New Assistant(s)

Catlogic1552

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
427
1,006
93
Wondering: Is Pope running solo on these non-renewals? Is he consulting with lame duck Barnhart? Seeking replacements by himself? I’m thinking he has a high level booster mentoring him on this but don’t know.
 
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Dec 7, 2020
281
393
63
I'm not concerned about him getting in kids faces. Frankly, we desperately needed someone to jerk a knot in some tails this past season.

My concern is Rondo trying to override Pope and other assistants since he had a penchant for telling his coach to pound sand back in his playing days.
After watching all the games this year other than the last twelve minutes of the Iowa St game when I turned the tv or radio off for the first time ever in 61 years of Cat watching. I will say that would be perfect because somebody needs to override our current coaches. Rondo would be perfect he is know as a basketball savant by his peers,has the name recognition for anyone that follows basketball, his attention to detail is unbelievable something we haven't had since Pitino and that;s both offensely and defensely. Him having played at Kentucky has nothing to do with it. It's just a plus.
 
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Coach777

All-Conference
Dec 19, 2022
461
1,146
93
Actually I thought Pope was a good hire mid way through last season. There was so much wrong with this years team which have all been aired on here. There nothing positive I’ve seen from him in any aspect. Can you point them out? Why don’t you see it’s important to know how they left?
I guess noci can make statements but won’t answer questions. Of course when you can’t back it up they won’t respond. 😆
 

JPFisher

Heisman
Jul 24, 2013
6,606
12,517
113
You can bet your back side one of the assistants will be Pelphrey. He has been dying to get back into the SEC anyways.
Season 2 No GIF by The Serpent Queen
 

WallCousins

Sophomore
Jul 5, 2025
45
126
33
I understand what Antigua brought to the table, and I get why folks miss him, but I can’t really blame Pope for letting him go at that moment. You can’t come in as the new guy and leave the badly underachieving legacy coach’s chief lieutenant in place. How could you ever trust him? That’s a house divided waiting to happen.

Would be thrilled if he brought him back though.
Yet he kept Mark Fox. Antigua was in the process of building a house in Lexington when Pope let him go.
 

wldctky

Freshman
Dec 11, 2007
34
51
18
I do think Rondo could do extremely well as a coach, and that's not just alum bias. He'd be hot headed, but I believe he'd be a dynamite Xs and Os guy with a ton of name recognition.

That said, he's a complete unknown and I'd rather us not take a chance on a newbie coach at this junction.
and he could probably persuade his son to come to UK in 4 years
 
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Hitman206

Senior
Jul 11, 2009
415
539
93
Glynn cyprien, Jeremy Cox, Tracey Webster
And Alvin Brooks would have been an assistant but had to move to a manager role because Gillispie had to hire Webster to get Darius Miller who was going to Illinois and Webster wanted to do off campus recruiting as a condition to come to UK and you could only have 2 assistants do off campus recruiting.
 
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JPFisher

Heisman
Jul 24, 2013
6,606
12,517
113
Wife and kids stayed in Lexington and live in their “Forever Home”.
Bring Coach O back home.
Wild if true and bodes well for UK, but can't find a source. You got one? I find that extremely hard to believe.
 

Dr.LutherSan

All-American
Sep 6, 2019
3,968
7,635
113
I heard Brad Stevens and Billy Donovan are in a bidding war over a farm in Nicholasville.
 

BigBlueGuru

All-Conference
Feb 10, 2007
1,810
2,981
103
Question is whether Antiqua sold his house in Lexington or still owns it. If he still owns it there might be a chance. I remember when Pope was first hired articles talking about he had just completed building his house and didnt want to leave Lexington.
 
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seccats04

Heisman
Dec 6, 2004
14,392
23,035
113
Question is whether Antiqua sold his house in Lexington or still owns it. If he still owns it there might be a chance. I remember when Pope was first hired articles talking about he had just completed building his house and didnt want to leave Lexington.
He still owns a house in Lexington as I just checked the Fayette PVA website. You can sign up for a free account as it's a public website. I don't want to post a link to his page because I wouldn't feel right posting someone's home address on a fan forum and not knowing if this is against board rules.
 
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coalBucket

Senior
Sep 27, 2008
423
865
88
He still owns a house in Lexington as I just checked the Fayette PVA website. You can sign up for a free account as it's a public website. I don't want to post a link to his page because I wouldn't feel right posting someone's home address on a fan forum and not knowing if this is against board rules.


I love it here
 

JHBr

Junior
Nov 13, 2025
123
274
63
I'm suggesting Bob Huggins as an assistant. He'd bring toughness and defense to the team. Pope can coach offense.