Mark Pope talks returning to UK as coach, expectations, players and more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — For the first time since the Kentucky men’s basketball program introduced Mark Pope as its new head coach on April 12, Spectrum News 1’s Mario Anderson sat down with the new leader of the Wildcats program.

The two covered a wide range of topics over the one-on-one interview, including the excitement of returning to his alma mater as head coach, players returning to campus to begin workouts and summer practice, advice he received from Coach Calipari about taking the job and much more.

Mark Pope returns to UK from Provo, Utah, where he compiled a 110-52 record (.679) during five campaigns at the helm of BYU. He took the Cougars to three postseason appearances, including two trips to the NCAA Tournament, and missed another bid when the 2020 event was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three of his five BYU teams finished the season ranked in the top 20 of the Ken Pomeroy efficiency ratings.

Pope, a captain of the University of Kentucky’s 1996 National Championship team, graduated with a degree in English. He was selected in the second round of the 1996 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. He played professional basketball from 1997 to 2005, including stints with Indiana, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets. In 2000-01, he started 45 games and helped the Bucks reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

Pope and his wife, Lee Anne, have four daughters: Ella, Avery, Layla and Shay.