Mark Pope's race to the airport for his daughter's return home will have you reaching for tissues

I’d tell you it’s the best thing you’ll see all week, but we know another Tennessee sweep could get Big Blue Nation misty-eyed, too — so let’s just meet in the middle and say this is absolutely one of the best things you’ll see all week.

We all know Mark Pope had to make a run for it after Kentucky‘s win over Oklahoma on Saturday, leaving postgame radio show duties to Mikhail McLean and the heavy lifting of his postgame press conference — he gave a brief opening statement before hitting the exits — to Jason Hart.

“It’s 22 minutes ’til Avery lands,” he said. “I’m out, guys.”

The next time Pope spoke to the media, he confirmed that he made it to the airport on time to greet his daughter, Avery, upon her return home from her year-plus-long mission trip to El Salvador. Local law enforcement and airport security helped make that happen.

“It was magical and awesome and brilliant,” he said Friday. “I’m so grateful there were so many people that just helped us make that happen. It was really special for our family.”

Now, we have the video evidence to prove it, and even the toughest of tough guys will tell you it’ll tug at your heartstrings.

It starts with Pope leaving his press conference, followed by his wife and daughters arriving early at Blue Grass Airport, anxiously checking the clock with hopes of the second-year Kentucky coach rounding the corner before Avery makes her way off the plane. You see Pope sprint through the airport and make it to the gate just in time, allowing for the entire family to share hugs and tears for the first time together as a near-complete unit — their fourth daughter, Layla, joined them on FaceTime before her arrival on Friday.

Pope said he hadn’t seen Avery in 17 months, their interactions limited to letters and weekly phone calls while she served on her mission trip. Now, finally, she’s back home.

Enjoy this absolute gem of a reunion before Kentucky’s matchup tonight vs. Tennessee:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Avery Pope (@averylynnpope)

Afterward, Avery shared a photo gallery on Instagram from her arrival, adding, “Man, I really missed them…”

That was the initial family get-together, but Layla’s arrival on Friday made the Pope unit officially whole again, Avery there to pick her up from the airport this time around.

She posted the video on her Instagram page with the caption, “Seeing my sister for the first time in 18 months,” and a healing heart emoji.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by layla grayce (@laylagraycepope)

Special, special stuff.