TheCatsDomain.Com Message Boards: Sounds like it is Official.

This is topic Sounds like it is Official. in forum UK / NCAA Basketball at TheCatsDomain.Com Message Boards.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://www.thecatsdomain.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=28;t=039859

Posted by mr_ukkid (Member # 2304) on 04-12-2024, 10:37 AM:

Mark Pope is the new Coach of Kentucky. Barnhart didn't even call Coach Donovan. There is probably I don't know, 50 other coaches I would have called before Mark Pope. I understand he played for us, not very well, but that don't warrant him to coach for us. I would have taken Travis Ford over POPE. Pope's resume sucks. With BYU 60% winning avg. He has only taken his teams to the big dance 2 out of 9 years. Barnhart needs in "Old Norm's" words Castrated and hung. What a horrible horrible hire. Gillispie 2.0

Posted by Yokogaijin (Member # 2659) on 04-12-2024, 11:02 AM:

I couldn't disagree with this take more. Pope may not be as successful as our fan base hopes but he is guaranteed to bring an exciting pace of play, tons of 3s, and a TRUE love of Big Blue Nation. If our fan base is going to run a guy like Cal out of town they must be hoping for a return to a bunch of kids playing for the name on the front of the jersey vice their position on draft boards.

I personally have had enough of the one and dones, time to get to know and love some of these guys for 3-4 years with the Cats. And Pope is no slouch, how many other coaches have taken BYU to the point of being a top 15 pre-season team (which they would have been next season). Given the other options left (Pearl, Miller, etc...) I'd much rather have Pope lead our team then retreads.

I'm cautiously optimistic about this hire. Go CATS!

Posted by ukman (Member # 3032) on 04-12-2024, 11:09 AM:

Pope was on my list, but a little further down. We definitely will need to be patient with him and give him a few years to build something, but it could be something special if given time. I do believe he is a really good game coach, from the little bit I have seen, but I don't know about recruiting. Hopefully he has a couple of assistants that are great recruiters and can really kill that piece of the puzzle. I'm praying that 5 years from now we are looking back at this hire and saying how great it was and how great he is doing. But it will take him some time. I'm just hoping I get to watch our teams actually play above their expectations and get to see actual coaching take place in games. That will be different than what we have had.

Posted by mr_ukkid (Member # 2304) on 04-12-2024, 11:21 AM:

Why was Coach Cal ran out of town? Not winning in the Tourney? Pope 2 out of 9 years in Tourney appearances. BYU isn't a horrible draw either.
Coach Cal, losing games? Pope, 60%. Just to me he isn't that great of a coach. I like Pope, but I also liked Bam Adabayo, doesn't mean I want him coaching the team.

Posted by PaulCat (Member # 513) on 04-12-2024, 06:09 PM:

BYU's uber-strict student policy doesn't allow that school to get top recruits. If Cal coached BYU, they wouldn't have made the tourney at all. I think this is the hire this school needs.

Posted by m hamilton (Member # 127) on 04-13-2024, 05:56 AM:

I'm not sure Cal was necessarily run out of town. He wasn't happy that he wasn't getting his way in the construction of a new practice facility!

He told Barnhart he wanted a new practice facility a year or so ago and Barnhart told him it wasn't that high on his priority list!

Like a lot of other coaches have done in the past, Tubby included, they see the handwriting on the wall. If you don't succeed in the next season then your job will very well be in jeopardy. If you remember Cal saying, The New Jersey Nets was the only job he ever got fired from and he wasn't going to take a chance on KY being the second job he was ever fired from!

Once again, JUST MY $.02 worth.

Posted by Bama Cat (Member # 153) on 04-13-2024, 08:57 PM:

You are so right. He was getting 1 more year to right the ship or he was going to be fired. He's at the point in his career he doesn't always trust his judgement and he was very afraid he was going to have another year like the past several. Thus exit on your own and save face now. There's not a doubt in my mind we were in for another bad season, for KY. If he couldn't win with all the shooters we had he wasn't going to do much better next year. At least we won't have to suffer thru another season of Cal ball Hope some of these kids out there realize this is not the University of Cal. It is and still remains the U of K and our tradition and history is not affected by hiring Pope. Go cats.

Posted by m hamilton (Member # 127) on 04-13-2024, 09:10 PM:

Also heard another rumor today that Cal wanted to bring Brad onto the staff and Barnhart wasn't sure that was going to be a good idea. He may have made the move to Arkansas to benefit his son!

Posted by rlt4uk (Member # 3194) on 04-16-2024, 09:18 PM:

I think pope is the perfect hire.