Did Mitch make the right call?

[BlueSince92]

I’m not surprised at all to hear about the possibility of higher-ups meddling. If higher-ups meddling wasn’t the way of the world then at least half of all the best TV series of all time would have had at least double the runs they actually had.

Mitch definitely made the right call.

For the first 14 hours after the news broke I was very freaked out, much less because Mitch called Pope and much more that he called Pope before calling Donovan. (The waiting wasn’t a thing to me. But why he couldn’t just ask Donovan first, and say “want the job in three weeks?” was freaking me out. Donovan saying no or Donovan saying “I won’t know for three weeks” would both be reasons to move on but I couldn’t get my head around why you don’t even ask.)

But in the time since then I’ve gradually come to see some solid reasons why you call Pope without even calling Donovan:

—Closer ties to our program. Actual player with an actual ring from our most amazing team in 120 years. Team captain even.

—More exciting offense

—Exceptionally brilliant mind. There’s the Rhodes scholar thing but frankly, by this point I’ve been friends with a lot of Rhodes scholars and while they are all sharp and interesting, trust me: Pope is on another level

—Not a guy who is ever, ever, ever going to leave us for anywhere no matter how big he blows up here

—The likelihood of Kentucky getting Pope way over that NCAAT first game hump and then some seems a lot higher after considering it in full context than it did at first. Pitino’s tweet actually helped me a lot to see that in perspective. Also learning about the contract that BYU recruits have to sign. Frankly I’m personally very old school, pro-Chrsitendom, pro-dignity but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand that a requirement like that is going to go over like a lead balloon among 99.99999% of today’s recruits. To have that hurdle and still beat Kansas at Kansas, wow.

Mitch damn skippy made the right call.

 

[MrHotDice]

Just heard on the radio on a certain show that after Drew turned us down Mitch was not allowed by people higher up at UK to talk with Bruce Pearl, Miller or Chris Beard regarding the UK Job. That left the list of candidates to Shaka Smart, waiting for Donovan, one other guy they mentioned and Mark Pope. I think he made the right call with Pope. What do you think about our administration hamstringing him with who he could talk to. My personal pick after Drew would have been Pearl even though like Calipari I despised him when he wasn't our coach. I think Pearl would have done well here.

Can you imagine Donavan flying all over talking to recruits. I cant and he wont. However Mark Pope will and his assistant coaches. Yes, he was the perfecycoach for 2024 and beyond.

 

[jeffky]

You think Mitch made the right call in hiring Pope, but feel that he was prevented from hiring from a list of coaches you preferred.

I was thinking the same thing nice post

 

[Ceeph]

🤣🤣🤣 Don't you just love auto correct dumbass. So are you a damn English major? Buzz off.

No I have Bachelors from UK in Biology but even us biology majors know points are not mute.

 

[Ceeph]

You think Mitch made the right call in hiring Pope, but feel that he was prevented from hiring from a list of coaches you preferred.

Correct I think he made the right call considering the options he had left. I would have hired Pearl or Beard before Pope based on their actual coaching resume but that is just me.

 

[Battle_Cat]

Correct I think he made the right call considering the options he had left. I would have hired Pearl or Beard before Pope based on their actual coaching resume but that is just me.

And here is the “agenda” for your post. Move along.

 

[Blue Bigfoot]

Please learn to speak English correctly. Points are not mute the correct term for your future reference is MOOT.

moot
/mo͞ot/
https://www.google.com/search?sca_e...2ahUKEwiwt4zAquCFAxWSFFkFHZToBKIQ3eEDegQIPhAM
adjective

1. 1.
   subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty.
   "whether they had been successful or not was a moot point"
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. 2.
   having little or no practical relevance, typically because the subject is too uncertain to allow a decision.
   "the whole matter is becoming increasingly moot"

 

[Blue Bigfoot]

No I have Bachelors from UK in Biology but even us biology majors know points are not mute.

Points can be born handicapped, like dude!

 

[Stretch98]

🤣🤣🤣 Don't you just love auto correct dumbass. So are you a damn English major? Buzz off.

I was an English major and I know what you meant. Carry on.

 

[BBNinSC]

Just heard on the radio on a certain show that after Drew turned us down Mitch was not allowed by people higher up at UK to talk with Bruce Pearl, Miller or Chris Beard regarding the UK Job. That left the list of candidates to Shaka Smart, waiting for Donovan, one other guy they mentioned and Mark Pope. I think he made the right call with Pope. What do you think about our administration hamstringing him with who he could talk to. My personal pick after Drew would have been Pearl even though like Calipari I despised him when he wasn't our coach. I think Pearl would have done well here.

You can’t believe everything you hear. You should have known this was BS before repeating it.

 

[Ceeph]

And here is the “agenda” for your post. Move along.

Please enlighten me on my agenda. It is to see peoples opinions on Mitch being restricted from contacting some well known successful coaches. If it goes bad (the hire) nobody is blaming the President they are blaming the AD. I will root for the cats and Mark Pope and I hope he turns out to be the best coach we have ever had in terms of his future success.

 

[THE_HOOK]

I was an English major and I know what you meant. Carry on.

