Another Kentucky assistant coach won't be back on Mark Pope's staff next season

It was announced on Friday night that Kentucky will be looking for another new member of the coaching staff. Earlier in the week, Jason Hart, who was the main recruiter on the staff, was leaving for SMU, and now Alvin Brooks III, who was the associate head coach, will not be back in Lexington next season.

The contract of Brooks III was not renewed, so it sounds like Coach Pope really wants to take this staff in a new direction. Coach Pope obviously will be looking to add two new members to the coaching staff, and there are two things he really needs.

Kentucky Wildcats Associate Head Coach Alvin Brooks III calls out to the team during the Kentucky Blue-White preseason event on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 at the Memorial Coliseum. | Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The first thing Coach Pope needs in his new staff members is someone who is able to land a top recruit. Both Hart and Brooks III were supposed to be recruiting gurus and never really landed any big fish in their time in Lexington. On top of being the top program in college basketball history, the Wildcats also have a lot of resources to land recruits, so it shouldn’t be that much of a challenge. The next coaches need to be able to land some elite five-stars.

The other thing that would be great for the new assistants coach Pope brings in would be someone who can teach defense at an elite level. While the defense was better for Coach Pope, this season he has never been known for having an elite defense. Bringing in a coach that could make the Kentucky defense elite year in, and year out would be a big boost for this program.

Knowing that this season didn’t go great for Kentucky, it is good to get some new faces around Coach Pope. Next season is going to be very important for the Pope tenure in Lexington, so he needs coaches around him that can get Kentucky basketball back to the elite level it is supposed to be at.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks on during the second half against the Iowa State Cyclones during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Coach Pope needs to make sure he is making the right hire for this program, but at the same time, he needs to make sure that he is doing it quickly. The portal officially opens on April 7th, so once this happens, it will be go time for the staff to try and bring new talent to Lexington.

There have been rumors that more coaching turnover could happen, so Coach Pope is going to be very busy finding a staff, and then the focus will fully change to the transfer portal.