I Don't Hate The Hire (*Ducks Down As Things Get Thrown At Me*)

Nov 26, 2021
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Have y’all seen his roster at BYU? He must be a good coach to have gotten that team to tied with Kansas for 6th place in Big 12. There is 0 excuse for Kansas to have the same record as Pope
 
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Nov 26, 2021
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Injuries? Did we not give cal an excuse for the nerlens Noel year?
Take the top 5 players on Kansas team away and they’re still more talented than that roster. Now granted, he recruited them.

If he can recruit well here, he may do okay.

Don’t get me wrong I’m shocked he’s the guy. Seems risky
 
Apr 11, 2024
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Take the top 5 players on Kansas team away and they’re still more talented than that roster. Now granted, he recruited them.

If he can recruit well here, he may do okay.

Don’t get me wrong I’m shocked he’s the guy. Seems risky
It isn’t risky. It’s just flat out stupid. I guess Mitch wants to lean into cals favorite saying. Pope gets us to even a sweet 16 in 5 years Mitch can say “See?”
 
Nov 26, 2021
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It isn’t risky. It’s just flat out stupid. I guess Mitch wants to lean into cals favorite saying. Pope gets us to even a sweet 16 in 5 years Mitch can say “See?”
In fairness, you have no idea if it’s stupid. You don’t know who they talked to and who said no. Nor do you know how well he will do here.

There’s a lot of uncertainty with the hire. Hence risky
 

KYCatAttack

Senior
Feb 12, 2008
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0 NCAA Tournament wins… enough said. I’ll root for the guy and I hope he succeeds but I feel like we deserved a proven coach. Tommy Lloyd or Kelvin Samson would be a much safer pick for me.
 
May 4, 2015
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Idk guys. I don't hate it.

He GETS it. Duke and UNC hired Davis and Scheyer with ZERO head coaching experience because they were former players who just got it...they just understood UNC and Duke respectively and what it means to be great there. Guys who both won national titles wearing those jerseys and understood what that means.

That is the same mold as Pope.

Mark Pope GETS Kentucky basketball. He knows what it means to play here and he respect what it means to this state. His offense is super fun, and he'll recruit at a high level and blend talent and experience.

He would not have been in my top-5, obviously, but I don't HATE the hire. I'm intrigued.


He want in my top 10. I’m not excited. If anything I’m relieved, but not excited. I’ll still support him, and hope like Hubert and Scheyer he works out.
 
Apr 11, 2024
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Again, you don’t know that.

I would have preferred BP. Wasn’t sold on Beard. Bruce had a BBQ he shouldn’t have. He didn’t strangle a woman
Beard would have never been able to navigate the streets of Fayette county with the amount of bourbon around town. Unless the crafts gifted him lex live as a home so he could walk to the games he’d be gone in a month.
 

ilovesportsyes

Redshirt
Dec 11, 2023
16
6
0
Idk guys. I don't hate it.

He GETS it. Duke ...hired..Scheyer with ZERO head coaching experience because they were former players who just got it..
Scheyer was groomed to take over for coach K.
He was an assistant for coach K for 4 years, then associate head coach for another 4, then head coach. So he was on the bench for 8 or so years.
 

AGEE11

All-American
Jan 10, 2014
3,222
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Where’s the nil coming from man? Matt Jones said this was the president and the AD wo input and that donors are furious. All it does it take a decent guy like pope and set him up to fail so Barney can save a dollar. Like I said he should have never been interviewed bc Barney would give him the job. The guy is a sucker.
No offense to you, I too was really shocked by this, but what has Matt Jones been right on through this whole process? What has he been right on that wasn't obvious in the last 2 years?

The main thing this process showed us is that there is no inside source for UK basketball and our media know nothing.

Not a fan of this hire, but he's the coach and time to get behind him
 

*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
43,218
77,066
113
I just want to know who his staff will be--he needs recruiters and he'll have a budget because they saved a shitload of $ getting him. This is vital. This isn't Utah Valley or BYU--he needs an elite staff.

Secondly--bring Jaxson Robinson with him from BYU and keep Reed Sheppard and you have 2 All SEC caliber players. Now fill out the rest of the roster.
Exactly how I feel, he needs a staff like Cal’s. A recruiting staff. Get him NIL, those dudes, and let’s get some guys back. Then hit the portal to add depth and fill out the roster.
 
