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Pope’s refusal to hire a GM should be reversed by the new AD immediately

JakeKx

JakeKx

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Oct 5, 2023
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His refusal to hire a GM independent of his staff shows the ineptitude of his time here. Especially after the offseason we’ve had. Could it be any more obvious that not a single soul was persuaded by the charm of Keegan Brown or whatever that losers name is.

Hopefully with the fire some have lit under the university, a competent AD is hired that will force his hand or just go ahead and make a change right away.
 
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Anon267536

Freshman
May 13, 2026
28
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JakeKx said:
His refusal to hire a GM independent of his staff shows the ineptitude of his time here. Especially after the offseason we’ve had. Could it be any more obvious that not a single soul was persuaded by the charm of Keegan Brown or whatever that losers name is.

Hopefully with the fire some have lit under the university, a competent AD is hired that will force his hand or just go ahead and make a change right away.
Click to expand...
I’m not sure Keegan Brown was ever meeting with people? I thought he was the analyst guy and that Mo Williams and McLean were the recruiters
 
S

Smeegs

All-Conference
Nov 19, 2025
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What do you think the Keegan Brown hire was?

His official job duties are essentially the same thing as those being called a “GM” at some other schools. For whatever odd reason, UK and Pope just don’t want to use that official title.
 
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Anon267536

Freshman
May 13, 2026
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Smeegs said:
What do you think the Keegan Brown hire was?

His official job duties are essentially the same thing as those being called a “GM” at some other schools. For whatever odd reason, UK and Pope just don’t want to use that official title.
Click to expand...
Pope said Keegan Brown is 1 of 4 people taking individual responsibilities of GM. So we have 4 GM’s and the other 3 are all more likely to meet with the players than Keegan who is likely in his office or something most of time.
 
JakeKx

JakeKx

All-Conference
Oct 5, 2023
917
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Smeegs said:
What do you think the Keegan Brown hire was?

His official job duties are essentially the same thing as those being called a “GM” at some other schools. For whatever odd reason, UK and Pope just don’t want to use that official title.
Click to expand...
He’s pretty much an “analytics” guy who is mostly an assistant coach that has no business sitting down with agents.
And if you don’t believe me, I have solid PROOF this isn’t working. Take a look at this years recruiting and portal class and get back with me 😘
 
JakeKx

JakeKx

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Anon267536 said:
I’m not sure Keegan Brown was ever meeting with people? I thought he was the analyst guy and that Mo Williams and McLean were the recruiters
Click to expand...
He 100% is. Apparently there’s four people. And not a single one of them have any business being around a recruit, period.
 
rick64

rick64

Heisman
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24,896
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I'm afraid we're going to have to endure another season of CMP. If this season is anything like the last two, no way he gets a 4th season.
 
TheApostleSaulSmith

TheApostleSaulSmith

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Mar 30, 2026
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JakeKx said:
His refusal to hire a GM independent of his staff shows the ineptitude of his time here. Especially after the offseason we’ve had. Could it be any more obvious that not a single soul was persuaded by the charm of Keegan Brown or whatever that losers name is.

Hopefully with the fire some have lit under the university, a competent AD is hired that will force his hand or just go ahead and make a change right away.
Click to expand...
  • Mark Pope
  • Cody Fueger
  • Mark Fox
  • Mikhail McLean
  • Mo Williams
  • some guy named Keegan
can anyone seriously claim, with a straight face, that this is a UK-caliber staff??

The only two guys with an even remotely positive reputation left town after last season.
 
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Anon267536

Freshman
May 13, 2026
28
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TheApostleSaulSmith said:
  • Mark Pope
  • Cody Fueger
  • Mark Fox
  • Mikhail McLean
  • Mo Williams
  • some guy named Keegan
can anyone seriously claim, with a straight face, that this is a UK-caliber staff??

The only two guys with an even remotely positive reputation left town after last season.
Click to expand...
Ok cmon we can say this is not a uk caliber recruiting,roster,whatever but staff? Staff don’t have a star ranking system, transfer portal ratings, etc so the fans could make criticism of popes in game coaching but you have no clue what his asst staff is doing right or wrong.
 
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TheApostleSaulSmith

TheApostleSaulSmith

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Anon267536 said:
Ok cmon we can say this is not a uk caliber recruiting,roster,whatever but staff? Staff don’t have a star ranking system, transfer portal ratings, etc so the fans could make criticism of popes in game coaching but you have no clue what his asst staff is doing right or wrong.
Click to expand...
Well what do you think? What are your thoughts on Mark Fox, for instance?
 
FLBBNFAN

FLBBNFAN

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Mar 25, 2025
801
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JakeKx said:
His refusal to hire a GM independent of his staff shows the ineptitude of his time here. Especially after the offseason we’ve had. Could it be any more obvious that not a single soul was persuaded by the charm of Keegan Brown or whatever that losers name is.

Hopefully with the fire some have lit under the university, a competent AD is hired that will force his hand or just go ahead and make a change right away.
Click to expand...
That was a big mistake on his part in my opinion. Compare the football program and Stein has it setup like a pro teams organizational chart.

