Mark Pope gives an update on his search for his final assistant coach

Mark Pope has one more coach to add to his staff.

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks on against the Santa Clara Broncos during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Mark Pope lost two coaches from last year’s staff, and right now, that has been a real positive for the Wildcats. The first hire Pope made to the staff was that of Mo Williams. He is a legendary NBA point guard who won a ring alongside LeBron James and was an All-Star.

Williams is already paying dividends for this staff as he helped Pope land Ryan Hampton, who is a five-star in the 2027 class, ranked as the sixth-best player. Now, Coach Pope is looking for one more coach to add to the staff, and he recently spoke about what he is looking for in a new coach. Pope talked to the UK Sports Network about his search for one final assistant.

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

Here is what Coach Pope had to say about his search for one more assistant coach: “We’re taking our time with this last assistant coaching position. The staff is working at I think a really good level right now. We’re trying to read the tea leaves on some decision-making the NCAA is going to make clear here over the next few weeks. That’s going to direct us kind of on what space we really need to focus on. We’ll fill that position moving forward, and we also have some other places we can build out the staff.”

All of Big Blue Nation is hoping that Coach Pope will be able to hire former NBA superstar Jamal Crawford. There have been rumblings that Pope is trying to land Crawford on this staff, and there is a world where he could get it done. If Pope was able to add Crawford to the staff, he and Williams would be the best one-two punch in recruiting.

Feb 13, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; NBC Peacock analysts Jamal Crawford during an NBA All Star Rising Stars game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Any recruit would love to see Williams and Crawford walk in their front door. Also, they are both guys who would be able to develop NBA players, as they know what it takes for college players to make it to the next level. If Pope doesn’t hire Crawford, he needs to make sure that the next assistant is someone who can recruit but also coach up players on the floor.

I would assume that Pope finds his next coach before the calendar turns to July, as this coach will need to get going helping the Wildcats prepare for the 2026-27 season. This coaching search will be something for Kentucky fans to monitor over the next few weeks.

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