Comparison: Mark Pope vs Scott Drew over the past two (2) seasons

megablue · 2026-09-18T10:04:42-0500

Scott Drew was seriously considered for, if not actually offered, the Kentucky job before Mark Pope.
Drew has a .636 all-time winning percentage as a head coach, versus Pope with .632, so essentially the same for their careers.

It is interesting to note how their records compare during the last two (2) seasons.

Mark Pope:
2024-25: 24-12, 10-8, T-6th, S16
2025-26: 22-14, 10-8, T-7th, R32
Overall: 46-26, 20-16

Scott Drew:
2024-25: 20-15, 10-10, T-7th, R32
2025-26: 17-17, 6-12, T-13th, CBC Semi-Final
Overall: 37-32, 16-22

Mark Pope - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Scott Drew - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

BlueBomb · 2026-09-18T10:08:18-0500

It appears that whoever was vetting and deciding on potential coaches, was not very good at his job. I believe people today call that "mid."

Pygmy Sasquatch · 2026-09-18T10:10:05-0500

I am truly happy we didn't end up with Drew.

I like the comparisons you bring, megablue.

Wayne Dougan · 2026-09-18T10:10:39-0500

I never understood the love for Scott Drew and I'm glad we didn't get him. He kind of reminded me of Tubby in that he's solid, but seemed satisfied with his one championship. Another comp would be Rick Barnes. Two guys who are pros, but lack the killer instinct of a Pitino.

ifer1116 · 2026-09-18T10:16:35-0500

Pygmy Sasquatch said:
I am truly happy we didn't end up with Drew.

I like the comparisons you bring, megablue.

I'm gonna be totally honest, if Barnhart had signed Drew, I was gonna give up UK basketball until he was gone. We dodged a serious bullet. Can't believe he was even considered.

Snarks · 2026-09-18T10:19:47-0500

This is what happens when you want to hire a genuinely good person over someone who is good at their job. Take away the Covid year for Drew where he won the NC, and his resume isn’t great overall.

UKWildcats1987 · 2026-09-18T10:20:56-0500

Just shows how pathetic Mitch was during the process.

Pygmy Sasquatch · 2026-09-18T10:27:02-0500

ifer1116 said:
I'm gonna be totally honest, if Barnhart had signed Drew, I was gonna give up UK basketball until he was gone. We dodged a serious bullet. Can't believe he was even considered.

Absolutely, I felt the same way.

UKBB4Ever · 2026-09-18T10:45:37-0500

I'm glad we didn't get Drew and I'll be thrilled when Pope is gone.

UKCowboys · 2026-09-18T11:28:05-0500

People dogged me out for wanting an older Bruce Pearl LMAO

Pygmy Sasquatch · 2026-09-18T11:38:28-0500

UKCowboys said:
People dogged me out for wanting an older Bruce Pearl LMAO

That's another I'm glad never got a shot here.

Eagles_Ball_69 · 2026-09-18T11:48:47-0500

megablue said:
Scott Drew was seriously considered for, if not actually offered, the Kentucky job before Mark Pope.
Drew has a .636 all-time winning percentage as a head coach, versus Pope with .632, so essentially the same for their careers.

It is interesting to note how their records compare during the last two (2) seasons.

Mark Pope:
2024-25: 24-12, 10-8, T-6th, S16
2025-26: 22-14, 10-8, T-7th, R32
Overall: 46-26, 20-16

Scott Drew:
2024-25: 20-15, 10-10, T-7th, R32
2025-26: 17-17, 6-12, T-13th, CBC Semi-Final
Overall: 37-32, 16-22

Mark Pope - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Scott Drew - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I've said it before, I'll say it again. I'd have been just as unhappy with Scott Drew. He's accomplished far more than Pope has as a coach, but still think the fit was equally as bad as Pope.

Diggers_Matching_Highlighter_rivals62132 · 2026-09-18T11:59:15-0500

This is almost as infuriating as the selecting Pope.

I wouldn't put Barhart in charge of hiring a line cook at McDonald's.

BookofMormon · 2026-09-18T12:02:16-0500

What has happened to Drew? The guy has become the definition of mediocre. He won his one fluke title and now seems to be coasting.

He would have been a worse hire - would have been compelled to hang onto him longer than needed, a bigger contract.

Wayne Dougan · 2026-09-18T12:09:06-0500

UKCowboys said:
People dogged me out for wanting an older Bruce Pearl LMAO

I'm glad we didn't hire him.

UKCowboys · 2026-09-18T12:13:02-0500

Pygmy Sasquatch said:
That's another I'm glad never got a shot here.

