Mark Pope is officially the new head coach of Kentucky Basketball.
To the surprise of many, Coach Pope is now leading a program he once helped win a championship in 1996.
Whether you're a fan of this appointment or not, I think most would agree that after 15 years with John Calipari, it's time for a fresh start. Part of the reason the change needed to be made is because Calipari had alienated not only a significant portion of the fan base, but also some of Kentucky's biggest donors.
Now it looks like donors are coming back, which is big news for a program that has to rely heavily on the NIL to win big in this era of college basketball.
According to KSR's Matt Jones, Kentucky has already received commitments of $4 million in NIL funding from two sets of boosters.
Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart later confirmed the pledge during an appearance on KSR.
This has now been confirmed by another source, with the caveat that it is a combination of two donors for an upfront $4 million NIL pledge
This is a big start https://t.co/CEiapuD7Aj
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) April 12, 2024
This is a huge donation that will go a long way in helping Pope assemble his roster for next season, especially considering how limited his resources were at BYU.
If he can build a roster capable of earning a 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament with BYU's limited resources, imagine what he could do with what should be the best NIL pool in America.
He may not be the obvious home run pick that Kentucky Wildcats fans were hoping for, but we know Pope is going to do everything he can to get this program back to the top.
It's time for BBN to rally behind Coach Pope.