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Misplaced Anger

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CatBlueBlood

Sophomore
Feb 18, 2026
81
172
33
The fan base is understandably frustrated with how this season is panning out. We all expected to compete for a national championship but, instead, this has turned into the season from hell. If this board is representative, BBN is putting the blame on Pope's shoulders. Frankly, it's getting ugly and a bit unfair. Mitch is the one who made an astoundingly bad hiring decision and Pope is the one paying the price. It should have been abundantly clear to Mitch that Pope didn't have anywhere near the coaching credentials to be named coach at Kentucky. Mitch incompetence put Pope in a position where the likelihood of success was infinitesimally small. Perhaps Pope should have known that he was unqualified and turned down the offer, but his love for Kentucky basketball guaranteed acceptance. This story was never going to have a happy ending and that's on Mitch. It's okay to criticize Pope, but understand where the true blame should be placed. Pope is a good man, but not the right person for the job.

Looking ahead, I believe that the basketball program should undergo a zero base review. Put all aspects of the program under a microscope and don't leave a stone unturned. Focus on leadership, recruiting, finances, the whole nine yards. If we are to regain our statute as an elite program, we have to be clear-eyed about our deficiencies and chart a new course with purpose and professionalism. What we have now resembles a circus and we deserve better.
 
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A

actionjaksen

Junior
Oct 20, 2002
189
232
43
CatBlueBlood said:
The fan base is understandably frustrated with how this season is panning out. We all expected to compete for a national championship but, instead, this has turned into the season from hell. If this board is representative, BBN is putting the blame on Pope's shoulders. Frankly, it's getting ugly and a bit unfair. Mitch is the one who made an astoundingly bad hiring decision and Pope is the one paying the price. It should have been abundantly clear to Mitch that Pope didn't have anywhere near the coaching credentials to be named coach at Kentucky. Mitch incompetence put Pope in a position where the likelihood of success was infinitesimally small. Perhaps Pope should have known that he was unqualified and turned down the offer, but his love for Kentucky basketball guaranteed acceptance. This story was never going to have a happy ending and that's on Mitch. It's okay to criticize Pope, but understand where the true blame should be placed. Pope is a good man, but not the right person for the job.

Looking ahead, I believe that the basketball program should undergo a zero base review. Put all aspects of the program under a microscope and don't leave a stone unturned. Focus on leadership, recruiting, finances, the whole nine yards. If we are to regain our statute as an elite program, we have to be clear-eyed about our deficiencies and chart a new course with purpose and professionalism. What we have now resembles a circus and we deserve better.
Click to expand...
If the season fizzles the rest of the way out, no way does Pope get a pass. He has as much responsibility as Mitch.
 
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UKGrad24

UKGrad24

All-American
Apr 2, 2024
2,808
6,779
100
Mitch hired Pope for a few reasons none of which have anything to do with Kentucky basketball success. Did you see where Mitch was tonight? Directly behind the bench. Did you ever see Mitch behind the bench with Calipari? No.

Mitch wanted to control basketball (probably financial) and needed a control hire. Mark wasn’t hired for any other reason. It’s control. Mark knows this too that’s why the first thing he did was talk about how great Mitch is.

This isn’t hard. Mitch hired Pope to have full power over the basketball program. So Mark isn’t here to win anyway, they probably just thought he’d win enough to kick the can.

This program is worth a fortune to Kentucky in several ways. Mitch doesn’t want that control going to away again.
 
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NociHTTP

NociHTTP

Heisman
Mar 8, 2023
12,158
19,065
113
actionjaksen said:
If the season fizzles the rest of the way out, no way does Pope get a pass. He has as much responsibility as Mitch.
Click to expand...
He will get a third season here, but boy will the seat be hot. The only way I could see him changing things at that point is for pretty much the entire staff having been replaced (which I think is happening after the season is over) and a drastic revamping of the roster via the portal.
 
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actionjaksen

Junior
Oct 20, 2002
189
232
43
NociHTTP said:
He will get a third season here, but boy will the seat be hot. The only way I could see him changing things at that point is for pretty much the entire staff having been replaced (which I think is happening after the season is over) and a drastic revamping of the roster via the portal.
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Pope, more than any other coach, I can see resigning for poor performance and love of the University.

He won't do it mid season though. I'm interested to see how these next few games go.
 
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W

Woodrow24

Heisman
Dec 21, 2015
6,310
15,309
78
UKGrad24 said:
Mitch hired Pope for a few reasons none of which have anything to do with Kentucky basketball success. Did you see where Mitch was tonight? Directly behind the bench. Did you ever see Mitch behind the bench with Calipari? No.

Mitch wanted to control basketball (probably financial) and needed a control hire. Mark wasn’t hired for any other reason. It’s control. Mark knows this too that’s why the first thing he did was talk about how great Mitch is.

This isn’t hard. Mitch hired Pope to have full power over the basketball program. So Mark isn’t here to win anyway, they probably just thought he’d win enough to kick the can.

