Kentucky having 'ongoing conversations' about possibility of hiring a GM

Could Kentucky basketball be set to hire a GM soon?

Feb 17, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks to his bench during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

It's no secret that Kentucky basketball's efforts in recruiting have struggled. Not only have they found themselves in deep waters with all of their major targets in the 2026 high school class, but they also made some clear mistakes in terms of roster construction and overpaying with the roster they currently have.

With schools around the country continuing to jump onto the trend of hiring a General Manager, most-notably one of those being Duke, Mark Pope was asked if he and his staff are considering bringing on a GM to help with all of the areas they seem to be struggling with, as it is clear he has a ton on his plate. Here is what Pope had to say on that possibility.

"That's been an ongoing conversation for us," Pope told Tom Leach on his weekly radio show. "We've had a lot of conversations trying to find exactly the space that will work best for us. As everybody figures this out, that is certainly a direction that some teams have gone with, with really incredibily varied levels of success. We're probably having conversations about it on a weekly basis."

Feb 24, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope directs his team against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

It has been very clear that Kentucky needs one, but what could the GM's specific role be if Pope does decide to bring one on? It's all about getting someone that has connections to agents. The Field of 68 podcast recently discussed Kentucky's need for a GM and they did a great job of breaking things down. Here is what they had to say on what that role might need to look like.

"You have to have somebody devoted to this that really is plugged in to the agents," Jeff Goodman said on The Field of 68 podcast. "When you have 22 million, I would take a million of that and go hire somebody that is so plugged in to that part of it so you're not pissing away money by overpaying. You're Kentucky, you shouldn't overpay. They overpaid on, like, everyone on this team. ...Everyobody on their staff is a coach. I think you have to find somebody that is locked in to the agent part of it to really be able to dig in and get that kind of information. ...You need a guy who is locked in 100 percent of the time into looking at tape of every mid-major guy who might be on the board, having a board, letting Pope watch some guys during the season a little bit. Take 20 minutes a day to watch tape on this guy and this guy so that you're not overwhelmed (when the transfer portal opens)."

It is a fact. Kentucky did overpay and over-correct on roster construction after having issues defensively last season. Pope has clearly had to adjust on the fly this season, but getting a GM to be in charge of that kind of stuff and pitch ideas to Pope about certain players throughout the current season could be the way to go. Kentucky needs something like it bad, because Pope is struggling with all of the extra things on his plate right now.

All kinds of other top teams are getting a head start on who to go after when the portal opens. A GM would help Kentucky in a major way when it comes to that.