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

Apr 22, 2011
25,749
14,375
0
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.

 

mcwildcats04

Heisman
Jul 19, 2003
9,021
12,348
93
 
Apr 22, 2011
25,749
14,375
0
I like Pope, but we have set him up for failure.

I'll be shocked if he is even remotely ready for this job at this stage of his career.

This was a desperation / joke hire.

2 years ago, we would have been lamenting if we had made a hire like Dan Hurley from Rhode Island or Nate Oats from Buffalo. And look where they are now.

It's alllllll about fit.

Cal was an amazing fit, until he wasn't.

Let's see with Pope.

I am behind him, we all need to be because that's what it takes, and in 2 years, we need to be ready to move on if it's not coming together.
 

TucsonCat

All-Conference
Sep 10, 2022
2,807
3,424
0
Mike Woodson gets it.
Matt Doherty gets it.
Travis Ford and John Pelohrey would've gotten it.
Hell let's just hire Brad, he was a former player.

Being an alum does not give you super powers. Hell, that campus has been torn down and built up again since he was there. Every booster or admin either or blue coattis dead. Ain't nothing he went through prepare him to be a good head coach at BYU, let alone great one here.
 

Wildcats1st

Heisman
Sep 16, 2017
18,949
28,911
0
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.


No it’s terrible of course Seth would love it.
 
Apr 11, 2024
295
285
0
I like Pope, but we have set him up for failure.

I'll be shocked if he is even remotely ready for this job at this stage of his career.

This was a desperation / joke hire.
When the girl you made the poster for prom says no, so you take your cousin.
 

RalphDaltonFan

Heisman
Apr 3, 2002
60,119
41,382
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.
 

EliteBlue

Heisman
Mar 27, 2009
16,751
20,269
0
It’s whatever, but they could have hired him next week or next month. They didn’t have to move so quickly.
This is where a little disappointment comes from. We had time to wait til Wednesday and offer Billy D. We had time to have a legitimate conversation with Pearl. And thennnn you look at Pope/Lloyd/Smart etc.
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
38,381
60,068
113
It’s whatever, but they could have hired him next week or next month. They didn’t have to move so quickly.

Well no, they reqlly don't have next week or next month. Maybe next 2 or 3 years.. but we need a coach asap to hit the ground running for next year.
 
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RobEStacy

Senior
May 21, 2007
832
753
93
Was not the sexy homerun hire that we expected. But falls in line with how historiclly we have got coaches. You ask/offer a few homerun gems, then get a up and comer that with the resources Kentucky has, and hope it all takes off. Not so much concerned with Pope, but more so in the administration, in that they don't hamstring the program with insane buyout and length of contract. Laden it with huge incentives, and always leave an out.
 
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Wildcats1st

Heisman
Sep 16, 2017
18,949
28,911
0
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.
Won’t matter we’re looking at 2-3 more years to make the tournament maybe 4-5 to advance to a sweet sixteen. This hire is a program killer for what you’ve just laid out. No connections to fill a roster and may bring 1 guy
 
Apr 22, 2011
25,749
14,375
0
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.

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
 

W1LDCAT22

All-Conference
Jan 10, 2013
1,101
1,339
113
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.


So 2/3 offers from Mitch have seemed like homer picks!