Kentucky fell unexpectedly to Texas A&M on Tuesday, 96-85. With a current record of 19-11, some Wildcats fans are wondering whether former captain-turned-coach Mark Pope is the man to lead the school’s basketball program. Kentucky finds itself in the unusual position of being a middle-of-the-pack SEC team, something its fandom is not used to.
Fans were quick to jump on X in the aftermath of the defeat, calling for Pope’s firing after the embarrassing defeat.
“Love Mark Pope, just not sure he’s the right person for the job,” said one fan
“Imagine if we didn’t hire Mark Pope to please the older fan base!,” said someone, ironically
“Who wants to tell him that good teams don’t play on Wednesdays? He’s already coached 6 Wednesday conference games at UK. We had 10 of those games the entire 2010’s,” said another individual
Others are seemingly losing patience with Kentucky winning highly rated games but losing the easy ones.
“Can we finally stop with the Mark Pope and the “amazing” number of ranked wins he has? I mean what do ranked wins matter if you turn around and look awful the next game?,” explained a distraught fan
Meanwhile, some others were done with Pope’s excuses.
“Mark Pope, with all due respect, you played NINE guys last night…I just don’t understand,” wrote another individual
“I’ve tried to give Mark Pope the benefit of the doubt. He doesn’t have the mental toughness to succeed. He is a terrible leader. His mindset won’t allow him to succeed. Kentucky basketball is in trouble #BBN,” was another complaint aired on X
Others didn’t understand Mark Pope’s clock management strategy.
“This statement is all the more reason to use timeouts it’s a break for the players to catch a breath and gather your thoughts. It’s not working out this year I’m not hopeful for next season either,” explained one fan
Mark Pope on Mitch Barnhart’s Retirement
If someone is responsible for Mark Pope being the Kentucky basketball coach, Mitch Barnhart. In fact, Pope is likely Barnhart’s highest-profile coaching hire as the Wildcats’ athletic director.
Soon after the defeat to Texas A&M, it was announced that Barnhart would be retiring as the school’s athletic director. In his post-game press conference, Pope addressed the update and had nothing but kind words for his now former boss:
“He’s got an unbelievable legacy. He’s left an incredible legacy on college sports. A lot of athletic directors make an impact on some sports at their school, maybe their school,”
But he also explained that he doesn’t believe that Barnhart’s influence over the Kentucky Wildcats is done just yet:
“He’ll be sorely missed,” Pope said Tuesday of Barnhart. “But his influence is going to continue to be felt. He’ll still be, in some ways, a more active advocate for the new direction of college athletics. He’s just changing positions; he’s not stepping away from his stewardship of college athletics.”
One thing seems certain: Pope has now lost a key ally among Kentucky’s authorities. Whoever comes next will likely not be as invested in his success as Barnhart was.
Read More:
Who is the Final #1 Seed at NCAA Tournament? Case Made for Two Top Teams
John Calipari Admits Tough Relationship With Mitch Barnhart as Retirement Reopens Old Wounds
Why Was Bill Self Ejected by Officials? Bizarre Moment in Kansas vs Arizona State Explained
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in baseball, tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
