When John Calipari left the Kentucky Wildcats, some people thought this would be the beginning of a very tough time for the program. Then, they werenât so high on Mark Pope.
Pope had never logged a top recruit or won a game in the NCAA Tournament during his days at BYU. And even after he put together a strong roster, some still had doubts about him.
Now, the Wildcats can help him get his first-ever win in March Madness. However, when asked about that, he brushed off that and talked about how this was much bigger than him.
Mark Pope doesnât want the tournament to be about himself
âIt just doesnât really matter. Like, that doesnât even register for me,â Pope said. âGuys, if this is about me, then itâs just dumb. I didnât come to Kentucky to make this about me. Like, I actually have no interest in me. I have interest in our team, I have interest in this program, I have interest in this tradition. I have interest in these guys who made this bold and brazen decision to come here with nothing proven to say, âHey, weâre going to go make our mark on this gameâ â which theyâve done so incredibly well this season.â
Mark Pope the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats
At the end of the day, itâs safe to say that heâs already exceeded expectations for his first campaign in charge of the program, especially considering he had yet to prove himself at this kind of stage.
see also
25 highest-paid college basketball head coaches: Who earns the most?
The Wildcats might not be the team to beat at this point, but it seems like the program is still in great hands despite John Calipariâs departure and the transfer portal frenzy.
