I’ll say it

[Blue_2_the_bone]

Whatever you think about the hire, Mitch is tethering himself to Pope. If a pope fails, then Mitch is gone too. Pope is an alumni who understands and loves UK basketball. He has a reputation as a hard worker and great person. He plays a fun style and his players love him. What’s done is done. Mitch isn’t setting him up for failure, the fans are. Our entitlement and crying & whining. I’ll give him a shot and support him until he proves he can’t do it. No sense in cutting the man’s throat before he even starts.

 

[lpkilla7]

I'm sorry I'm not cool with player coaches . We have to turn on him like we have all the other coaches at some point.
NO. HELL NO. HEEEEEELLLLL NO

 

[track42]

It's our fault Mitch made a bad hire?

 

[RunninRichie]

I’m not mad at Pope. I’m mad at Mitch for going solo on this hire. He’s setting up Pope for Career suicide and UK a tailspin.

 

[tf4fun]

Whatever you think about the hire, Mitch is tethering himself to Pope. If a pope fails, then Mitch is gone too. Pope is an alumni who understands and loves UK basketball. He has a reputation as a hard worker and great person. He plays a fun style and his players love him. What’s done is done. Mitch isn’t setting him up for failure, the fans are. Our entitlement and crying & whining. I’ll give him a shot and support him until he proves he can’t do it. No sense in cutting the man’s throat before he even starts.

It's to soon. Pope isn't ready for this! That's not his fault but there are other better options out there. Next cycle is when he should have been targeted.

 

[Big BlueBeard]

I’m not mad at Pope. I’m mad at Mitch for going solo on this hire. He’s setting up Pope for Career suicide and UK a tailspin.

Doubt very seriously if he went “solo” on this hire.

 

[sefus12]

Whatever you think about the hire, Mitch is tethering himself to Pope. If a pope fails, then Mitch is gone too. Pope is an alumni who understands and loves UK basketball. He has a reputation as a hard worker and great person. He plays a fun style and his players love him. What’s done is done. Mitch isn’t setting him up for failure, the fans are. Our entitlement and crying & whining. I’ll give him a shot and support him until he proves he can’t do it. No sense in cutting the man’s throat before he even starts.

This is 1000% the attitude we should all take. If Pope is hired, we owe it to him to at least give him a chance to succeed before proclaiming him a failure. If he fails, then get mad at Mitch and Pope. But we at least owe him a chance. The guy bleeds blue. That’s a lot more than our last coach seemed to care about at the end.

 

[fisherscatfan]

Whatever you think about the hire, Mitch is tethering himself to Pope. If a pope fails, then Mitch is gone too. Pope is an alumni who understands and loves UK basketball. He has a reputation as a hard worker and great person. He plays a fun style and his players love him. What’s done is done. Mitch isn’t setting him up for failure, the fans are. Our entitlement and crying & whining. I’ll give him a shot and support him until he proves he can’t do it. No sense in cutting the man’s throat before he even starts.

If the donors aren’t on board, the NIL won’t be there. Mark doesn’t have the pull without the NIL.

 

[Bbfan1415]

The problem is Mitch will retire in a year and leave the next search with someone else

 

[RunninRichie]

Doubt very seriously if he went “solo” on this hire.

Matt Jones said he did.

 

[BlueMist24]

Mark Pope wasn’t my first choice either but he at least has the balls to come lead the BBN. He’s one of us and we are using the Duke/UNC blueprint of keeping it in the family. He will have something to prove and you will be surprised. With NIL the boosters and donors will not let him fail. He will have the best resources available to get talent to Lexington. Should have a contract loaded down with incentives and will have the energy it takes to hit the recruiting trail like none other. He and Jeff Sheppard were roommates as well, maybe he has a little intel on a certain Sheppard staying for his sophomore season. He’s got a 68% win percentage at BYU a Mormon school. How many Mormon athletes do you know? I’m excited and hope he proves us all wrong.

 

[Blue_2_the_bone]

If the donors aren’t on board, the NIL won’t be there. Mark doesn’t have the pull without the NIL.

With the last debacle, I don’t believe for a minute he was hired without donors being on board.

 

[BigBlue1992]

Sorry but there’s no justification in this decision at all. And from what I seeing and hearing most of BBN feels the same way.

 

[Big BlueBeard]

Matt Jones said he did.

