On Thursday evening, Kentucky finalized a deal to appoint Mark Pope as its next head basketball coach.
Prior to settling on Pope, Kentucky had considered Billy Donovan and Scott Drew, but ultimately directed its focus toward Pope.
Matt Norlander of CBS Sports reported that Pope has been offered a five-year contract with an annual salary of $5.5 million, not including potential incentives. This figure is lower compared to John Calipari’s $8.5 million salary for the 2023-24 season, although Calipari’s extensive accomplishments as a coach justify his higher earnings.
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Despite some initial perceptions of the hire as hasty, Kentucky had actually been considering Pope for several days. According to Norlander, “Mitch Barnhart identified Mark Pope as a candidate for the UK job three days ago, per a source. This was not an impromptu decision on Thursday. Pope had a previously arranged meeting with UK earlier today that was set days ago in case higher-tier candidates did not pan out.”
Pope, who is an alumnus of Kentucky, previously coached at BYU from 2019 to 2024, leading his team to two NCAA Tournament appearances.
As he steps into his new role, Pope faces considerable expectations. Despite it being his first season at the helm in Lexington, the passionate Kentucky fanbase is eager for immediate success and another national championship.
