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KSR Today: Mark Pope/JMI, Kentucky VB in the Sweet 16, and a new Defensive Coordinator

Zack Geogheganby: Zack Geoghegan1 hour agoZGeogheganKSR

Good morning, folks! Wednesday was a bit of a slow one in the world of UK Athletics — until it wasn’t. We’ve got plenty to discuss on this fine Thursday.

Of course, the big news out of yesterday came via KSR’s Jack Pilgrim and Jacob Polacheck, who spent the last several weeks working on a significant story about Kentucky men’s basketball recruiting efforts. The piece centers around why head coach Mark Pope has not been able to close on top-end recruits thus far (UK still does not have a commitment from the 2026 class), along with JMI’s involvement in financial discussions and the guidelines they’re forcing on UK coaches that most other schools don’t have to deal with.

It’s an insightful piece on a behind-the-scenes look at what’s going on inside the program. If you haven’t read it yet, do so by clicking the link below. It appears that something needs to change if Kentucky wants to attract top-end talent.

[Inside Kentucky’s Recruiting Roadblocks: A Deep Dive into JMI, NIL, and Closing-Table Drama]

Kentucky VB in the Sweet 16!

Now that we’ve got the serious stuff out of the way, let’s talk about something more fun. Kentucky volleyball is set to play in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament this afternoon in Memorial Coliseum. A 1-seed in the Lexington Regional, Craig Skinner’s squad will face Cal Poly with a spot in the Elite 8 (set for Saturday back in Memorial) on the line. The match is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2, but keep in mind that it will actually begin 30 minutes after the previous match between Creighton-Arizona State (starting at 1:00 p.m. ET) ends.

If Creighton-Arizona State does end early, you’ll want to be near Memorial so you’re not arriving late for the start of Kentucky’s match. If you’re still in need of tickets, click the link here to grab ’em. There aren’t many lower-level tickets left, but upper-level/general admission tickets are going for as low as $26. I snagged mine earlier this week.

Below is the full bracket, along with a quick preview of what’s in store for the Wildcats against a Cal Poly team looking to play the role of Cinderella.

[PREVIEW: Kentucky VB Meets Dangerous Cal Poly in Sweet 16 Showdown]

A new DC for Kentucky football

As I was writing this post, news broke this morning that new Kentucky football head coach Will Stein is bringing on Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator Jay Bateman (no relation to Jason, as far as I know) to fill the same position for the Wildcats. I’ll let Adam Luckett and/or Nick Roush tell you if this is a good hire or not, but Bateman did help produce good SEC defenses the last two seasons. During his tenure at Texas A&M, Bateman’s defenses held opposing offenses to 22.1 points and 338.6 yards per game. The Aggies are in the College Football Playoff as the 7-seed.

Bateman, 52, has also served as the co-defensive coordinator at North Carolina (2019-21) and the inside linebackers coach at Florida (2022-23) before taking the job at Texas A&M. It’s not yet known if Bateman will join UK’s staff immediately or finish out the CFP with the Aggies.

[Kentucky is hiring Texas A&M defensive coordinator Jay Bateman for same position]

Michigan fires HC Sherrone Moore

And the story (which is still developing) is already a wild ride. After spending two seasons as the head coach at Michigan, Moore was fired seemingly out of the blue yesterday afternoon. Michigan went 15-8 during Moore’s time in Ann Arbor, including a 9-3 finish this season, but this firing wasn’t all about on-field performance.

Nope. Michigan fired Moore for cause, citing an alleged inappropriate relationship with a staff member, which the AD said was grounds for the firing. A couple of hours after that news broke, it was reported that Moore had been detained by police for an alleged assault that occurred sometime on Wednesday.

There is never a dull day when it comes to college football…

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Bush Hamdan has another SEC job

Kentucky’s former offensive coordinator, Bush Hamdan, will stick in the SEC. He’s joining Mississippi State’s coaching staff as the Associate Head Coach for Offense under head coach Jeff Libby, who also calls plays for the Bulldogs. Which means Hamdan likely won’t be calling plays like he was in Lexington the last two seasons, rather serving as a game planner for the MSU offense.

Mo Dioubate holding a Christmas Toy Drive

Kentucky junior forward Mo Dioubate will hold a Christmas Toy Drive next Wednesday, Dec. 17 (6-7:30 p.m.), at Jimmy’s Kentucky Roadshow in Lexington (369 Romany Road).

Fans who bring a new, unwrapped toy will be able to get an autograph from Dioubate and a photo with him. You must bring your own item to be signed. To make sure everyone gets a chance to meet Mo, there’s a limit of two autographs per person, but no limit on toy donations! The toys will be donated to the Toy Chest Children’s Charity.

Join KSR’s Happy Hour at 4!

If you can’t make the volleyball match and need some entertainment to close out the work day, head on over to the KSR YouTube channel this afternoon around 4:00 p.m. ET for another classic installment of the KSR Happy Hour show. We’ll be doing a watch-along for volleyball while talking about everything else going on with Kentucky sports.

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.

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2025-12-11