Big 12 coach Mark Pope makes unusual Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce reference after UCF win: "I talked about how we were excited to be picked 13"

BYU coach Mark Pope revealed that he is a fan of superstars Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce after the No. 20 Cougars advanced in the Big 12 Tournament, defeating Central Florida 87-73 win on Wednesday.

Fousseyni Traore put up 14 points and 10 assists, while Spencer Johnson had seven assists that helped the team to the hard-fought win. However, the only stat that mattered to Pope was the No. 13.

Pope referenced the number in October 2023, saying that the Cougars would end up 13th in the standings after their first Big 12 season. Additionally, he revealed that he liked No. 13 because his four daughters are huge fans of the billionaire pop star Taylor Swift, which also made him a Swiftie.

While talking in the press conference after defeating UCF, Pope said:

"When I was in the building seven months ago, I talked about how we were excited to be picked 13 because it's Taylor Swift's favorite number."

He then continued, saying that it was exciting to know that the first game against UCF was on Jan. 13, the second on Feb. 13 and the third on March 13.

And as anyone knows, the mention of Taylor Swift stirs a strong reaction in Kansas City because of her relationship with Chiefs star Travis Kelce.

That is why Mark Pope was even more elated when he said:

“Plus, we’re in Kansas City. I mean, what? It’s beautiful.”

He added that if he had told all of this to his players before the game, they would not have believed him.

Mark Pope once could not control his temper

Mike Pope experienced an anger-filled moment in January when the BYU Cougars lost 81-72 to the Baylor Bears. The game got so heated that at one point, Pope lost his temper and slammed a water bottle onto the scorer's table.

He was angry because the officials did not grant the team a foul call as the Bears attempted a tie-up. Mark Pope's reaction earned the Cougars a technical foul, but many fans sided with him.

Do you think the technical foul was undeserved? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.