Yeah, who needs FF's

UKCowboys · 2026-09-18T12:13:36-0500

Wayne Dougan said:
I'm glad we didn't hire him.

Comical

CUJO_1970 · 2026-09-18T12:13:43-0500

Scott Drew stinks now. He has for the last few years. So it’s really no wonder Mitch Barnhart had a boner for him.

Barnhart may be the single worst thing that’s ever happened to UK sports.

Pygmy Sasquatch · 2026-09-18T12:20:33-0500

UKCowboys said:
Yeah, who needs FF's

You can have those without a scumbag taking you there

Wayne Dougan · 2026-09-18T12:23:42-0500

UKCowboys said:
Comical

We would have had one season with him. He just quit and inserted his son in his spot. No thanks.

FLBBNFAN · 2026-09-18T12:44:41-0500

UKCowboys said:
People dogged me out for wanting an older Bruce Pearl LMAO

Pearl would of been an excellent choice. No doubt he would love to coach here and he would of been a great pickup for us. We could of gotten a good 5 years out of him and had time to set up a proper succession plan (not his son) . He's a players coach.

BBNinSCar · 2026-09-18T12:46:14-0500

I am glad we did not hire Drew, Hurley, Pearl or Donovan. Pitino is looking like that would have been a smart pick-but I didn’t feel that way when UK was looking.
Kentucky was a year late with firing Stoops and hiring Jon Sumrall. This is a decision that will look worse after this season.
We are going to make the same mistake in basketball. If there is any chance Pope is not going to have a UK-worthy record this year, hire Josh Schertz before the season is out. He will end up at Kansas or somewhere similar very soon.

UKWildcats1987 · 2026-09-18T12:52:11-0500

Pygmy Sasquatch said:
You can have those without a scumbag taking you there

U do know Cal and Pitini coached here right?

theBlues · 2026-09-18T12:52:27-0500

Dodged one bullet; caught one.

BlueWorldOrder74 · 2026-09-18T12:55:47-0500

Well, compare away. They’ve both under-performed. No way around that. So we didn’t get one under-performer, but got another. Yay. What’s the difference?

LineSkiCat14 · 2026-09-18T13:10:24-0500

I think Scott Drew was more of a "known" commodity: A good, but not great coach who was never going to work at UK. Granted, it seems that's what we have with Pope.. but at the time there was at least some potential. So I understand taking the chance on him. Sometimes it doesnt work out.

UKCowboys · 2026-09-18T13:12:49-0500

Wayne Dougan said:
We would have had one season with him. He just quit and inserted his son in his spot. No thanks.

No....just no. You would have needed a tow truck to pull him away from UK

chroix · 2026-09-18T13:13:14-0500

Chris Beard at Ole Miss
2024-2025 24-12
2025-2026 15-20

UKCowboys · 2026-09-18T13:13:24-0500

Pygmy Sasquatch said:
You can have those without a scumbag taking you there

Did you like Pitino? Because as scumbags go....

UKWildcats1987 · 2026-09-18T13:16:00-0500

UK also has one of the deepest NIL warchests so Pope in theory can buy better rosters than Drew at Baylor or Beard at Ole miss or Pearl at auburn.

This is UK after all.

So I always am hesitant to compare these guys at dog crap basketball schools to UKs coach on performance.

BookofMormon · 2026-09-18T13:21:19-0500

BBNinSCar said:
I am glad we did not hire Drew, Hurley, Pearl or Donovan. Pitino is looking like that would have been a smart pick-but I didn’t feel that way when UK was looking.
Kentucky was a year late with firing Stoops and hiring Jon Sumrall. This is a decision that will look worse after this season.
We are going to make the same mistake in basketball. If there is any chance Pope is not going to have a UK-worthy record this year, hire Josh Schertz before the season is out. He will end up at Kansas or somewhere similar very soon.

Pitino retreading at this point would have been weird. No thanks. Here after the local hooker scandal. Weird, desperate, lame hire that would have been.

Pearl was clearly checked out, would not have been a good hire. If he wasn't, would have been the type of hire that would work.

Donovan hasn't coached college in ages.

Drew has flatlined.

Hurley is the best coach in the sport by an effen country mile - if you are glad we didn't hire him because he makes faces, you're a fargin idiot.

Bryan Hodgson will be the next guy and will be lights out. He's already killing it on the recruiting trail at PC.

Dward13 · 2026-09-18T13:22:06-0500

I would have taken Drew over Cal at the time but outside of one 3-4 year stretch he’s been good but not great.

Everything about him now screams complacency.

Dward13 · 2026-09-18T13:26:36-0500

BookofMormon said:
Pitino retreading at this point would have been weird. No thanks. Here after the local hooker scandal. Weird, desperate, lame hire that would have been.

