And I’m only talking about recruiting. Not results. Pope is losing with loser talent. Kevin young is at least bringing in talent and giving hope. I think he personally is better than poor recruiting and coaching but that doesn’t say much for him. Pope is a loser and we need to fire him immediately.
Pope is really bad but he can’t be THIS bad. JMI
- Thread starter Wunky
- Start date
Facts is, mark pope has never had success as a head coach or as a recruiter. NEVER. 2024-25 was not a successful season!
It may have changed but in the early days of NIL either Morgan & Morgan or an auto dealer used an IU quarteback in the Louisville tv market. While red color was evident there was nothing related to IU or Hoosiers.
The contract was changed significantly for NIL in August, 2025. But continue on with your ignorant condescension.
The post your replied to is the reason that it is so difficult to believe so much of what is written on this board. Posters ignore the facts and make up crap to suit their bias. We see it EVERY SINGLE day!
I know. Prior to 2025, JMI had the same contract with BYU, and prior to 2020, JMI had the same contract with Utah Valley. Every single place, Pope goes, JMI follows to **** pope over. It’s not right. **** JMI. They would give Calipari a billion dollars every year!! It’s not fair. Quit ******* blaming injuries, JMI, locker room incidents, fatigue, his daughter returning home from a mission trip so he couldn’t focus. This program is ****** because if pope and nothing else. ******** mark, take some ******* accountability. Pope ******* sucks. And we are in worse shape than Indiana University because of it.
Calipari never recruited under JMIs new deal where they control NIL. That didn’t go into effect till Pope was here. Cal did have to recruit without a collective because of Mitch. . Calipari did take all he had recruited here and That was his first class without having a guy drafted first round. The guys he was getting here were guys Duke , Kansas and others didn’t want. His first class at Arkansas is going to produce 2 first rounders.
You look at Caliparis record, Stoops record both nose dived with NIL coming in.
Six straight years of failure since NIL was adopted, but it’s because Pope is weird. IMO absolutely not.
UCLA fired Lavin for doing better than that. But it's a non issue. Pope will never make another S16 anywhere.
That’s cherry picking stats to fit your agenda. Here is what you left out.
Yes, Cal was still getting 5* guys. He put so many in the NBA he was gonna recruit OK even with Mitch fighting NIL. He got the 5* that Duke, Kansas and other elites passed on. Why, because they stunk. Zero BB skills just bigger than the HS guys they played against.
Those 2 top players you named were Reed and Rob. Two 4* hits. Both were expected to be multi year players. But outplayed their rank while Edward’s hit the Gleague and Wagner started his 4 year college Career. Both 5* massive busts. Since NIL took effect. Cal didn’t have one single player that starts on an NBA team.
He took our entire recruiting class to Arkansas and had his first year ever without having a first rounder.
His first recruiting class at Arkansas will produce 2 first rounders with the National freshman of the year.
Calipari is getting elite player again at Arkansas with their NIL. He was getting left overs here with ours.
Lavin got 7 seasons at UCLA. He made the Elite 8 in year one never to get that far again. He was knocked out in the first round his third season. He then went to 3 straight sweet 16's before going 10-19 and missing the tournament his final season. So he did not get fired for doing better than Pope. He got fired for a truly horrible season.
Why are people dragging up old threads after a career 64% winning percentage guy landed his first big fish in an 11 year career?
I'm thrilled for the momentum that Pope and his staff are riding, but he has a ton to prove. The resurrection of the dead threads is bizarre.
Why are people so afraid of what they said?
