LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky has announced Mark Pope is the new head coach of the men's basketball team.
Pope, who played for Kentucky’s 1996 national championship team and was co-captain for two seasons, is the 23rd head coach of Kentucky’s storied men’s basketball program, UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart announced Friday.
“Mark Pope not only brings an impressive record in nine years as a head coach, but also a love of the University of Kentucky and a complete understanding of what our program means to the people of our state,” Barnhart said. “As a captain on the ‘96 championship team, Mark was a beloved and respected teammate. As a head coach, he is highly regarded nationally as an innovator. His teams run a unique and dynamic up-tempo offense and they get after it on defense. He is a strong recruiter with international ties and a person of integrity.
The 51-year-old Pope is 110-52 in five seasons with the Cougars and has led them to two NCAA Tournament appearances, including this season, when BYU finished 23-11 while playing in the Big 12 Conference for the first time. He went 77-52 in four seasons at Utah Valley after working as an assistant at Wake Forest and Georgia.
“The University of Kentucky is the pinnacle of coaching in college basketball. It’s the definition of blueblood program where hanging a banner is the expectation ever year,” Pope said. “Equally as important, UK changed my life forever as a human being. The love and passion I have for this program, this University and the people of the Commonwealth goes to the depth of my soul."
“I’m thankful to Dr. (Eli) Capilouto and Mitch Barnhart for this opportunity. I’m proud to be your next head coach and I can’t wait to do this together!” added Pope.
Pope is coming off a 23-11 season in 2023-24. It was BYU’s first season in the Big 12 Conference and the Cougars’ 10-8 league record featured victories over No. 7 Kansas, No. 11 Baylor and No. 24 Iowa State. BYU’s first win in the Big 12, on Jan. 13 at Central Florida, also marked Pope’s 100th victory as head coach of the Cougars.
Pope began his coaching career at Utah Valley. Beginning in 2015-16, the Wolverines increased their win total during every season of Pope’s tenure, culminating in a 25-10 overall mark and a runner-up finish in the Western Athletic Conference in 2018-19. Utah Valley was 30-2 at home from 2017 to 2019, and the 25 wins in 2019 were a single-season school record.
Pope didn't begin his collegiate career at Kentucky. He started at the University of Washington, where he was the 1992 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. After his sophomore season, he transferred to UK and he played in every game of his two-year career.. UK won the 1995 and ‘96 regular-season Southeastern Conference championships, the ’95 SEC Tournament title and the 1996 NCAA Tournament. He averaged 7.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in 69 career games. Pope was named to the All-SEC Tournament Team in 1995.
Pope was picked in the second round of the 1996 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. He played professional basketball from 1997 to 2005, including stints with Indiana, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets. In 2000-01, he started 45 games and helped the Bucks reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
After leaving the NBA, Pope enrolled in medical school at Columbia University and completed two years before returning to basketball. He joined Mark Fox’s staff at Georgia in 2009. He then spent one season as an assistant coach for Jeff Bzdelik at Wake Forest and four seasons at BYU under Dave Rose. The Cougars posted four straight 20-win seasons and advanced to postseason play in each of those four years, including three bids to the NCAA Tournament. His success as an assistant at BYU was the springboard to become head coach at Utah Valley.
Pope and his wife, Lee Anne, have four daughters, Ella, Avery, Layla and Shay. He is a 1996 graduate of Kentucky with a degree in English.
Pope replaces John Calipari, who stepped down on Tuesday after 15 years. The Hall of Famer, who led the Wildcats to the 2012 national championship, said the program needed to “hear another voice.” He was hired as Arkansas’ coach on Wednesday.