Mark Pope is a collegiate basketball coach and former player, serving as the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, as of February 2025. Mark Pope attended Newport High School in Bellevue, Washington, where he began his basketball career. During his high school career, he averaged 22.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game during his senior year.
Mark Pope had a notable college basketball career that began at the University of Washington before he transferred to the University of Kentucky. While playing for the Washington Huskies, he earned the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors in 1992. During his freshman season, he averaged 8.1 rebounds per game, setting a school record for freshmen. After transferring to Kentucky, where he sat out the 1993-94 season due to NCAA transfer rules, Pope became a key contributor on the Wildcats' roster. In his two seasons at Kentucky, he played a pivotal role in leading the team to an NCAA championship in 1996. Over his collegiate career at Kentucky, he averaged 7.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while serving as a team captain during his senior year.
Pope began his head coaching journey at Utah Valley in the 2015-16 season, where he improved the team's win totals each year, culminating in a program-record 25 wins during the 2018-19 season. His overall record at Utah Valley was 77 wins against 56 losses, giving him a winning percentage of .579. In 2019, he took over as head coach at BYU, where he achieved 110 wins and 52 losses over four seasons, with a .679 winning percentage. Under his leadership, BYU made six postseason appearances, including an NCAA Tournament bid in the 2020-21 season. Overall, Pope's career coaching record stands at 187 wins and 108 losses, translating to a winning percentage of .634.
Mark Pope parents
According to On3, Don and Linda Pope are the parents of Mark Pope. According to a report on On3, Don and Linda were present at Rupp Arena to watch a match between Lipscomb and Kentucky after 30 years.
What is the nationality of Mark Pope’s parents?
Mark Pope's parents, Don and Linda are American nationals.
FAQ on Mark Pope
A. As a player, Pope helped Kentucky claim the 1996 NCAA National Championship and enjoyed a nine-year professional career that included seven seasons in the NBA and two in Turkey. Pope was drafted in the second round of the 1996 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers.
A. CBS' Matt Norlander reported on Thursday night that Pope is set to receive a five-year contract that will pay him an average of $5.5 million annually. That would make Pope the sixth-highest-paid coach in college basketball, based on salaries from USA Today in the 2023-24 season.
A. Pope is from Omaha, Nebraska.
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