Pope now a legit candidate - CBS

[CatsFan4Evr.]

Yeah, we might lose the 1st game of the SEC tournament and the first game of the NCAA tournament with Pope........

You'll be insufferable if they hire Pope............. Hope he's our man.

Making the NCAA tournament with Pope might be a stretch.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

Who do you want?

 

[uk78]

People wanted Cal out so freaking bad they never thought about the possible consequences. It was definitely time for Cal to leave but if we end up with Mark Pope this would have gone about as bad as it possibly could.

Too many assumed we would get Oats. Not hard to track all those posts.

 

[stenchymouse]

I'm starting to think that we'd better go after Pearl...

 

[Cold Stout Beer]

Making the NCAA tournament with Pope might be a stretch.

He couldn't even make it there with lowly BYU......oh wait.

 

[The_Catfather]

Good Lord.

Just offer that sweaty bastard Bruce Pearl and let's get this over with.

 

[UKwootwoot]

Holy crap. Would be a disastrous hire if this is where we’re at

 

[Blue Praetorian]

In theory I could winthe Powerball each time I buy a ticket

You could. But do you think one of the two may be a bit more likely than the other?

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Fire Mitch. Its already been mishandled beyond belief. But to hear pope is even considered is just beyond pathetic.

There is no way Mitch should've been caught this much by surprise.

 

[Cold Stout Beer]

We wont go to Pope til' the end, but he's a good hire if it gets there.

 

[Jack2936]

Why not? Like Jon Scheyer at Duke. Former player loyal to UK and a decent coach.

 

[Rockfly78]

Offer 12 mil to get cal back before you offer pope.

 

[Kantucke]

Time I step back out on the ledge

 

[RMorris33]

Hiring a former player worked out for Duke and UNC but it's a huge gamble. Mark is an excellent coach, I just don't know if he's ready for a job like UK yet

 

[RondosRevengeTour]

Absolutely pathetic if UK goes down this route. This would be an embarrassment.

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Now is when we panic. Couldn’t get the guaranteed guy so now we’re going BYU?

 

[Wildcats1st]

What kind of real UK fan "loves it" in regards to Mark Pope?

Answer: no one who is a real UK fan.

Pope spent 1 year at Kentucky. No way would he be considered without some sort of a pairing with pitino or Donovan.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

Why not? Like Jon Scheyer at Duke. Former player loyal to UK and a decent coach.

Decent? Wtf. We know there are good coaches, namely pearl and beard, that would come if offered. That Jesus freak needs to have any decision making process n this search taken away from him if he tried to offer pope the job.

 

[CrimsonCats]

I’d still cheer for the Cats and hope he surprises me, but yeah, this one feels like a stretch. I don’t think he’s done anything to prove he’s ready for this level, and at 51 isn’t as young as a lot of similarly unaccomplished coaches who you could at least hope for some drastic improvement from after a learning curve.

 

[Mash 2.4]

I’d rather have Pope than a lot of guys mentioned. Golden has been mentioned a lot. What credentials does Golden have that Pope doesn’t? And for the record i’d be fine with Golden as well. Where we screwed up is targeting Drew first.

 

[Balzac]

Sorry, Mark. They don't mean it. They are just hangry and left alone at a keyboard.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

It's going to be Donovan

 

[KAB Cats]

It's not as bad as some suggest

 

[MegaBlue05]

If Pope is the coach next year we have made the biggest mistake of all time.

We know it all though. All of us are better coaches and ADs than the coaches and AD.

Just hire Rafters as coach. We can split the money. We’d play so much zone Syracuse would blush!

 

[anonymous_2011]

This is why I was hoping for Drew.

 

[treyforuk]

I’d rather have the actual Pope on the sidelines.

Pedo?

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Sorry, Mark. They don't mean it. They are just hangry and left alone at a keyboard.

And you only post an average of about three times a year, and only show up when the program is vulnerable.

I bet for all your fake online snark, you can't even look women in the eyes in real life.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

This is why I said keeping Calipari another year was the only right move…..

Cal left .

 

[TM2013]

Atleast our "family hire" would have some experience

 

[yoshukai]

Absolutely pathetic if UK goes down this route. This would be an embarrassment.

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Not saying I want him but this would be one coach that could influence Reeds decision in a positive (for UK) way . Especially if he added Scott Padgett as an assistant. Be pretty cool .

 

[Mash 2.4]

It's going to be Donovan

Let’s hope. That should have been the #1 target from the beginning.

 

[JFCats22]

Who do you want?

Literally anyone other than Pope (or Pitino). Pope would be about #50 on my list.

If he had not gone to UK literally nobody would want him here.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

This is why I was hoping for Drew.

Drew is scared of bourbon culture and horse racing. He made the right choice to stay put

 

[TheFolker]

Pope spent 1 year at Kentucky. No way would he be considered without some sort of a pairing with pitino or Donovan.

Technically he spent 2 years at Kentucky since he had to sit out as a transfer.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

Literally anyone other than Pope (or Pitino). Pope would be about #50 on my list.

If he had not gone to UK literally nobody would want him here.

Would Donovan be at the top for you currently?

 

[TheBlueMist]

Why the Pope hate? Love the guy, but he’s not ready for this level…yet.

 

[treyforuk]

Hiring a former player worked out for Duke and UNC but it's a huge gamble. Mark is an excellent coach, I just don't know if he's ready for a job like UK yet

Who is...

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Sometimes you have to get these guys before they go onto their P5 job and then don't want to leave.

I don't know what the hangup with Pope is, other than that he's still pretty inexperienced. But he got a Mormon school to compete in a B12 that was FAR above BYUs standards, got them into the tournament, pulled off some upsets this year.

What if Pope turns out to be a true top5 coach? Well now we have a guy in his early 50s who could coach here 20 years.

And if you're upset about this being "all we can get", then maybe this is your wake up call.

 

[Inlumine]

Mark Pope is 51 years old and has never won a game in NCAA tournament as a coach. He’s lost twice as a better seed, and that’s it. We HAVE TO be able to do better than that. Have to.

 

[Lazlo7]

It is always darkest right before Dawn.

 

[Coach Marrow]

Pope is a solid coach, but I’d rather not have a coach be favored for job just because of UK ties