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flacat22

Heisman
Mar 12, 2011
8,456
12,219
113
It’s whatever, but they could have hired him next week or next month. They didn’t have to move so quickly.
and fall further behind in building a roster through the portal and recruiting? Not a chance, needed to be done ASAP.
 
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*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
43,218
77,066
113
Pay his assistants $1.5 mil/year and go get the best ones in America.

I am looking at YOU, Luke Murray.

I am looking at YOU, Jai Lucas.

I am looking at YOU, anyone else from Purdue, Houston or UCONN
I would try to raid UCONN staff now.
 

jrm693

All-Conference
Jan 14, 2007
12,234
3,987
68
This will test the stature of Kentucky's brand big time. They'll have a ton of NIL $ to offer and if guys are going to end up where they get paid the most--we'll see how good this place truly is and how good of a hire this is.

I don't hate Pope. I hate the man who hired him because he doesn't know what he's doing. This process was about Scott Drew and then finding someone as non confrontational as possible for him.

Many people were concerned with Barnhart. He's hired 2 coaches now--Billy Gillespie and Mark Pope. He was TOLD to hire Cal. This is why many wanted to wait until BOTH were gone because they feared this day would come.

Wish Pope the best but not enthused completely because I think Mitch Barnhart is a clueless dickweed.
Surely some of the board of trustees or donors had to OK this move, its not what any fan wanted so he surely didn't just make this move by himself? At least he comes from Pitino coaching tree and is not going to be likely to create ugly situations(Pitino). Hopefully it will work out....just a highly risky move.
 

Cats_2010

Heisman
Jan 8, 2010
11,449
19,344
103
This. I'm not accepting a down year next year because he sucks at recruiting.
He recruited well enough at BYU of all places to help beat the likes of Kansas (at Kansas), Baylor, and Iowa state this year alone. Thats 3 teams that were ranked in the top 10 this year. Again at freaking BYU!!!!! Do you think he is going to be able to recruit different kids to UK that would have zero interest in going to play at BYU and agreeing to abide by all the code of conduct rules including abstaining from sexual activity. Yeah, no disadvantage to recruiting there yet still finished 5th in the big 12. Might be the best damn coaching job in America under those circumstances.
 

know1

Heisman
Dec 8, 2002
12,855
14,923
0
0 NCAA Tournament wins… enough said. I’ll root for the guy and I hope he succeeds but I feel like we deserved a proven coach. Tommy Lloyd or Kelvin Samson would be a much safer pick for me.
Hurley had just 2 tourney wins before UConn. And didn't even make the tournament the first few years there. Then he won 2 championships.
 
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Apr 22, 2011
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Idk guys. I don't hate it.

He GETS it. Duke and UNC hired Davis and Scheyer with ZERO head coaching experience because they were former players who just got it...they just understood UNC and Duke respectively and what it means to be great there. Guys who both won national titles wearing those jerseys and understood what that means.

That is the same mold as Pope.

Mark Pope GETS Kentucky basketball. He knows what it means to play here and he respect what it means to this state. His offense is super fun, and he'll recruit at a high level and blend talent and experience.

He would not have been in my top-5, obviously, but I don't HATE the hire. I'm intrigued.



I just want to take a lap of a humble brag on this post.

I posted this and started this thread immediately after, while most of this board was in flames. And it was SPOT ON.

That dude GETS IT.

Now go get some TALENT and let's go hang some banners!!
 

awf

Heisman
May 31, 2006
10,411
20,774
0
It’s whatever, but they could have hired him next week or next month. They didn’t have to move so quickly.
Yes they did have to move quickly.......he comes in behind the 8-ball in recruiting and everyone says that recruiting will be the problem........so if you wait even another week you are purposely setting him up for failure the first season.......I am glad for the hire.....I like Pope and everyone that knows basketball speaks glowingly about him.......I can wait for him to get things rolling.......I sure as hell ain't going to be calling for his head or putting signs in his yard if he doesn't meet (sic) my expectations.......but I bet he does.....
 

mcwildcats04

Heisman
Jul 19, 2003
9,021
12,348
93
I just want to take a lap of a humble brag on this post.

I posted this and started this thread immediately after, while most of this board was in flames. And it was SPOT ON.

That dude GETS IT.

Now go get some TALENT and let's go hang some banners!!