Who is Mark Pope? BYU head coach could replace John Calipari at Kentucky, per reports
The Kentucky Wildcats' search for a new head coach continues, and former Wildcat Mark Pope, currently the head coach at BYU, has emerged as a candidate for the UK job, according to multiple reports Thursday night.
CBS' Matt Norlander and others reported that UK has lined up Pope, 51, to be its next coach, with both sides quickly working toward a deal.
John Calipari confirmed Tuesday that he's leaving Kentucky for the Arkansas Razorbacks after 15 seasons in Lexington.
Multiple reports earlier this week suggested that UK was targeting Baylor Bears head coach Scott Drew, but Drew tweeted that he intends to remain in Waco.
What to know about the 6-foot-10 Pope, who has been the Cougars' head coach since 2019:
Pope played two seasons at Washington, and two seasons at UK.
Pope transferred to UK after playing for the Huskies from 1991 to 1993.
He averaged 8.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in his first season in Lexington. As a senior, he averaged 7.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in helping the Wildcats to the 1996 national title, under then-head coach Rick Pitino.
A tweet Thursday from Nazr Mohammed, Pope's teammate on the '95-96 team:
Not sure what’s going on, I’m getting excited if it’s true that Mark Pope is in consideration for @KentuckyMBB HC position. Amazing coach, great person… battled w him daily as a Freshman & he taught me the level of intensity that the game needs to be played at. #BBN#GoBigBlue
— Nazr Mohammed (@NazrMohammed) April 12, 2024
A tweet from Jamie Shaw:
Mark Pope and Jeff Sheppard, dad of Reed Sheppard, were teammates for two seasons at Kentucky.
They were teammates on the 1995-96 National Championship team.
(Pope is No. 41, Sheppard No. 15) pic.twitter.com/DtZ1XQrGZy— Jamie Shaw (@JamieShaw5) April 12, 2024
Pope played parts of six NBA seasons for the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets.
Pope started 45 of the 63 games in which he played for the Bucks in 2000-01, averaging 2.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
Pope enrolled in medical school at the conclusion of his playing career, in 2006.
After three years of medical school, Pope's coaching career started at Georgia.
In 2009, Pope left med school to become an assistant for the Bulldogs. He spent one season as an assistant at Wake Forest, and four seasons as an assistant at BYU.
Pope became a first-time head coach when he moved from Provo to Utah Valley in 2015.
Pope helped Utah Valley improve from 12-18 his first season to 25-10 in his fourth.
Pope's final three seasons with the Wolverines included CBI appearances.
BYU hired Pope to replace Dave Rose as head coach in 2019, when Rose retired.
BYU has won at least 19 games in each of Pope's five seasons as head coach of the Cougars.
Pope's team finished the 2019-20 season with a 24-8 record, but the postseason wasn't held because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the past four seasons, the Cougars have earned two NCAA tournament bids and one NIT bid.
This past season was the Cougars' first in the Big 12 Conference. BYU finished 23-11 overall, 10-8 in the Big 12.
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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kentucky may hire BYU coach, ex-Wildcat Mark Pope to replace Calipari
