Can anyone provide any insight into Mark Pope's issues with recruting. I keep seeing people ripping his personality and that recruits don't like him. When he was hired the media was clamoring about his energy, positivity and likability. What has happened and what is going on?
Pope's personality/Recruiting inability
- Thread starter blugreg
- Start date
what is attractive to middle-aged and older media types and Barnharts may not be what is attractive to young athletes
2 players who went into the portal said bad stuff. Since it fits the PDS narrative it became gospel.
Pope just seems Goofy & out of touch with all these recruits culturally .
25 posts in 9 years. Maybe you could provide some insight into that.
I am sure every school we go up against negatively recruits against us by just showing recruits the video of him in full uniform doing the C-A-T-S cheer.
serious answer tho …
Go to UVU and BYU message boards.
Look at the way insiders talk about him.
Pope has a reputation at his former schools for:
Go to UVU and BYU message boards.
Look at the way insiders talk about him.
Pope has a reputation at his former schools for:
- not connecting with players
- playing favorites
- being a weird *sshole with local media
- trying desperately to project an air of positivity despite obvious locker room turmoil
- coming across as “moody” or “overly emotional” when dealing with recruits
I think you can just look at this past year's team and see the problem with Pope connecting to players. It's not just recruiting, our players look lost and uninspired out there.
When this roster is finalized, it will be fun to hear Pope‘s review of his incoming team.
Should be comedy gold.
Should be comedy gold.
I'm going to go with Lamborghini.
That tells you pope is done at Kentucky. You lose the fan base you are done.
What the hell does that matter?
BYU suddenly got stronger after Pope left lol
And they’ll tell you that. They openly say he wasn’t going to be there much longer anyway. Mark was headed down to lower tiers and in walks Mitch Barnhart.
Pope's incompetence is absolutely stunning. I'm starting to think Bozo Barnhart literally made the worst hire possible.
People who are brilliant can be really socially awkward. My sister in law was a rhodes scholar too and she is a genius and super nice but she doesn't fit in at any party or social gathering. They have no idea that they are off putting with their mannerisms and comments.
Also he knows he is under pressure and the expectations here. He has been under the gun since Michigan State and feeling pressure can make you behave odd and over compensate which turns folks off even more.
I have ragged on him pretty hard the last couple of months and wish he would lock down some elite guys. I would be happy to eat crow for a 30 plus win season.
It's all about the 3 M's--- minutes, money
, and motivation.
He is cerebral, philosophical, and somewhat goofy. As a human being that is a compliment. For a high level D1 basketball coach, it may not be enough. I get the feeling that these alpha male athletes either don't relate to him or don't respect him or both leading to doubts about his ability to succeed at the highest level. Being able to collect elite players is part of that success.
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Think it’s fairly obvious he tries to sell kids on the history and status of Kentucky when that has never meant less than it does today. Scheyer and Malone aren’t selling kids on Duke/UNC’s history. Calipari isn’t talking to kids about Nolan Richardson. Pitino isn’t talking about St. John’s in the 80’s. These coaches are telling kids how they’ll make them successful.
Outside of NIL, I think almost every coach has a clear vision of how they want to play and how certain players will thrive in that system and so they can break it down to recruits. Pope doesn’t have that. In year 1 he went shooting heavy, in year 2 he tried to build a physical bruiser athletic type team. He has no clear vision to sell these kids and I’m sure that comes through in visits. No player is gonna want to play for you if you can’t even break down how they’ll be used.
Outside of NIL, I think almost every coach has a clear vision of how they want to play and how certain players will thrive in that system and so they can break it down to recruits. Pope doesn’t have that. In year 1 he went shooting heavy, in year 2 he tried to build a physical bruiser athletic type team. He has no clear vision to sell these kids and I’m sure that comes through in visits. No player is gonna want to play for you if you can’t even break down how they’ll be used.
Saved money to give to Stoops & thought by Cal leaving without buyout, the math worked.
The early reception Pope got made Mitch smile - then the Honeymoon ended but the injury excuse & Sweet 16 saved the day plus got Pope another 1 year extension.
He isn't a lot of things but I"m pretty sure to be a Rhodes Scholar, you have to have some brilliance.
This ^. I cannot wait to hear what he has to say. He absolutely HAS to be the biggest oddball on the planet. This is unbelievable.
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned. When you play non conference games and get blown out by 30 against the big names on the marquee games, it’s gonna catch up with your recruiting. These players can see the coach and the lack of motivation and adjustments.
So basically everything we have seen. We have all watched the lock room drama. The strange press conferences and now he gets guys on campus and they all hate it.
So we can’t get recruits because Pope acts like a woman. Now I understand.
I can hear him now saying that he got the best players that wanted to be here and understands what wearing the jersey means. He isn’t lying, he just said that anyone who committed, wants to be here for the money. Just not Superior players
Not at recruiting for sure but he's a rhodes scholar so he's very smart IQ wise but socially awkward which doesn't translate well with college kids.
Year 1 he also had a bunch of 6th year seniors that were good shooters, mature, dug our tradition and probably never thought they would play at a blue blood program . That scenario isn't coming back around again.
Don't think he can relate or manage guys who are elite or former 5* guys. Lots of egos to manage.
So now I figured out why he takes his daughters on recruiting trips… the assistant coaches believe him to be a little peculiar