Thank you sir. A 70 year old man like me, doesn't give a shit if every word is spelled correctly, but apparently jerks do. Have a great day!

 

[Elliott Tim]

Yes he made the right call.

I'm still mad he didn't ask my advice.🤣

 

[ck-2]

I’m still in the “ecstatic that the con artist we had in the head coaching spot is gone” stage. Just so glad that narcissistic, egotistical, conman is gone. At least we have “one of our own” who cares about the name KENTUCKY.
Give him a chance, see if he can win N SEC tournament game

 

[jwphelps]

Not a freaking troll and I have been on this message board from the day it started before it was rivals. So you know where you can stuff your troll comments.

Then why ask troll like questions.

 

[NociHTTP]

I’m still in the “ecstatic that the con artist we had in the head coaching spot is gone” stage. Just so glad that narcissistic, egotistical, conman is gone. At least we have “one of our own” who cares about the name KENTUCKY.
Give him a chance, see if he can win N SEC tournament game

Even though we very likely have an extensive program rebuild ahead of us (as in years), I'm really thinking about going to a game because we have a coach who cares about UK, and who wants to win titles.....not sit in a green room.

 

[The_Answer1313]

At the end of the day Pope is going to be judged on the same standards Cal Tubby Pitino all UK coaches are judged on. Do you make final fours and can you win titles.

I’m excited to see how this all turns out. Time will tell if the correct decision was made.

 

[K_TIME]

Just heard on the radio on a certain show that after Drew turned us down Mitch was not allowed by people higher up at UK to talk with Bruce Pearl, Miller or Chris Beard regarding the UK Job. That left the list of candidates to Shaka Smart, waiting for Donovan, one other guy they mentioned and Mark Pope. I think he made the right call with Pope. What do you think about our administration hamstringing him with who he could talk to. My personal pick after Drew would have been Pearl even though like Calipari I despised him when he wasn't our coach. I think Pearl would have done well here.

Nice burner account Mitch....but your full of crap to imagine UK fans believe this bullcrap story.

Unbotton the top button and retire please

 

[Jakerz]

Sure AF isn’t looking like it

 

[cat888]

If that certain radio show has the letters K,S, and R in it, then I would say they don't know what happened with the coaching search. They have been wrong on everything. I cannot stress that part enough. Whatever pipeline Matt had into UK basketball dried up long ago.

But to answer your question, nobody knows because it is too early. It was a gamble by Mitch. If it doesn't work out, he's out of a job.

Yes they need to report the news and not make the news, They helped to run off a Hall of fame coach and that had to make Coaches look twice before they came to UK. I look at what they put out free but I certainly want be paying them.

 

[ukfan1622]

I said in the post given the circumstances Pope was the right call. I guess I was more interested in opinions of the higher ups giving Mitch a no contact list of coaches. Maybe that happens with every coaching search I don't know never been an AD before.

I'm happy with Pope. There's nobody I'd pick above him that was a reasonable option. If we'd waited on Donovan we'd might have gotten rejected again and and even if not it would have been very to have much chance of assembling a decent team for next year.

 

[StubbornPenny]

Who would be preventing Mitch? Only a few people could - the board of trustees, the president of the university and a huge donor (Craft) could. All three are huge Mitch guys. Mitch is also a human mayonnaise sandwich, he’s not taking a risk on people with baggage. Any decision to not contact those coaches was assuredly a mutual understand between everyone, except maybe the president because he’s busy securing contracts for new dorms and student centers, and leaves the athletics to Mitch.

Now was it the right call? Maybe. I wish Golden and Lloyd had been explored a little more, but there was a time crunch. After the initial shock, the press conference bought him a good amount of time. So in the short term, yes.

Overall, any coaching hire can fail. Hurley could have failed. Drew could have failed. Cal could have failed in 2009.

 

[ArtLaibsGhost]

Just heard on the radio on a certain show that after Drew turned us down Mitch was not allowed by people higher up at UK to talk with Bruce Pearl, Miller or Chris Beard regarding the UK Job. That left the list of candidates to Shaka Smart, waiting for Donovan, one other guy they mentioned and Mark Pope. I think he made the right call with Pope. What do you think about our administration hamstringing him with who he could talk to. My personal pick after Drew would have been Pearl even though like Calipari I despised him when he wasn't our coach. I think Pearl would have done well here.

Just out of curiosity what name do you usually post under and why aren't you using it now

 

[Untouchables22]

Just heard on the radio on a certain show that after Drew turned us down Mitch was not allowed by people higher up at UK to talk with Bruce Pearl, Miller or Chris Beard regarding the UK Job. That left the list of candidates to Shaka Smart, waiting for Donovan, one other guy they mentioned and Mark Pope. I think he made the right call with Pope. What do you think about our administration hamstringing him with who he could talk to. My personal pick after Drew would have been Pearl even though like Calipari I despised him when he wasn't our coach. I think Pearl would have done well here.