Just strengthens my opinion then.

 

[Blue_2_the_bone]

I’m not mad at Pope. I’m mad at Mitch for going solo on this hire. He’s setting up Pope for Career suicide and UK a tailspin.

Agree. It’s all on Mitch but our anger should wait it out.

 

[sportspm]

Mark Pope wasn’t my first choice either but he at least has the balls to come lead the BBN. He’s one of us and we are using the Duke/UNC blueprint of keeping it in the family. He will have something to prove and you will be surprised. With NIL the boosters and donors will not let him fail. He will have the best resources available to get talent to Lexington. Should have a contract loaded down with incentives and will have the energy it takes to hit the recruiting trail like none other. He and Jeff Sheppard were roommates as well, maybe he has a little intel on a certain Sheppard staying for his sophomore season. He’s got a 68% win percentage at BYU a Mormon school. How many Mormon athletes do you know? I’m excited and hope he proves us all wrong.

Exactly, I think Reed is returning and I don’t think anyone else hired would work any harder than he will

 

[Crystalglass]

Mitch is gone in a few years anyway (more than likely). He doesn’t care and it shows

 

[sefus12]

Sorry but there’s no justification in this decision at all. And from what I seeing and hearing most of BBN feels the same way.

Good news for BBN is that 99.7% of fans have absolutely zero idea about conversations had behind the scenes. And I fully believe Mitch wouldn’t hire a guy that the big donors are actively against, no matter what Matt Jones says on X.

 

[fisherscatfan]

With the last debacle, I don’t believe for a minute he was hired without donors being on board.

Matt Jones seems to think they are not happy fwiw.

 

[sefus12]

Mitch is gone in a few years anyway (more than likely). He doesn’t care and it shows

Do you honestly think a guy who is an AD at a major university actively wants to fail? Some of you folks are idiotic. At least let Pope fail (if he’s hired) before burning the village to the ground.

 

[BigBlue1992]

Good news for BBN is that 99.7% of fans have absolutely zero idea about conversations had behind the scenes. And I fully believe Mitch wouldn’t hire a guy that the big donors are actively against, no matter what Matt Jones says on X.

No way did a room full of wealthy, likely smart people come up with this brain dead decision.

 

[Blue_2_the_bone]

Matt Jones seems to think they are not happy fwiw.

I don’t believe anything Matt Jones says. He’s loving all this attention.

 

[Crystalglass]

Do you honestly think a guy who is an AD at a major university actively wants to fail? Some of you folks are idiotic. At least let Pope fail (if he’s hired) before burning the village to the ground.

I didn’t say he wants to fail. I said he doesn’t care in the same way he would if his job was on the line.

Do you think a 45 year old AD in his position makes this hire? Knowing a failure would set you back in your career? Not a chance. A 70 year old 20+year tenured AD? Well, he just did

 

[sefus12]

No way did a room full of wealthy, likely smart people come up with this brain dead decision.

Were you in the room?

If not, then you know exactly as much as me. And common sense says a decision to hire Pope (if he’s hired) wasn’t made without some sort of ok from the folks who would have to fund our NIL. If Pope fails, flame away at him and Mitch. But calling it a massive failure before the guy can get a roster and coach a game is simply ignorant (being nice there).

 

[fisherscatfan]

I don’t believe anything Matt Jones says. He’s loving all this attention.

Understand. Time will tell and I hope the donors go all in. Pope does run a good offense.

 

[ThunderCat98]

He and Jeff Sheppard were roommates as well, maybe he has a little intel on a certain Sheppard staying for his sophomore season.

If Reed comes back to the inevitable sh!tshow that next season is going to be, his draft stock is going to plummet. That's not a prediction, thats a spoiler.

 

[sefus12]

I didn’t say he wants to fail. I said he doesn’t care in the same way he would if his job was on the line.

Do you think a 45 year old AD in his position makes this hire? Knowing a failure would set you back in your career? Not a chance. A 70 year old 20+year tenured AD? Well, he just did

No one gets to be an AD at a university like UK without some sort of ego, not even a devout Christian like Mitch. That means they do what they think is going to succeed. You may not like it, but Mitch isn’t going to sabotage a very good reputation as an AD (nationally, not the nuts on our message boards) by hiring someone he thinks is going to fail.

 

[BigBlue1992]

Were you in the room?

