. Stop getting emotional and proselytizing during recruiting.

3. Learn to substitute

4. Fix whatever prep we're doing prior to the games.
5. Stepping down is an option.

Spaced in order of greatest importance. 5 could replace 1.
 

Wildcat7662

Freshman
Jan 22, 2022
59
84
12
BYU especially prior to NIL is probably not a good metric to base that from due to the rules. Prior to Popes departure from BYU, he was the fastest to 60 career wins at BYU.
Dude, that’s impressive! What’s more impressive is you defending Pope! Are you family or on the coaching staff?
 

Smeegs

All-Conference
Nov 19, 2025
505
1,376
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The non joking answer is the dude has to get the PG position right.

Paying between 4-5M for Jaland and Jasper was a complete disaster even before factoring in Acaden’s decommitment.

Aberdeen stepped up in a scoring guard role that limited turnovers but he also never was a PG that created anything.

I don’t care what the financial dollar is, he has to get that position right or he’s out after next year.
This is the correct answer. We’ve had two straight seasons derailed by being forced to play without a real point guard, Pope absolutely can’t let it happen three years in a row.

Landing top flight point guard talent should be the absolute FIRST priority in his life right now.
 
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Anon1679859502

All-American
Jun 28, 2015
4,852
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In my opinion, it will be hard for him to recruit players without the money. His skill at evaluating players is terrible too
 
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MO_Blue

All-Conference
Mar 9, 2010
6,910
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1) clean house (keep Moreno and Chandler)
2) go get talent like Calipari used to
3) Get rid of JMI. When the deal is so bad that $9 million can't get it done..... It appears there is a reason no other team in the US is forcing recruits to sign onto JMI style restrictions.
4) Find anyone who gets paid by both UK and JMI, or who has a relative paid by JMI**, and fire them from UK.
5) Publish the JMI contract.
6) Publish a complete list of all 1 star or higher recruits signed with JMI assistance. Perhaps it has done well in volleyball and curling, but -0- in basketball.

**Use the IRS related person rules, all of them, which catch most everything likely tried by persons like JMI.
 
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JPFisher

Heisman
Jul 24, 2013
6,606
12,517
113
I'm all for bringing Ricky P in as a GM or assistant to the HC. Long as he isn't HC, I think that could work.