Do you still Support Pope?
- Thread starter Farsight Clone
- Start date
Worst UK basketball hire in the last 30 years.
I still support Pope, but it’s becoming clear we aren’t winning many games this year. The shooting woes are worse than I really thought. There is no fix on the way.
Resume wise, he is. BCG won a few tournament games before he was hired too.
Hire Bruce Pearl as executive assistant and salvage the season. Can’t be embarrassed like this anymore, lack of accountability is astonishing and the fact these players seem not to care.
Well, he has a S16 and a 3 seed in year one here. Let’s not allow anger to override our brains.
None of those options work for me.
I still have a lot of faith in Mark Pope. The man didn't by accident beat more top-15 teams in a single season than anyone else in the history of college basketball.
But we have two issues that need to be fixed or we'll never get anywhere.
1—Recruiting. I don't think there's any way on God's green Earth we actually paid $22 million for this roster. But whether we did or not, recruiting is broken. Someone was talking the other day about the school and boosters coming up with roster money only after we already signed players. So great: worst of both worlds. We do get to pay huge money but we can't use the huge money in a way that helps us with recruiting. Whatever it is, we can't keep missing all our main targets. Money, available money, facilities, relating to kids, chicks on campus. However we do it we either get that percentage up to something like one third of our druthers players or we're sunk no matter who's coaching. IF it really is a problem where Pope really has all that huge money and can really spend it any way he wants and did this with it, then I love him but he needs to fix that or go.
2—Coach and team are not connecting this year. Who on Earth knows why. Maybe Otega really did bang everyone's girlfriend. IF that's the case, Otega needs to learn to keep it in his pants.
That is all.
I still have a lot of faith in Mark Pope. The man didn't by accident beat more top-15 teams in a single season than anyone else in the history of college basketball.
But we have two issues that need to be fixed or we'll never get anywhere.
1—Recruiting. I don't think there's any way on God's green Earth we actually paid $22 million for this roster. But whether we did or not, recruiting is broken. Someone was talking the other day about the school and boosters coming up with roster money only after we already signed players. So great: worst of both worlds. We do get to pay huge money but we can't use the huge money in a way that helps us with recruiting. Whatever it is, we can't keep missing all our main targets. Money, available money, facilities, relating to kids, chicks on campus. However we do it we either get that percentage up to something like one third of our druthers players or we're sunk no matter who's coaching. IF it really is a problem where Pope really has all that huge money and can really spend it any way he wants and did this with it, then I love him but he needs to fix that or go.
2—Coach and team are not connecting this year. Who on Earth knows why. Maybe Otega really did bang everyone's girlfriend. IF that's the case, Otega needs to learn to keep it in his pants.
That is all.
I could not stand Cal and desperately wanted a new coach years ago. I was also very much against this hire and may have been removed from the old message board because of how vocal I was about that. I take no joy in being right about Pope not being the guy for this job.
I think if fans would’ve stepped back and evaluated him for his actual coaching record rather than his persona and nostalgia they would’ve realized just how bad a coach he is.
I think if fans would’ve stepped back and evaluated him for his actual coaching record rather than his persona and nostalgia they would’ve realized just how bad a coach he is.
Billy G turned out crap but his resume wasn’t bad. He was an up and comer, people forget.
I'd be okay with the results IF the players were truly playing for each other, busting their asses on both ends of the court. I can't support this, though, it's on Pope. I think he's far too concerned with policing character and playing Doctor Analyzer, rather than just doing whatever it takes to win on the court.
Right but saying Pope is the worst hire in 30 years is objectively BS. Billy was a drunk and landed only one tournament appearance here, an 11 seed first round loss. This year has been awful, but unless you were saying Pope is BCG in the off-season it is cap
I thought was a baffling hire and I was right. If you’re hiring a former alum, it’s Frank Vogel, not Mark Pope.
Everyone got mad about that being discussed but honestly, why would it be a shock the way we play? We don’t play like a unit at all.
No, I remember last year. He can coach, but this is going off the rails, there’s no doubt
That’s the cool thing. It’s the S16 either way, especially when BCG beat no one. It’s pointless to argue if you really believe what you’re saying.
From a resume perspective, he absolutely is. Which is what I was saying.
I didn’t support the hire initially. He won me over quickly. Last year was a blast. I voted still support but lost hope.
