Mark Pope. Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Kentucky targeting BYU HC Mark Pope

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Apr 11, 2024 7:08 PM ET

Kentucky is moving down its list of head coaching candidates after multiple high-profile options have been taken off the board.

Recently, Scott Drew confirmed he plans to stay with Baylor in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. UConn HC Dan Hurley recently indicated he's not interested in the job. Nate Oats re-affirmed his commitment to Alabama on Monday. And per ESPN's Jamal Collier, Billy Donovan said he hasn't spoken with Kentucky and wants to remain with the Chicago Bulls.

Late Thursday afternoon, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tabbed BYU head coach Mark Pope as a candidate, which is a bit of a surprise considering his resume.

Sources: BYU's Mark Pope is a candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Kentucky.

Pope was a member of the 1996 national title team in Lexington.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 11, 2024

In five seasons with the Cougars, the 51-year-old has a 110-52 record, but he has no NCAA Tournament wins in two appearances.

Pope hasn't proved he's an elite recruiter, either. 247Sports rates BYU's 2024 recruiting class as the 60th-best in the country. Though, to be fair, the Cougars haven't traditionally landed highly touted prospects.

It's unclear where exactly Pope fits into UK's search, which started after John Calipari left for Arkansas earlier this week.

ESPN's Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello listed Auburn HC Bruce Pearl as one potential candidate. Pearl may be better qualified to lead the Wildcats as his Tigers reached the Final Four in 2018-19.

It's fair to wonder why multiple HCs have rejected or shown no interest in the Kentucky job. Perhaps it's not as attractive as some previously thought.

The Wildcats lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in two of the three past seasons, frustrating the fan base. The basketball powerhouse may need a reboot, a long process that some coaches may want to avoid.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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