As a UK fan for my entire life of 70 plus years, I am excited to have a "UK" at heart coach and not someone who talks UK only because of their paycheck.
Joe B comes to mind.
Rick was all about UK even with his ego but eventually his ego needed more. With all his faults, he still I believe wishes deeply he had stayed here.
Cal was always about what UK could do for his legacy. As success came, Cal got more and more condescending and arrogant. He lacked the in game coaching skills to match his recruiting skills. As a result, losses pilled up and fans like me just put up with him since he was our coach.
Mark Pope? Nice guy, a UK guy, young, I get all that but would he have gotten a look if not for his ties to UK?
Part of me thinks this is good, to have a younger coach who loves UK and will have UK first and foremost.
Another part of me worries about his lack of experience in dealing with players (recruiting) that are going to be much different in terms of personality then he had been dealing with.
Could we have gotten a more seasoned coach like Pearl, Beard, Oats? Who knows but would we be exchanging somewhat what we had in why they are here with what we already had?
If Mark Pope is our coach, then I will support him. At first I was like, "holy shit" but after hearing him speak more and others who know him in the coaching world, my worries are fading.
When you think about other coaches like Hurley who is at the top of the coaching world, how their first couple years went, and then now, it gives me hope this is what is best for UK.
Recruiting worried me at first but when I read about the restrictions Mark Pope had to recruit under, wow, I wonder how Hurley, Pitino, Cal and others would do only being able to recruit what seems to be players who are OK with no sex, agree to go on a two year mission, don't cuss, drink, look at girls and are one step away from being alter boys and instead of thinking about the NBA think about going to church.
In other words, he could only recruit players who put basketball after all other stuff in their life instead of basketball players who only want to play.
Mark Pope had success with these restrictions.
This is a close to having a UK guy on our bench as we can get.
Joe B comes to mind.
Rick was all about UK even with his ego but eventually his ego needed more. With all his faults, he still I believe wishes deeply he had stayed here.
Cal was always about what UK could do for his legacy. As success came, Cal got more and more condescending and arrogant. He lacked the in game coaching skills to match his recruiting skills. As a result, losses pilled up and fans like me just put up with him since he was our coach.
Mark Pope? Nice guy, a UK guy, young, I get all that but would he have gotten a look if not for his ties to UK?
Part of me thinks this is good, to have a younger coach who loves UK and will have UK first and foremost.
Another part of me worries about his lack of experience in dealing with players (recruiting) that are going to be much different in terms of personality then he had been dealing with.
Could we have gotten a more seasoned coach like Pearl, Beard, Oats? Who knows but would we be exchanging somewhat what we had in why they are here with what we already had?
If Mark Pope is our coach, then I will support him. At first I was like, "holy shit" but after hearing him speak more and others who know him in the coaching world, my worries are fading.
When you think about other coaches like Hurley who is at the top of the coaching world, how their first couple years went, and then now, it gives me hope this is what is best for UK.
Recruiting worried me at first but when I read about the restrictions Mark Pope had to recruit under, wow, I wonder how Hurley, Pitino, Cal and others would do only being able to recruit what seems to be players who are OK with no sex, agree to go on a two year mission, don't cuss, drink, look at girls and are one step away from being alter boys and instead of thinking about the NBA think about going to church.
In other words, he could only recruit players who put basketball after all other stuff in their life instead of basketball players who only want to play.
Mark Pope had success with these restrictions.
This is a close to having a UK guy on our bench as we can get.