I want him to do well because he’s one if us, but my faith was shaken Tuesday and lost tonight.
A midseason firing won’t happen so it’s silly to talk about. After season is up to the university and coach.
I want him to do well because he’s one if us, but my faith was shaken Tuesday and lost tonight.
A midseason firing won’t happen so it’s silly to talk about. After season is up to the university and coach.
Mentioned this before the game.. but it is possible this was just a bad bad year. Which doesnt mean hes excused.. but if we had some bad apples, because we couldn't get the top recruits (either because of Pope, because of Mitch, or both).. then that could spoil any team.
As bad as we are right now, he did a lot of things right last year, and he did it with a team that isnt much more talented on paper. This could just be a truly bad collection of players and egos.
That said, this is such a bad year that hed have to win a final4 next year and do a complete 180 to save his job IMO. If he even IS here next year, it has to be a remarkable turn around.
As bad as we are right now, he did a lot of things right last year, and he did it with a team that isnt much more talented on paper. This could just be a truly bad collection of players and egos.
That said, this is such a bad year that hed have to win a final4 next year and do a complete 180 to save his job IMO. If he even IS here next year, it has to be a remarkable turn around.
I thought Pope was a great hire and I've been behind him 100% but we're now 1-12 in our last 13 games against ranked opponents and it's clearly going the wrong direction. I'd honestly consider having a new coach by Monday.
What's cool about a sw16? Literally 15 others are there. It's not special or cool.
Again, who did we beat in those 2 wins? Where were they seeded? Ignoring the facts make the argument disengenious.
Pope never won a tournament game before UK. Never should have been the head coaching hire. Mitch Barnhart is 100% to blame.
Resume wise he absolutely was. If hadn't played here, he wouldn't have gotten a sniff. Mitch just wants someone he thinks will never leave. He hates turnover. Should have been Oats or Donovan
What was our record last year? What about SEC?
We had some nice wins, but none that mattered.
Oh I agree. Billy was a drunk bum but resume wise better than Pope.
Yeah I’ll concede the point pre-hire. Usually when we say worst hire, we are talking about the full body of work. I agree Gillispie had a better resume. Misunderstood on my part
Not saying BCG is a better coach (it’s close), but resume wise. There’s 0 doubt, it’s the worst UK hire in 30-40 years.
I wasn't impressed with the Pope hire at all but was willing to give him a chance and a short leash. I was over the hire two games ago. Unfortunate it didn't work out but dude has to go.
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I don't care who Ky had for a coach. This team Is flat out terrible. But they are getting paid. Yeah, buddy!!!
Don’t argue the record with me. The tournament selection committee thought our full body of work in the hardest SEC in history merited a 3 seed last year, which was as good as we have had in the past four years. And did it with portal scraps. None of that excuses the product on the court right now.
Hire was ****, if I’m being honest.
When I heard Mark Pope late the night before it was official, I lost my mind. I was pissed. I was so pissed in fact that my wife had to tell me to calm down.
Next day, I calmed down. I started remembering Marks playing days. I heard Mitch and kinda bought in.
Press conference got everyone pumped and bought in. And conveniently, this whole hire and press conference just happened to completely drown out the swimming scandal thing that just disappeared. Coincidence?
Now - I’m out. Back to where I started and before I was bamboozled with emotion and nostalgia. Mark ain’t cut out for this. He needs to be done after this season.
When I heard Mark Pope late the night before it was official, I lost my mind. I was pissed. I was so pissed in fact that my wife had to tell me to calm down.
Next day, I calmed down. I started remembering Marks playing days. I heard Mitch and kinda bought in.
Press conference got everyone pumped and bought in. And conveniently, this whole hire and press conference just happened to completely drown out the swimming scandal thing that just disappeared. Coincidence?
Now - I’m out. Back to where I started and before I was bamboozled with emotion and nostalgia. Mark ain’t cut out for this. He needs to be done after this season.
We had a ton of blowouts last year. The team almost always came out flat.
This year we don't have the 6 6th year seniors to overcome the inept coaching.
He has to go.
This year we don't have the 6 6th year seniors to overcome the inept coaching.
He has to go.
That’s the crazy part! We were tied 6th in the SEC. In the SEC! That’s not good, I don’t care who he beat, that’s worse than BCG in either seasons.