LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – Mark Pope, one of the last players to step off the bus full of Kentucky greats on the Rupp Arena floor, was introduced as the Wildcats' new man's player. , to cheers as he held high the 1996 NCAA championship trophy. basketball coach.
Pope then ratcheted up the energy in the packed arena, making it clear that the expectations were as high as the fans welcoming him into the most difficult chapter of his coaching career.
“Every American coach in every job in America stands up in press conferences and tries to temper expectations,” Pope said Sunday. “We don't do that here at Kentucky. When (athletic director) Mitch (Barnhart) called me and talked about being the head coach here at the University of Kentucky, I understood the assignment. . We are here to win the banner.”
Pope's introduction comes two days after Kentucky hired him to replace Hall of Fame coach John Calipari. hired by arkansas Wednesday, 15 years after he garnered attention for winning the 2012 U.S. National Championship. Pope, 51, went 110-52 in five seasons at BYU, making two NCAA Tournament appearances, including this spring, and immediately left Rupp Arena, even though it was just late Sunday afternoon, after returning home. I found the rap arena. April.
The former Wildcats co-captain faces high expectations coaching a program that recently caught fire early in the NCAA Tournament and hasn't reached the Final Four since 2015. There was certainly pressure, but nothing new for Pope, who made two free throws in the final moments of the game against Syracuse, winning 34 games that were labeled “untouchables” at the request of then-manager Rick Pitino. A strong team with two losses helped Kentucky win its sixth national title.
“I was literally walking (toward the line) and I promise you, all I could think was if I don't get this done, I'm going to get killed,” he said. “And who wouldn't want that? That's why we're here, folks. That's what we do.”
Pope faces many challenges taking over Kentucky. It starts with building the roster, which has already lost two players to the NBA Draft and has other decisions on the horizon. He seemed intent on recruiting in-state players, pointing in the crowd to former teammate Richie Farmer, a Kentucky signee who attended the ceremony a month after leading Ryan County High School to a Sweet 16 state title. He named Travis Perry. Pope was also very keen to address the challenges posed by name, image and likeness (NIL) nomination options for new hires, as well as unearthing talent transfer portals.
The challenge that most inspired Pope was maintaining Kentucky's “gold standard” of excellence: eight national championships.
Several trophies from the 1995-96 season were displayed on a table next to the podium, reminding Pope of what he helped accomplish as a player and the hurdles he had to meet as a coach. It felt like a pep rally and home game rolled into one, as fans cheered every time highlights from that season with Pope were shown on the video screen.
Then a parade of Kentucky players arrived on white and blue buses. They believe they found the right fit in Pope, even though Kentucky talked with several prominent candidates.
“At first I was surprised like everyone else,” said former Wildcat Winston Bennett, who coached Pope as an assistant under Pitino. “But once I heard (Pope's name), I thought, who better to do this job than Mark?” I know ethics. I know his passion for the University of Kentucky and what it has meant for his life. There is no one more qualified for this job.
“When his name came up, I knew that if he got an interview, he would get the job. That's how good he is.”
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