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After Kentucky hired Mark Pope as their new head coach, some fans were unhappy. They wondered why Kentucky didn’t look for a more experienced coach.
Many people are curious.
One name that came up during the search was Rick Pitino. He coached the Wildcats from 1989 to 1997 and is now at St. John’s. Instead of going with Pitino, Kentucky chose Pope, who played for Pitino in the ’90s and led the team to a national championship in 1996.
Choosing Pope, a former player, seemed like a move to excite fans, especially since the team hasn’t reached a Sweet 16 since 2018-19. Dan Wolken from USA Today thinks this decision fits with what he heard before the hire.
The Pope hire possibly confirms something I heard on Monday, that Kentucky wanted a younger coach. May explain why Donovan, Pearl, Pitino were never in it.
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) April 12, 2024
Age played a big role in Kentucky’s choice to bypass Rick Pitino for Mark Pope. Wolken noted there was talk about Kentucky wanting a “younger coach,” which might explain why they didn’t consider older options like Pitino, Bruce Pearl from Auburn, or Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls.
Despite passing over these seasoned coaches, including Pitino, who is one of the top ten winningest coaches in men’s Division I basketball history, Kentucky opted for Pope due to his youth. Interestingly enough, Pitino himself supported Pope for the job and seemed happy about the decision when he posted a video on X.
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) April 12, 2024
Rick Pitino shared his excitement about welcoming Pope back to Lexington. If he’s this enthusiastic about Kentucky’s choice, fans should feel more positive too. Pope had an impressive record at BYU with 110-52 over five seasons and two NCAA Tournament appearances. Before BYU, he coached at Utah Valley with a record of 77-56. He’s known for his innovative offensive strategies.
In conclusion, while some fans initially doubted the decision to hire Pope over more experienced candidates like Pitino, his track record and support from Pitino himself suggest that Kentucky might have made a wise choice after all.