(1) Until it’s reported on by reputable journalists I don’t believe that Mitch was handicapped in this way by the President or Board…..he just sucks at his job and has a very high morality code that he imposes onto everyone else.
(2) Why would those three names be excluded but not Oats? Oats had a player charged with murder which is 10X worse then the recruiting violations of Pearl and Miller that aren’t against the rules anymore in 2024.

 

[Fox2monk]

Just heard on the radio on a certain show that after Drew turned us down Mitch was not allowed by people higher up at UK to talk with Bruce Pearl, Miller or Chris Beard regarding the UK Job. That left the list of candidates to Shaka Smart, waiting for Donovan, one other guy they mentioned and Mark Pope. I think he made the right call with Pope. What do you think about our administration hamstringing him with who he could talk to. My personal pick after Drew would have been Pearl even though like Calipari I despised him when he wasn't our coach. I think Pearl would have done well here.

Thank god it wasn’t Miller.

 

[blubo]

Just heard on the radio on a certain show that after Drew turned us down Mitch was not allowed by people higher up at UK to talk with Bruce Pearl, Miller or Chris Beard regarding the UK Job. That left the list of candidates to Shaka Smart, waiting for Donovan, one other guy they mentioned and Mark Pope. I think he made the right call with Pope. What do you think about our administration hamstringing him with who he could talk to. My personal pick after Drew would have been Pearl even though like Calipari I despised him when he wasn't our coach. I think Pearl would have done well here.

less than two weeks in with pope surely you haven’t forgotten which radio show you heard that on. have you?

 

[TOMCATS1990]

Pull this thread up this time in 2 years 2026 and I’ll give you my answer

 

[Wildcats1st]

It was a major gamble. That’s the bottom line. Eli is a bama guy that’s his school. The right hire wound have been broken oats but some reason we steered clear. Not next time old man

 

[FilsonCat]

It is borderline trolling to keep rehashing the job search stuff. Mitch hired Pope and he's gonna get some time to put his stamp on the program. Those claiming to know whether he'll sink or swim are about as FOS as certain media attention whores, who feel it necessary to chaff click bait on a recurring basis. There's not a ton to report right now, but hopefully good news will be happening soon.

 

[L.O.D.]

I would have fought for Pearl. Then get Pope in 6 years when he retires.

 

[North Carolina Blue Wildcat]

100% the right guy. His staff is phenomenal. I hope our fans move off center of the recruiting and draft day championships and focus in on what it takes to win in today’s environment. Seems like every time Cal gets a burger boy we piss our pants.

 

[chevyman 50]

Pope was a no name coach not like Pearl or Smart or some others but I hope Pope works out may take a couple years.

 

[WildcatSir]

We ha e a great staff, but all of college basketball is in shambles currently. It's a new era and people are trying to figure it out.

 

[uky8unc5]

I dont know considering yesterday was the first time in about 6 months I have read anything on this board and the hire is such old news a whole week old . why would anyone want to discuss it? Thank you for reminding me why i stopped reading this board in the first place. The place seems to be full of snarky idiots with nothing much to add

I sure wish you were my next door neighbor.
Then I could IGNORE you twice.
Goodbye

 

[bigbluedon]

Just heard on the radio on a certain show that after Drew turned us down Mitch was not allowed by people higher up at UK to talk with Bruce Pearl, Miller or Chris Beard regarding the UK Job. That left the list of candidates to Shaka Smart, waiting for Donovan, one other guy they mentioned and Mark Pope. I think he made the right call with Pope. What do you think about our administration hamstringing him with who he could talk to. My personal pick after Drew would have been Pearl even though like Calipari I despised him when he wasn't our coach. I think Pearl would have done well here.

Was it Barnum &Bailey radio? There is no way that info gets to a legit radio station. Move along to the Arkansas board.

 

[Girthang]

You think Mitch made the right call in hiring Pope, but feel that he was prevented from hiring from a list of coaches you preferred.

Sums it up pretty well

 

[Girthang]

Even though we very likely have an extensive program rebuild ahead of us (as in years), I'm really thinking about going to a game because we have a coach who cares about UK, and who wants to win titles.....not sit in a green room.

Same

 

[BigTyrone]

Just heard on the radio on a certain show that after Drew turned us down Mitch was not allowed by people higher up at UK to talk with Bruce Pearl, Miller or Chris Beard regarding the UK Job. That left the list of candidates to Shaka Smart, waiting for Donovan, one other guy they mentioned and Mark Pope. I think he made the right call with Pope. What do you think about our administration hamstringing him with who he could talk to. My personal pick after Drew would have been Pearl even though like Calipari I despised him when he wasn't our coach. I think Pearl would have done well here.

Sean Miller isn’t good and Beard leaves bite marks on women. Pearl would have done well here, but wasn’t realistic because adding drainage to Rupp for all his sweat would have been too expensive.

Oats would have been a safer hire, but I like the Pope hire as well. We’ll know soon enough I guess.

 

[Snarks0]

I would have rather had Pearl or Beard. But, we’re stuck with Pope……hope it works!

 

[Snarks0]

I would have fought for Pearl. Then get Pope in 6 years when he retires.

This times 100x I would have liked Pope a lot more if he was more proven. He hasn’t even won a tournament game.