What Mark Pope’s hiring means for Kentucky, BYU

Final month, SMU shocked the school basketball world when it fired Rob Lanier following a 20-win season. The transfer opened the door for Andy Enfield to depart USC and fill that opening. Then, Eric Musselman left Arkansas to switch Enfield, and John Calipari signed a big cope with the Razorbacks, which received us right here, to the opening at Kentucky.

The preliminary rumblings prompt Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart would swing for the fences. And he did.

However UConn head coach Dan Hurley, contemporary off his back-to-back NCAA title runs, stated no after reportedly being supplied an enormous wage. Then, Scott Drew determined to remain in Waco at Baylor. It was unclear if different candidates, akin to Billy Donovan, have been significantly approached.

Both approach, it appeared Barnhart needed to land an skilled coach with a profitable pedigree.

Mark Pope was by no means talked about till it appeared Kentucky had failed to draw its high candidates. Pope, who gained a nationwide title as a participant at Kentucky in 1996, has a strong teaching file after stints at Utah Valley and BYU. However let’s be sincere right here: This can be a main distinction from Calipari.

The expectation was Kentucky would make a splash with its subsequent coach. Proper now, there are extra questions than solutions in regards to the anticipated hiring of Pope to be the following Wildcats head coach.

Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf try and reply a number of of them, together with what the transfer would imply for Pope, Kentucky and BYU.

What would compel Mark Pope to take the job at Kentucky? Why did Kentucky supply him the job?

Myron Medcalf: Mitch Barnhart had a want checklist of who’s who coaches. I am certain he’ll admit he by no means thought he’d find yourself with Pope. There’s nothing fallacious with Pope. He is an excellent coach with a strong file at this level in his profession. However that is Kentucky, arguably the highest job in faculty basketball. Though Pope has ties to the college, this can be a important promotion for a man who coached at Utah Valley and BYU however by no means gained an NCAA event sport. However Barnhart may need most popular a youthful coach — Pope is 51 years previous — and familiarity when his high decisions fell by way of.

Jeff Borzello: Kentucky clearly took large swings within the hours and days after John Calipari left for Arkansas. Jay Wright distanced himself from the job rapidly, as did Hurley and Donovan. Kentucky reached out to Nate Oats, who launched an announcement saying he was staying at Alabama. Shaka Good was on the checklist; he additionally wasn’t leaving. Drew mulled the choice for a day however declined. Kentucky made yet one more run at Hurley, providing him an enormous wage — however he as soon as once more determined to remain. And that left Pope as the following identify on the checklist, a former Kentucky participant who gained a nationwide championship in Lexington. The potential targets on the following tier have been all flawed in a technique or one other, and Pope’s connections to the college and understanding of the expectations gave him an edge.

Is that this an excellent match?

Medcalf: Pope gained a nationwide title, and he understands Kentucky basketball, together with its rabid fan base. Past that? It is tough to see how this matches what Kentucky needed: a coach with an enormous identify who can proceed to draw elite gamers and compete for nationwide championships. Maybe Pope will try this sometime. He is following a man who attracted the highest recruiting courses within the nation and, at his finest, reached the Last 4 all however one yr from 2010-11 to 2014-15 and gained a nationwide title. The expectation is to make Kentucky a contender once more. This is not a rebuild.

Borzello: It is an attention-grabbing match, yet one more according to Duke hiring Jon Scheyer and North Carolina hiring Hubert Davis than, say, Arkansas hiring John Calipari. Pope does not have the résumé among the different potential candidates possessed, by no means profitable an NCAA event sport or a regular-season title and spending just one yr teaching in a high-major convention. However he is received some identify recognition, particularly in Lexington, and he’ll perceive what being the pinnacle coach of Kentucky entails. The expectations are going to be huge from day one, nevertheless, one thing he hasn’t handled throughout his time at Utah Valley and BYU.

What’s Pope’s first order of enterprise in Lexington?

Medcalf: A coach is often requested to win the information convention and make a direct splash with the fan base. However I believe there can be loads of backlash. If he is personable, it would assist his trigger. The one actual technique to deal with detrimental reactions can be to assemble high expertise from each the switch portal and the highschool ranks — from these gamers who aren’t but dedicated. His window is small, although. His phrases will not matter as a lot as his recruiting class.

Borzello: The identical factor it will be for anybody who changed Calipari: Rebuild the roster. Since Calipari left for Arkansas, Rob Dillingham turned professional, Aaron Bradshaw entered the portal and three of this system’s six 2024 commitments reopened their recruitments. There’s not rather a lot left for Pope, particularly with a few different gamers anticipated to go to the NBA. And in contrast to Scott Drew or Dan Hurley, it is unlikely Pope brings loads of Kentucky-level gamers with him to the Wildcats.

What’s subsequent for BYU?

Medcalf: BYU is an efficient job with a supportive fan base. It additionally has sturdy boosters who again this system. Plenty of coaches will inquire, however Mark Madsen — who’s at present at Cal — appears to take advantage of sense. Like Pope, Madsen additionally had a profitable stint at Utah Valley earlier than transferring to Berkeley final summer season. He has native ties, and he performed within the NBA for an extended stretch. Madsen looks like the precise man.

Borzello: BYU is prone to have a reasonably brief checklist to switch Pope. Madsen can be on it, though he has a buyout and it is unclear if he’d need to go away Berkeley after one season. A few different names to look at: UNLV assistant coach Barret Peery, Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Alex Jensen and Utah assistant coach Chris Burgess.