If not, then you know exactly as much as me. And common sense says a decision to hire Pope (if he’s hired) wasn’t made without some sort of ok from the folks who would have to fund our NIL. If Pope fails, flame away at him and Mitch. But calling it a massive failure before the guy can get a roster and coach a game is simply ignorant (being nice there).

All you gotta do is look at his resume. I would remind you of it but there’s nothing on it. I’m going on record right now and saying this is worse than Gillespie on court wise. At least Gillespie had coached a few all Americans and been to a sweet 16.

 

[deadtracker]

Whatever you think about the hire, Mitch is tethering himself to Pope. If a pope fails, then Mitch is gone too. Pope is an alumni who understands and loves UK basketball. He has a reputation as a hard worker and great person. He plays a fun style and his players love him. What’s done is done. Mitch isn’t setting him up for failure, the fans are. Our entitlement and crying & whining. I’ll give him a shot and support him until he proves he can’t do it. No sense in cutting the man’s throat before he even starts.

He also actually has a record of zero NCAA tourney wins and zero conference wins....we are giving a job to a guy becuase he beat a couple of top 25 teams. I guess we are Ball State...

 

[CatPhight]

Mitch is gone in a few years anyway (more than likely). He doesn’t care and it shows

Yep this was a big F off hire to the fans...Brainfart will retire next year...

 

[sefus12]

If Reed comes back to the inevitable sh!tshow that next season is going to be, his draft stock is going to plummet. That's not a prediction, thats a spoiler.

Can I have the lottery numbers for next week?

Also, Reed’s risk coming back is that he won’t shoot 53% from 3, not from a coach. Pope’s offense will get him plenty of shots. Not hitting at the same clip is the risk.

 

[buster3.0]

Mitch will be already retired before it is known if Pope works out or not. Pope will have at least 4 or 5 years to prove himself.

 

[sefus12]

This board is less emotionally stable than a 7th grade dance.

 

[Spica Orbit]

Exactly, I think Reed is returning and I don’t think anyone else hired would work any harder than he will

What you think doesn't matter.

 

[track42]

Yep this was a big F off hire to the fans...Brainfart will retire next year...

And can people keep saying Mark is one of our own and deserves a chance.He's not owed anything our other coaches weren't.

 

[track42]

This board is less emotionally stable than a 7th grade dance.

Then log off.

 

[Skyguyb27]

Do you honestly think a guy who is an AD at a major university actively wants to fail? Some of you folks are idiotic. At least let Pope fail (if he’s hired) before burning the village to the ground.

Cal didn’t want to fail either and look how his tourney record turned out for half a decade. Shit in one hand and hope it works out in the other. Let me know when one gets full.

 

[NuttinButtLove]

Whatever you think about the hire, Mitch is tethering himself to Pope. If a pope fails, then Mitch is gone too. Pope is an alumni who understands and loves UK basketball. He has a reputation as a hard worker and great person. He plays a fun style and his players love him. What’s done is done. Mitch isn’t setting him up for failure, the fans are. Our entitlement and crying & whining. I’ll give him a shot and support him until he proves he can’t do it. No sense in cutting the man’s throat before he even starts.

Dude is 65. He doesn’t give a hoot.

 

[ThunderCat98]

Can I have the lottery numbers for next week?

Also, Reed’s risk coming back is that he won’t shoot 53% from 3, not from a coach. Pope’s offense will get him plenty of shots. Not hitting at the same clip is the risk.

And you think carrying a heavier load on a likely sh!t team is going to help his shooting percentage? I'll have some of what you're smoking friend, because it's obviously the good stuff.

 

[Crystalglass]

No one gets to be an AD at a university like UK without some sort of ego, not even a devout Christian like Mitch. That means they do what they think is going to succeed. You may not like it, but Mitch isn’t going to sabotage a very good reputation as an AD (nationally, not the nuts on our message boards) by hiring someone he thinks is going to fail.

Again, I don’t think Mitch thinks Pope is going to fail. I’m saying he’s less concerned that he might given his point in his career.

Mitch thinks Pope is going to be a good hire for some reasons, BUT THE RISK THAT HE FAILS IS SOMEWHAT HIGH AND MITCH OBVIOUSLY DISCOUNTS THAT RISK, AT LEAST PARTIALLY BECAUSE HE IS NEARING RETIREMENT.

I made the last part all caps, so hopefully my point is clearer