This program is worth a fortune to Kentucky in several ways. Mitch doesn’t want that control going to away again.
Click to expand...
Theirs a good chance you’re right. Theirs no other justifiable reason for him hiring a coach with the resume pope had. Only time a blue blood ever hires someone with a resume like Popes is if they were groomed for the job by a previous coach like Scheyer replacing Coach K. Duke made sure that K had him ready for that job. Pope wasn’t ready to take on a job like this and would have never been considered if he wasn’t a former player.
 
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A

AJG-15

All-Conference
Apr 8, 2024
1,899
3,247
78
NociHTTP said:
Who really expected a title this season? You can't be serious.
Click to expand...
The guys and girls believing the sales pitch of the Ferrari’s driver.


I agree with OP, the blame should fall on Mitch.

however , putting the blame is easy….finding the right solution out of this mess is going to be hard , costly and time consuming….allowing Mitch to make another hire will be foolish….but he is the AD…he will not resign….unless BBN and media put a lot of pressure.
 
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OliverSimmonsTwinBrother

OliverSimmonsTwinBrother

All-Conference
Feb 3, 2025
1,367
4,494
113
I think we should look on the bright side. While our coach is subpar and we have zero hope for any improvement in the near future, the video board and digital signage at Rupp is top notch! I swear those 8k ads are legendary. Also a little birdie told me that next season we may have a fully immersive Kaufman Stigger and Hughes ad experience, I renewed my season tickets immediately and I suggest you do same!!! Hopefully if enough of us renew Trent Noah will get his 4th Cyber Truck and will consider giving us a 3rd year.🙏
 
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BigRedMachineBigBlueNation

BigRedMachineBigBlueNation

Heisman
May 4, 2015
10,475
13,528
86
CatBlueBlood said:
The fan base is understandably frustrated with how this season is panning out. We all expected to compete for a national championship but, instead, this has turned into the season from hell. If this board is representative, BBN is putting the blame on Pope's shoulders. Frankly, it's getting ugly and a bit unfair. Mitch is the one who made an astoundingly bad hiring decision and Pope is the one paying the price. It should have been abundantly clear to Mitch that Pope didn't have anywhere near the coaching credentials to be named coach at Kentucky. Mitch incompetence put Pope in a position where the likelihood of success was infinitesimally small. Perhaps Pope should have known that he was unqualified and turned down the offer, but his love for Kentucky basketball guaranteed acceptance. This story was never going to have a happy ending and that's on Mitch. It's okay to criticize Pope, but understand where the true blame should be placed. Pope is a good man, but not the right person for the job.

Looking ahead, I believe that the basketball program should undergo a zero base review. Put all aspects of the program under a microscope and don't leave a stone unturned. Focus on leadership, recruiting, finances, the whole nine yards. If we are to regain our statute as an elite program, we have to be clear-eyed about our deficiencies and chart a new course with purpose and professionalism. What we have now resembles a circus and we deserve better.
Click to expand...
I believe Mitch panic hired Pope after Drew turned us down. It was a bad situation from the start and it isn’t just Mitch apparently. Someone on here said the BOT blocked Pearl and a few other coaches from being hired. Mitch exacerbated the problem by going all-in with Drew (who wasn’t going to make it here either) and not having any other options besides Drew
 
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M

megablue

Heisman
Oct 2, 2012
15,515
15,552
113
Pope will need to have the best, most successful season he has ever had as a coach next year.
How likely does that look, right now ??
 
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SamePooter

SamePooter

All-Conference
Feb 21, 2026
946
1,232
93
BigBluefoot said:
No one really expected a title this year. We expected to at least have a team capable of being top 25. Not even close.
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I expected to be in title talks this year when the word on the street was we were loaded and had all this money. Bunch of gaslighting. Got me
 
SamePooter

SamePooter

All-Conference
Feb 21, 2026
946
1,232
93
AJG-15 said:
The guys and girls believing the sales pitch of the Ferrari’s driver.


I agree with OP, the blame should fall on Mitch.

however , putting the blame is easy….finding the right solution out of this mess is going to be hard , costly and time consuming….allowing Mitch to make another hire will be foolish….but he is the AD…he will not resign….unless BBN and media put a lot of pressure.
Click to expand...
Well he did have a Ferrari. He had the keys to one. He just didn’t know how to drive it. Didn’t know how to operate it. Didn’t know how to sell it to young players.

he was given control over a Ferrari but pulls up to the car meet like he’s driving a Kia optima. He’s just not the guy. He put straight pipes on a Kia optima. Tinted the windows and put a cold air intake on it. He made a need for speed rice burner when he was supposed to be creating a lambo.

don’t even have to create one. Just buy it stock off the show room floor. Any other coach would have. I believe I would have recruited better if given the the opportunity. Seriously. I’d start out overpaying for my star player. Then we would both go get our team together.

I’d have a star player bet your bottom. One that doesn’t look like he’s gambling.
 
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