WTF - Mark F’ing Pope? WTF am I seeing????

[BlueWorldOrder74]

I get off the board for like half an hour and come back and see Mark Pope; and Donovan not a serious candidate and no contact?

Is this real life?

Laughing Stock.

Mitch needs to step away now before he’s accused of being retarded.

Yes, I’m pissed. This is a ****ing joke.

Hire Rick before Mark. Hire Beard, hire Pearl, hire like 20 other coaches before Pope. Jesus man. Seriously, is this real life?

We have just entered IU and UL territory. Good God Mitch? Oh my God man.

Aaaahajhhjnjjjnnbnbbnshshdhdjdjdnxn…!!!!

 

[CatsFan4Evr.]

Downright fuhking embarrassing. We are a joke. This is Indiana and Louisville-level embarrassing.

 

[zannmann]

I feel the same. Horrible hire. This will rival Billy G.

 

[BlueSince92]

I feel the same. Horrible hire. This will rival Billy G.

When Billy G was hired here he was younger than Pope is now, had only been a head coach half as long, and had already taken aTm to its first Sweet Sixteen in nearly 30 years. For perspective.

 

[HeismaNole]

Billy actually had three NCAA Tourney wins.
Pope has four CBI trips and no ncaa tourney wins.

 

[DerekMcPwn]

It’s one hell of a gamble. You’re basically praying that Pope has every attribute of a Hall of Famer but was held back by his program, and that taking over at Kentucky will unlock the success he’s never had.

I’m betting it doesn’t, but would LOVE to be wrong.

 

[NuttinButtLove]

I get off the board for like half an hour and come back and see Mark Pope; and Donovan not a serious candidate and no contact?

Is this real life?

Laughing Stock.

Mitch needs to step away now before he’s accused of being retarded.

Yes, I’m pissed. This is a ****ing joke.

Hire Rick before Mark. Hire Beard, hire Pearl, hire like 20 other coaches before Pope. Jesus man. Seriously, is this real life?

We have just entered IU and UL territory. Good God Mitch? Oh my God man.

Aaaahajhhjnjjjnnbnbbnshshdhdjdjdnxn…!!!!

Dark days. Cal brought us into the darkness and it looks like we’re not finding the light for a while.

 

[Estil]

Dude it's called a dark horse candidate. But seriously it'd be cute/fun to call him His Holiness

 

[HagginHall1999]

The embarrassing part is how some are treating this decision. Pope deserves our support...and don't give me the sh*t "I'll support Pope but not the administration."

Gonna laugh at most of BBN when Pope is slaying soon enough.

 

[Snarks0]

Love seeing our fans trying to rationalize this as a good hire. Just because I’m served a plate of crap doesn’t mean I have to eat it.

 

[know1]

I get off the board for like half an hour and come back and see Mark Pope; and Donovan not a serious candidate and no contact?

Is this real life?

Laughing Stock.

Mitch needs to step away now before he’s accused of being retarded.

Yes, I’m pissed. This is a ****ing joke.

Hire Rick before Mark. Hire Beard, hire Pearl, hire like 20 other coaches before Pope. Jesus man. Seriously, is this real life?

We have just entered IU and UL territory. Good God Mitch? Oh my God man.

Aaaahajhhjnjjjnnbnbbnshshdhdjdjdnxn…!!!!

Look in the mirror and tell us what you're seeing.

(and maybe check Hurley's record pre UConn while you're at it - or any of those other coaches you mentioned)

 

[Deli owl]

He further divided the fan base with this one.

 

[jrpross]

The embarrassing part is how some are treating this decision. Pope deserves our support...and don't give me the sh*t "I'll support Pope but not the administration."

Gonna laugh at most of BBN when Pope is slaying soon enough.

Not trying to be confrontational.

What evidence can you give me that Pope will be successful? And being an alum in not evidence.

 

[BradleyCrawford08]

How did we end up with Mark Pope? Did we seriously not even try to contact Donovan, Oats, or Pearl after Drew and Hurley turned us down? Mitch said that he was working to hire a PROVEN coach and he just hired the most unproven candidate of them all. I’ll support Pope and hope he kills it here but I am seriously questioning the rationale behind this decision.

 

[jrpross]

Look in the mirror and tell us what you're seeing.

(and maybe check Hurley's record pre UConn while you're at it - or any of those other coaches you mentioned)

Here’s the problem. There are TONS of dudes with records like that and only a select few blow up like Hurley. At Kentucky there is no need to take a flyer on one of those guys HOPING he’ll blow up. And doing so 3 days into your search when in all likelihood, you could have gotten an NBA coach with 2 college championships had you waited a week is unthinkable.

 

[jrpross]

How did we end up with Mark Pope? Did we seriously not even try to contact Donovan, Oats, or Pearl after Drew and Hurley turned us down?

Nope. Sure didn’t.

 

[lpkilla7]

Nothing you can do but boo when you get a chance. Including his press conference. Which I will be there. I'm going to make sure he knows he's not wanted. You pussies may not but I will

 

[HagginHall1999]

Not trying to be confrontational.

What evidence can you give me that Pope will be successful? And being an alum in not evidence.

Understand. There isn't a ton of evidence, obviously.

I think the below tweet sums up my feeling without typing a ton.

I do think it matters that we are bringing in a guy who BELIEVES in himself and UNDERSTANDS the history and importance of UK basketball. Pope is highly intelligent and learned under Pitino. He runs a 5 out offense and will get everything out of his teams.

He does have experience and has won some big games, albeit not in NCAAT yet.

Last thing I would say is that Hurley won games at a lesser percentage than Pope prior to getting to UConn. Sometimes you have to take a shot. If you weren't going to get one of your top choices, go get someone who has a high ceiling and low floor, to me that is Pope.

 

[know1]

Here’s the problem. There are TONS of dudes with records like that and only a select few blow up like Hurley. At Kentucky there is no need to take a flyer on one of those guys HOPING he’ll blow up. And doing so 3 days into your search when in all likelihood, you could have gotten an NBA coach with 2 college championships had you waited a week is unthinkable.

Have you applied for any Athletic Director jobs?

 

[HagginHall1999]

Here’s the problem. There are TONS of dudes with records like that and only a select few blow up like Hurley. At Kentucky there is no need to take a flyer on one of those guys HOPING he’ll blow up. And doing so 3 days into your search when in all likelihood, you could have gotten an NBA coach with 2 college championships had you waited a week is unthinkable.

With all due respect, none of us know who we could or couldn't have gotten.

None of the insiders know either.

IMHO we should have bought out Oats. But that isn't my decision to make.

 

[Dirt Court King]

It’s one hell of a gamble. You’re basically praying that Pope has every attribute of a Hall of Famer but was held back by his program, and that taking over at Kentucky will unlock the success he’s never had.

I’m betting it doesn’t, but would LOVE to be wrong.

Give him a chance he’s a good young upcoming coach and he’s one of us now we don’t have to keep getting turned down by these jackasses that want $12 million dollars!!!

 

[jrpross]

Have you applied for any Athletic Director jobs?

Of course not. I’m not qualified for that job.

That’s my point. People who aren’t qualified for jobs shouldn’t be offered those jobs.

 

[Easternkybb]

Anyone but Cal is what I remember including myself. I support Mark

 

[BlueSince92]

Give him a chance he’s a good young upcoming coach

He’s a coach.

He’s over 50. There are hundreds of coaches who have won one NCAA tournament game and he’s not one of them. Whether he’s upcoming in any positive sense, we’ll see. I sure hope he is.