I realize the two programs are different but its night and day on how the football program is performing especially on the recruiting front.

Duke got ahead of the curve as well and that's why they have deals with Amazon etc. A good GM will be an asset on many fronts.
 
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3

3 Putts

All-Conference
Apr 25, 2025
1,098
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Need a sole GM who can work behind the scenes and proficient at generating and closing deals, most of the details should be worked out prior to a kid even visiting. Staff should evaluate and generate a list of kids they’d like to have starting from the top down, a good GM would know early in the negotiations if we have a real shot or just wasting our time.
 
H

HipTer

Senior
Apr 11, 2012
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TheApostleSaulSmith said:
Well what do you think? What are your thoughts on Mark Fox, for instance?
Click to expand...
What is the basis of your opinion that Mark Fox is a bad assistant coach? And I'm not saying he is or isn't, I wouldn't know - which is why I'm asking. Maybe you've read or heard someone in the coaching fraternity talk negatively about him, or CBB media guys give negative opinions they picked up from other coaches, etc. But way, way too many times opinions like this are herd mentality: one guy says something (esp. on social media) and then another person and the next thing you know it's become "conventional wisdom." Or feeling morph into fact.
 
Blue Jesus

Blue Jesus

Senior
Aug 24, 2013
495
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Here's my thing with the GM situation... a GM is not someone the coach hires. A true GM is effectively an equal to the coach, if not above them on the org chart, and would be hired by someone above them both. If the coach is hiring them, they're not a GM, they're something closer to a "Director of Roster Management," which of course we have. If the program hires a GM, then it wasn't the HC who made the hire. What gets me about this conversation we can't seem to drop is the decision to hire a GM or not shouldn't fall on the coach. As far as I can tell, Pope has filled the position that he has the authority to fill. Why fans need that position to be called a General Manager, I can't for the life of me understand.
 
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kyhankypanky

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rick64 said:
I'm afraid we're going to have to endure another season of CMP. If this season is anything like the last two, no way he gets a 4th season.
Click to expand...
I think he has disqualified himself for a 4th year no matter what. Discussions will need to start as soon as the new AD is hired. You don’t wait until the end of the season to begin conversations with the next coach…
 
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Anon267536

Freshman
May 13, 2026
28
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3
kyhankypanky said:
I think he has disqualified himself for a 4th year no matter what. Discussions will need to start as soon as the new AD is hired. You don’t wait until the end of the season to begin conversations with the next coach…
Click to expand...
I think you couldn’t be more delusional tbh. If he goes to sweet 16 next year that’s Atleast another year as HC. Elite 8? That’s another 2-3 years. Final 4? 5 years +
 
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JakeKx

JakeKx

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Let’s not forget that Duke just signed a tv deal with Amazon. That program is 40,000 miles ahead of ours
 
The Nightman2

The Nightman2

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Nov 30, 2019
1,051
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Blue Jesus said:
Here's my thing with the GM situation... a GM is not someone the coach hires. A true GM is effectively an equal to the coach, if not above them on the org chart, and would be hired by someone above them both. If the coach is hiring them, they're not a GM, they're something closer to a "Director of Roster Management," which of course we have. If the program hires a GM, then it wasn't the HC who made the hire. What gets me about this conversation we can't seem to drop is the decision to hire a GM or not shouldn't fall on the coach. As far as I can tell, Pope has filled the position that he has the authority to fill. Why fans need that position to be called a General Manager, I can't for the life of me understand.
Click to expand...
In the pros the gm and coach report to the owner . They're 2 separate entities. I always wondered why that was the case. You always see stories about a GM wanted to draft one guy, the coach another. Seems you would have better synergy if the gm was hired by the coach or vice versa. Bondi is under Stein and is working well.
 
H

HipTer

Senior
Apr 11, 2012
1,075
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Blue Jesus said:
Here's my thing with the GM situation... a GM is not someone the coach hires. A true GM is effectively an equal to the coach, if not above them on the org chart, and would be hired by someone above them both. If the coach is hiring them, they're not a GM, they're something closer to a "Director of Roster Management," which of course we have. If the program hires a GM, then it wasn't the HC who made the hire. What gets me about this conversation we can't seem to drop is the decision to hire a GM or not shouldn't fall on the coach. As far as I can tell, Pope has filled the position that he has the authority to fill. Why fans need that position to be called a General Manager, I can't for the life of me understand.
Click to expand...
To me the one GM role (or whatever anyone wants to call it) that is now a necessity to be successful in the NIL era is agent negotiation (maybe there are still some situations where players and their families are doing the negotiations).

I don't understand how anyone would think it's a good idea for coaches who are trying to woo and convince players that they value them to the utmost, to then turn around and start discussing with the players (or their agents who are obligated to pass on the context of discussions) why their value is relative or less than the request or player X over there. At least with a GM doing the negotiating - and hopefully shmoozing with the agents at other times - the coach can still be viewed by the player as a believer in and advocate for the player, but one who may be limited by the financial constraints he can blame on the GM.
 
