Pat Kelsey jokes fight with Mark Pope was a 'draw' -- but 'then we hug it out'

If Pat Kelsey is going to have a dream about fighting Mark Pope in a pay-per-view headliner for the heavyweight title, somebody has to win, right? That scenario became a reality when the two rival coaches put on the gloves and traded jabs outside of Tay Kinney‘s apartment in Atlanta to open the in-person recruiting period. It’s a story that took on a life of its own in a bad game of telephone, leading to jokes from both sides about what actually unfolded shortly after midnight.

Kelsey was the first to publicly address something happened between the two, starting with his fake UFC dream before simplifying the situation as two competitors competing on the trail.

“Some of you may see stuff on social media, things like that,” he said in September. “Heck, man, that dude’s a competitor. I’m a competitor. He’s the head coach at one of the best programs in the country. So am I. We compete on the court, we compete in recruiting. We go at it.”

When asked for his side of the story, Pope said it was all blown out of proportion, but what did happen was healthy for the best rivalry in college basketball.

“It was really a big nothing, but I want it to be something,” he said at UK Media Day this week. “… I love when the competition is elite-level, and that’s what happens. It gets really fun and salty and competitive. I also am grateful for these incredible coaches. We’re at a fun time right now where there are great coaches that are putting their whole heart and soul into this project, and sometimes that could spill over — and it should spill over sometimes. If it never spills over, that means you’re not in it fully, fully in it with your whole heart and soul.

“If you’re fully in it, then sometimes you step out of bounds. That’s fun for fans, it’s fun for coaches and it’s fun for everybody.”

Much like a back-and-forth title bout, Kelsey got one final chance to address it after being asked about the fight directly by our friends at The Field of 68 during ACC Media Day. No getting out in front of it or side-stepping, just point-blank, “What happened?”

Then he proceeded to answer the question without actually answering the question, much like Pope.

Again, it started with pleasantries before transitioning back into a make-believe boxing match with a few slight truths sprinkles in.

“Let me say this. I got a ton of respect for Mark — like tactician, strategy, game prep. It really went to a new level after that, the respect in that regard, because his strategy was just like, ‘Look, man. This guy’s got — I can wear him down,'” Kelsey joked. “So he went rope-a-dope in the corner, I’m just drilling him with body blows. The dude’s like Paul Bunyan. I mean, it’s like I’m hitting bricks. I knew if he could land one, it would be like Mike Tyson’s Punch Out from the 80s. That one (hit), it’s over.”

Okay, still not taking the question seriously, very obviously avoiding any real clarity on why the rival coaches got into it outside a teenage recruit’s home after midnight. But we did finally get somewhere, Kelsey calling the brouhaha a “draw” after both sets of assistant coaches got involved.

Then, like Pope, he said the rival coaches just love to compete and competed that night before ending things with a hug.

“It came to a draw, his assistants versus my assistants. It was a draw,” Kelsey continued. “I think I should have won, I got cheated a little bit on it, but that’s the way it goes. I love Mark. He’s a competitive cat now, and you know what, so is this guy. So is this guy. The dudes that know me know the type of competitor I am. And then we hug it out.

“All of that crap I just said, that obviously didn’t happen.”

No kidding? None of us could’ve guessed.

Oh well, it’s time to stop talking about it and let the on-court results do the talking, Pope and Kentucky currently up 1-0 in the new series. Round two begins November 11 inside the KFC Yum! Center.

Ding, ding, ding.

Joined NOW by @LouisvilleMBB coach Pat Kelsey! 👀@accmbb Media Day is LIVE! ⬇️https://t.co/YlepZadORqhttps://t.co/zrpaPKMF6q

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) October 8, 2025