Kentucky set to hire BYU's Mark Pope as its next basketball coach

Kentucky has found its next head basketball coach.

Feb 6, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Brigham Young Cougars head coach Mark Pope yells to his team on / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

The Kentucky basketball program was looking for a new head basketball coach after John Calipari left for Arkansas, and they have found one, and it's Mark Pope from BYU.

Pope played at Kentucky and was a part of the Wildcats 1996 National Championship team under Rick Pitino.

This hire took Big Blue Nation by storm, and most fans are upset that Mitch Barnhart didn't make a run at Billy Donovan. Kentucky fans really wanted Donovan, but the Chicago Bulls are going to make the NBA Play-In Tournament, so it would have been at least a week before the hire was made.

BYU currently has two players committed to their 2024 class, and both of these players are ranked outside of the top 100. During Pope's time at BYU, he only signed one four-star player, which begs the question of how he is going to recruit the top talent in the country at Kentucky.

Pope has used the portal, and more than likely, that is what he will do to put together his first roster at Kentucky.

Nothing has been signed yet, but it seems like Pope is going to be the next head basketball coach of the Kentucky Wildcats.

Last season, Pope and BYU went 22-9, losing to Duquesne in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as a six-seed.

Hopefully, at Kentucky, Pope will be able to recruit at a higher level than he did at BYU. Big Blue Nation will be very anxious to hear Barnhart explain the decision that went into this hire.