The University of Kentucky's men's college basketball team, known as the Kentucky Wildcats, is a collegiate basketball team competing in the SEC. One of the notable achievements of the Kentucky Wildcats is being the first college basketball program to reach 1,000 wins in 1968. The team again made history by becoming the first program to achieve 2,000 wins, in 2009.
Kentucky basketball has recorded 20-win seasons on 63 occasions. The Kentucky Wildcats have won 53 regular-season conference championships, as of December 2024. The Wildcats currently play their home games at Rupp Arena, located in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Named after the Kentucky head coach, Adolph Rupp, the arena has been the home of the Wildcats since its opening in 1976.
Kentucky Basketball Head Coach 2024
Mark Pope has been announced as the new head coach of the University of Kentucky men's basketball team in 2024. He has replaced the legendary coach John Calipari who has joined Arkansas after 15 seasons with the program. Pope has become the 23rd head coach of Kentucky's storied basketball program.
He spent the last five seasons at BYU and took the program to two NCAA tournaments in five years. Additionally, he has also spent four seasons at Utah Valley, where he never managed to win a regular-season title. In his nine years as a head coach, Pope has a 187-108 career record and is one of the sought-after coaches.
Mark Pope’s Physical Attributes
| Age | 52 years old, as of December 2024 |
| Height | 6’10” (208 cm) |
| Weight | 107 kg (235 lbs) |
Mark Pope's Age
Mark Pope's age is 52 years, as of December 2024. He was born on September 11, 1972, in Omaha, Nebraska, United States.
Mark Pope’s Height
Mark Pope’s height is approximately 6 feet 10 inches or 208 cm.
Mark Pope’s Weight
Mark Pope’s weight is approximately 107 kg or 235 lbs.
Kentucky Basketball Head Coach year by year
With a total of 113 seasons as of December 2024, the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team has seen 22 head coaches. W.W.H. Mustaine is the first head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, serving in the 1903-1904 season. Following Mustaine's tenure, the program saw various coaches.
Adolph Rupp is the longest-tenured coach in the history of the Kentucky Wildcats. He had 876 victories during his career, which ranks him seventh in total wins among men's NCAA Division I college coaches. With a success rate of 82.2%, he is the second on the list for men's college coaches' win ratios. Mark Few ranks first with a win percentage of 83.3%.
Here is the list of Kentucky basketball team head coaches year by year:
| No. | Name | Term |
| 1 | W. W. H. Mustaine and others | 1903–1904 |
| 2 | Edwin Sweetland/R.E. Spahr | 1909–1910 |
| 3 | Harold Iddings | 1910–1911 |
| 4 | Edwin Sweetland | 1911–1912 |
| 5 | John J. Tigert | 1912–1913 |
| 6 | Alpha Brumage | 1913–1915 |
| 7 | James Park | 1915–1916 |
| 8 | William P. Tuttle | 1916–1917 |
| 9 | Stanley A. Boles | 1917–1918 |
| 10 | Andrew Gill | 1918–1919 |
| 11 | George Buchheit | 1919–1924 |
| 12 | Clarence Applegran | 1924–1925 |
| 13 | Ray Eklund | 1925–1926 |
| 14 | Basil Hayden | 1926–1927 |
| 15 | John Mauer | 1927–1930 |
| 16 | Adolph Rupp | 1930–1972 |
| 17 | Joe B. Hall | 1972–1985 |
| 18 | Eddie Sutton | 1985–1989 |
| 19 | Rick Pitino | 1989–1997 |
| 20 | Tubby Smith | 1997–2007 |
| 21 | Billy Gillispie | 2007–2009 |
| 22 | John Calipari | 2009–2024 |
| 23 | Mark Pope | 2024-present |
Kentucky Men’s Basketball Coaching Staff 2024
Here is the list of all the coaching staff of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball, as of December 2024:
| Name | Title |
| Mark Pope | Head Coach |
| Alvin Brooks III | Associate Head Coach |
| Mark Fox | Associate Coach |
| Cody Fueger | Assistant Coach |
| Jason Hart | Assistant Coach |
| Mikhail McLean | Assistant Coach |
Kentucky Men's Basketball Associate Head Coaches
Alvin Brooks III is the Associate Head Coach of the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team in 2024. He is regarded as one of the best assistant coaches in the country, who spent the last eight seasons at Baylor serving as both assistant and associate head coach.
Before his tenure at Baylor, Brooks served as an assistant coach at Kansas State from 2012 to 2016. He was part of the coaching staff that played a major role in K-State’s first-ever Big 12 regular-season title in the 2012-13 season.
Alongside Alvin Brooks, Mark Fox is also part of the coaching staff for the Kentucky basketball team. Fox has 18 years of experience as a head coach at Nevada, Georgia and California.
Kentucky Men's Basketball Assistant Coaches
Cody Fueger, Jason Hart, and Mikhail McLean are serve as the assistant coaches for the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team in the 2024/25 season. Cody Fueger has been a part of Pope's coaching staff for the past nine seasons. He served as an assistant coach at both Utah Valley and BYU.
Jason Hart, on the other hand, is a nine-year NBA veteran who joined Pope's coaching staff in April 2004. Before his time at Kentucky, Hart served as the head coach of the NBA’s G-League Ignite squad.
Mikhail McLean joined the Kentucky basketball team on June 14, 2024, as an assistant coach. Prior to his arrival at Kentucky, McLean spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Lamar Cardinals.
Kentucky Men’s Basketball Support Staff 2024
Here is the list of all the support staff of the Kentucky men’s basketball team, as of December 2024:
| Name | Title |
| Nick Robinson | Director of Men's Basketball Operations |
| Randy Towner | Head Strength Coach - Men's Basketball |
| Brandon Wells | Senior Athletic Trainer - Men's Basketball |
| Leander Ridgeway | Graduate Assistant |
| Marrius Jones | Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach |
| Matt Santoro | Assistant Video Coordinator |
| Brian Fitzpatrick | Graduate Assistant |
| Megan Summers | Executive Assistant to the Men's Basketball Head Coach |
| Will Barton | Director of Basketball Administration |
| Brett Rybak | Director of Player Development |
| Mark Evans | Associate Director of Equipment |
| Linda Carmack | Administrative Support Associate |
FAQ's on Kentucky Basketball Coach
A. Mark Pope is the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, as of December 2024.
A. John Calipari served as the head coach from 2009 to 2024.
A. Mark Pope is expected to make $5.5 million annually over the term of his contract.
A. The Kentucky Basketball Team is a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