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ftp000

ftp000

All-American
Mar 26, 2009
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TheApostleSaulSmith said:
  • Mark Pope
  • Cody Fueger
  • Mark Fox
  • Mikhail McLean
  • Mo Williams
  • some guy named Keegan
can anyone seriously claim, with a straight face, that this is a UK-caliber staff??

The only two guys with an even remotely positive reputation left town after last season.
Click to expand...
Who knows at this point? This is a whole new world. Is it even about recruiting now, or negotiating? I don't think it's anything like we're use to.
 
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ftp000

ftp000

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Mar 26, 2009
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JakeKx said:
His refusal to hire a GM independent of his staff shows the ineptitude of his time here. Especially after the offseason we’ve had. Could it be any more obvious that not a single soul was persuaded by the charm of Keegan Brown or whatever that losers name is.

Hopefully with the fire some have lit under the university, a competent AD is hired that will force his hand or just go ahead and make a change right away.
Click to expand...
Do you think that the title GM will take roster building out of the hands of college coaches? There is a team handling the duties of a college GM. But the coach still has final say.
No college coach is giving up the roster building authority.
 
K

Kyben23

Sophomore
Mar 23, 2022
69
145
33
4 member board will move slower. Not ideal when talking $ in front of a recruit.

Can you wait until I get permission? Nope, bye
 
JakeKx

JakeKx

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Oct 5, 2023
917
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ftp000 said:
Do you think that the title GM will take roster building out of the hands of college coaches? There is a team handling the duties of a college GM. But the coach still has final say.
No college coach is giving up the roster building authority.
Click to expand...
I wouldn’t give him the choice. Obviously his way doesn’t work. That’s the ADs call to make. I guarantee pope won’t walk away from his contract but if he’s not happy then he can walk. I’ll give him a ride to utah
 
ftp000

ftp000

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Mar 26, 2009
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JakeKx said:
I wouldn’t give him the choice. Obviously his way doesn’t work. That’s the ADs call to make. I guarantee pope won’t walk away from his contract but if he’s not happy then he can walk. I’ll give him a ride to utah
Click to expand...
Since we're making guarantees we can't prove, I guarantee Pope's contract includes a very detailed list of his duties and authority. Taking away roster building power would be a breach.
I'll also guarantee none of the schools with a titled GM have removed roster final say from their coaches.
 
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kyhankypanky

All-American
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Anon267536 said:
I think you couldn’t be more delusional tbh. If he goes to sweet 16 next year that’s Atleast another year as HC. Elite 8? That’s another 2-3 years. Final 4? 5 years +
Click to expand...
No. He is terrible. Fluke season wouldn’t change that. But alas, we will struggle to break .500 next season so hypotheticals begone. But you get that the donors have had enough, right ? By definition, he lowers our ceiling tremendously.

And sorry, Mitch, he ain’t getting another year for a sweet 16. Good gosh. Total train wreck.
 
A

Anon1776024529

Junior
Apr 12, 2026
185
265
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Anon267536 said:
Pope said Keegan Brown is 1 of 4 people taking individual responsibilities of GM. So we have 4 GM’s and the other 3 are all more likely to meet with the players than Keegan who is likely in his office or something most of time.
Click to expand...
Mark pope should go to Lee Anne and ask if he can have 3 more wives to share the responsibilities with her and let’s see how much that relationship between Lee Anne and mark grows.
 
A

Anon267536

Freshman
May 13, 2026
28
56
3
kyhankypanky said:
No. He is terrible. Fluke season wouldn’t change that. But alas, we will struggle to break .500 next season so hypotheticals begone. But you get that the donors have had enough, right ? By definition, he lowers our ceiling tremendously.

And sorry, Mitch, he ain’t getting another year for a sweet 16. Good gosh. Total train wreck.
Click to expand...
bro your delusional. He broke .500 ever year and suddenly he’s not this time?
 
J

James Arington

Senior
Jan 14, 2002
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JakeKx said:
His refusal to hire a GM independent of his staff shows the ineptitude of his time here. Especially after the offseason we’ve had. Could it be any more obvious that not a single soul was persuaded by the charm of Keegan Brown or whatever that losers name is.

Hopefully with the fire some have lit under the university, a competent AD is hired that will force his hand or just go ahead and make a change right away.
Click to expand...
Quit complaining. No one cares what you think.
 
JakeKx

JakeKx

All-Conference
Oct 5, 2023
917
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ftp000 said:
Since we're making guarantees we can't prove, I guarantee Pope's contract includes a very detailed list of his duties and authority. Taking away roster building power would be a breach.
I'll also guarantee none of the schools with a titled GM have removed roster final say from their coaches.
Click to expand...
Wouldn’t surprise me. Mitch the great put it together. It prolly says pope can piss on his lawn as well. Regardless it was only a five year deal. He’s gone after this year regardless
 
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