Pearl was clearly checked out, would not have been a good hire. If he wasn't, would have been the type of hire that would work.

Donovan hasn't coached college in ages.

Drew has flatlined.

Hurley is the best coach in the sport by an effen country mile - if you are glad we didn't hire him because he makes faces, you're a fargin idiot.

Bryan Hodgson will be the next guy and will be lights out. He's already killing it on the recruiting trail at PC.

Yeah…I do like Schertz but anyone saying they’re glad we didn’t hire Hurley is allergic to winning. 3 final fours and 2 titles in a 4 year stretch is the best run anyone’s had in a while. And Hurley doesn’t seem satisfied or content or to be slowing down in any way.

That said hes made it clear he does not like recruiting and can’t stand the transfer portal and having to immediately go back to dealing with all that as soon as they’ve played their last game. I just can’t see him being a college lifer. I think he eventually goes to the league.

JHannibalSmith · 2026-09-18T13:33:01-0500

Pygmy Sasquatch said:
You can have those without a scumbag taking you there

Couldn’t agree more. I have no doubt that Pearl would do well, here. And, I’m not the type who needs a choir boy HC. Morality & decency matter to me. But, I’m willing to overlook a lot. But, Pearl showed his true character as an assistant at Iowa & I’ve despised him ever since.

He was perfectly ok with trying to ruin an elite recruit’s career, who had legit NBA potential, bc he was butt hurt when Deion Thomas chose Illinois over Iowa. He set him up, secretly recorded a phone call where they talked about extra benefits being offered by Illinois donors & then turned in the recording after he was rejected by Thomas. And, that’s despite the fact that Pearl was offering money to Thomas’ grandmother in an attempt to sway him to Iowa.

Then, he offered a POSSIBLE (BS) scholarship to one of Thomas’ HS teammates & friends in exchange for info regarding Thomas & his recruitment to Illinois. He never intended to really give that kid a scholarship. And, that’s where he got the info used in this case. I’ve never liked a rat in any situation. But, a grown man willing to go to those lengths to destroy a kid’s future is just something I can’t forgive or forget. Scumbag is a huge understatement.

PooPooPeePeePoo · 2026-09-18T13:37:01-0500

Yeah. Let’s completely ignore Scott Drew won a national championship at Baylor. Where 10 of their 17 Head coaches had losing records. Man Pope pumpers are dumb.

Anon200440 · 2026-09-18T13:44:30-0500

Drew has a more exciting style with more star players.
But he hasn't done too much lately

Wayne Dougan · 2026-09-18T13:45:46-0500

UKCowboys said:
No....just no.

Are you a woman on Facebook circa 2012?

Wayne Dougan · 2026-09-18T13:47:38-0500

PooPooPeePeePoo said:
Yeah. Let’s completely ignore Scott Drew won a national championship at Baylor. Where 10 of their 17 Head coaches had losing records. Man Pope pumpers are dumb.

A transformational coach is going to win wherever they go. That's why I am not a big fan of Pope. He didn't show that he could consistently win prior to being at UK. He says the right things, but delivering on them is not the same thing.

BookofMormon · 2026-09-18T13:49:14-0500

Dward13 said:
Yeah…I do like Schertz but anyone saying they’re glad we didn’t hire Hurley is allergic to winning. 3 final fours and 2 titles in a 4 year stretch is the best run anyone’s had in a while. And Hurley doesn’t seem satisfied or content or to be slowing down in any way.

That said hes made it clear he does not like recruiting and can’t stand the transfer portal and having to immediately go back to dealing with all that as soon as they’ve played their last game. I just can’t see him being a college lifer. I think he eventually goes to the league.

100% - the I don't like him because he makes faces crowd is hysterical.

He may go to the league, but right now he seems to have an ever-evolving blueprint that stays ahead of peers. It's hard to know. If he loses enough staff, it might be why he does.

UKCowboys · 2026-09-18T13:50:50-0500

Wayne Dougan said:
Are you a woman on Facebook circa 2012?

Fool around and find out

Comparison: Mark Pope vs Scott Drew over the past two (2) seasons

Heisman

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Heisman

All-Conference

Sophomore

All-American

Heisman

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All-Conference

All-American

Heisman

All-American

Senior

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All-Conference

All-American

All-American

All-Conference

Heisman

All-Conference

All-Conference

All-Conference

Heisman

All-Conference

Heisman

Heisman

All-American

Heisman

All-American

Heisman

All-Conference

All-Conference

All-Conference

All-American

Sophomore

Senior

All-Conference

All-Conference

All-Conference

All-American