Eh, who cares. Most of us on this board could’ve coached this team to 14 losses with a $22 million roster.
THIS. Everyone should read this again. This is the painful reality for Pope and UK.What decent, high achieving person who wants to advance their career would come play for this coach? Video coordinator of a g-league team is now effectively our GM.
I really hope you're right.All those assistants made $2.8 m / year.
Have they developed players? No!
have they evaluated correctly players? No!
Were they able to close any great recruits? No!
have they provide on consistent basis with good game scouting as assigned? No!
were they able to count above 5 , so UK didnt play with 6 players at the same time and embarrass Pope? NO!
so why to keep them? I actually agree with Pope decision to let them all go. They shouldn’t have been here in the first place so maybe this is a good sign that Pope is learning and actually starting to make the right calls.
I mentioned in another thread. Is Pope running solo? Or is he being mentored by a high-connect to the program ( like an Issel), or a close booster. Hopefully not lame duck Barnhart.Here's the good thing about this. You really only get one chance as a coach to shake up your assistants. Like Sean McDermott for the Bills. He got a chance to fire his OC.. but when they still had issues, he was next.
So this really is it for Pope. Hes gonna reshuffle the deck to make it work.. but now its on him if the assistants he chooses (again) cant get it done for him.
Also, if these were Pope's first choices.. the guys coming in cant be any better. He has a fraction of the coaching connections of guys like Self, Izzo, etc. Assistants arent like apples on trees. Where is he gonna get 3 new guys?
All those assistants made $2.8 m / year.
Have they developed players? No!
have they evaluated correctly players? No!
Were they able to close any great recruits? No!
have they provide on consistent basis with good game scouting as assigned? No!
were they able to count above 5 , so UK didnt play with 6 players at the same time and embarrass Pope? NO!
so why to keep them? I actually agree with Pope decision to let them all go. They shouldn’t have been here in the first place so maybe this is a good sign that Pope is learning and actually starting to make the right calls.
Have you seen Pope’s practices? Not goodNo it';s not. The development of this team sucked, and that's not just on Pope. That's what staff is for.
I can already imagine (no I haven't personally seen them) him just TALKING TALKING TALKING without sticking his whistle up the butt of anyone who jogs. I also imagine that he's well aware that BBN is looking squarely at him so I expect big changes.Have you seen Pope’s practices? Not good
Changes need to be made but the changes that are happening isn’t the problem.I can already imagine (no I haven't personally seen them) him just TALKING TALKING TALKING without sticking his whistle up the butt of anyone who jogs. I also imagine that he's well aware that BBN is looking squarely at him so I expect big changes.
LOL, c'mon now. Replacing the entire staff, who most certainly did play in a role in poor practices and guys not developing, is part of resolving the problem. I'm looking for resolution with what we have, not looking to bash Pope.Changes need to be made but the changes that are happening isn’t the problem.
I mentioned in another thread. Is Pope running solo? Or is he being mentored by a high-connect to the program ( like an Issel), or a close booster. Hopefully not lame duck Barnhart.
very true and I had a whole thread on his progress actual ” accomplishments”.Pope also failed at these and makes significantly more than 2.8m
Yeah, what a genius idea… Let’s head into the most important portal recruiting cycle that Pope will face in his entire career, with one assistant and a new Director of Player Management!He better KILL it in the portal then him and Cody
Kinda makes it look like the person that hired each one of the assistants, uh, screwed up. JmoAll those assistants made $2.8 m / year.
Have they developed players? No!
have they evaluated correctly players? No!
Were they able to close any great recruits? No!
have they provide on consistent basis with good game scouting as assigned? No!
were they able to count above 5 , so UK didnt play with 6 players at the same time and embarrass Pope? NO!
so why to keep them? I actually agree with Pope decision to let them all go. They shouldn’t have been here in the first place so maybe this is a good sign that Pope is learning and actually starting to make the right calls.
This seems to be the complete opposite approach taken when Mitch and the administration were hell bent on hiring a coach (Pope) before the portal cycle?Yeah, what a genius idea… Let’s head into the most important portal recruiting cycle that Pope will face in his entire career, with one assistant and a new Director of Player Management!
I mean, what could possibly go wrong?![]()
I don’t buy the narrative this was Mark Pope’s decision. This type of house cleaning almost always occurs when the administration orders a pushover to fire his staff. And that scenario is much more aligned with CMP’s character.All those assistants made $2.8 m / year.
Have they developed players? No!
have they evaluated correctly players? No!
Were they able to close any great recruits? No!
have they provide on consistent basis with good game scouting as assigned? No!
were they able to count above 5 , so UK didnt play with 6 players at the same time and embarrass Pope? NO!
so why to keep them? I actually agree with Pope decision to let them all go. They shouldn’t have been here in the first place so maybe this is a good sign that Pope is learning and actually starting to make the right calls.
Yeah, gracefully give up 20 millionThis looks like Mark Pope cleaning house but this is the rats jumping ship. So now, thanks to Mitch Barnhart, Pope not only has to find players for his team in a two week period, he has to find coaches to do his job for him. Pope should have gracefully stepped down.
BecausejWhat decent, high achieving person who wants to advance their career would come play for this coach? Video coordinator of a g-league team is now effectively our GM.
We will see real quick in the portal if we get elite players or the 6th man and role players like this year it will be the same next yearOn the surface these recent/upcoming changes to staff have potential to be positive developments. I'm hoping that's the case.
I still have serious reservations about Pope's fitness for the job; I don't think he's going to get it done. But he's here for another season at a minimum and at least appears to be trying to make some changes. It's going to take a miraculous turn-around for UK to return to what it is/was. We shall see.
Absolutely. We'll know soon enough.We will see real quick in the portal if we get elite players or the 6th man and role players like this year it will be the same next year
I've heard the same thing. This guy wasn't impressed at all and that's not the first SEC coach that he has went to watch.Have you seen Pope’s practices? Not good
This will FOREVER piss me off. He had the chance to have Orlando on the staff and didn’t keep him because of his own ego. I wouldn’t do it now if I’m Orlando. Hes already had to switch from UK to UI twice, can’t see him moving again.Bring Antigua back when Illinois run is over.