LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky has hired BYU’s Mark Pope as men’s basketball coach, bringing home a member of the Wildcats’ 1996 national championship team to succeed John Calipari.
The school announced the 51-year-old Pope’s hiring in a release Friday morning but did not mention any contract details.
Welcome home, @CoachMarkPope!
— Kentucky Athletics (@UKAthletics) April 12, 2024
Pope, a captain of the 1996 National Championship team, has returned to the @universityofky as the 23rd head coach of @KentuckyMBB!https://t.co/5tDLhxKdTQ
Pope replaces Calipari, a Hall of Famer who took Kentucky to its eighth NCAA title in 2012 among four Final Four appearances in 15 years. Kentucky hasn’t returned there since going 38-1 in 2015. Calipari stepped down on Tuesday and was introduced as Arkansas coach the next day.
Welcome to Fayetteville, coach! #WPS https://t.co/vjjSfAofFf
— University of Arkansas (@UArkansas) April 10, 2024
Pope was 110-52 in five seasons with the Cougars and went 23-11 in their first season in the Big 12 Conference. BYU is also coming off a second NCAA Tournament appearance in four years under Pope.
He was 77-56 before that in four seasons at Utah Valley and guided the Wolverines to consecutive runner-up finishes in the Western Athletic Conference his final two years. They reached the CBI quarterfinals both times.
