Mark Pope sends heartfelt message to Big Blue Nation, BYU one week after Kentucky hire

Sunday morning, new Kentucky head basketball coach Mark Pope addressed UK and BYU fans in a statement thanking his former school while expressing his sheer joy at getting to coach his alma mater.

Here was the message from Pope, which he tweeted out:

“One week ago the Pope girls and I came HOME to UK to start the greatest adventure of our lives. It has been a whirlwind of awesomeness—that’s what Kentucky basketball IS! It’s the pinnacle of basketball. And BBN has gone straight next level in redefining southern hospitality! Thank you! We are immersed in the work. We will be relentless. We know the assignment! We will ALL do this together. Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude. We are home.

“On this sacred Sunday morning I am also filled with immense gratitude for the blessings that have lead us here. BYU will always be an incredibly special place to our family. Soon after we arrived at BYU one mentor told me that “BYU had more to offer me than I had to offer BYU.” Those words proved to be SO true as we felt the BYU experience change our lives for the better. It’s overwhelming to reflect on the countless lifelong friendships that we forged at BYU. We are SO grateful.

“I’m a believer. I believe God’s plans for our lives our way bigger than our own. Happy Sunday BBN! Lets go!!”

Mark Pope hires assistant coaches

By On3’s Grant Grubbs

The puzzle pieces under new Kentucky head coach Mark Pope are slowly coming together. Along with former BYU assistant Cody Fueger, Pope is reportedly hiring former Georgia head coach Mark Fox and G-League Ignite head coach Jason Hart, per the Athletic’s Kyle Tucker.

Mark Fox and Pope have history. When Pope dropped out of medical school in 2009, Fox hired him to be Georgia’s director of basketball operations for the 2009-10 season. With head coaching experience at Nevada, Georgia and California, Pope boasts a career 324-263 record.

Jason Hart also has no shortage of experience. Hart played 10 years in the NBA before beginning his coaching career. His first collegiate coaching gig was at Pepperdine, but Hart quickly rose up the ranks and secured an assistant coaching position at USC.

In 2021, Hart was named the head coach of the NBA G League Ignite, a developmental team for players coming out of high school that plays against other teams in the NBA G League. Now, he will look to help Pope develop players at the collegiate level.