Is Mark Pope to Kentucky an imminent move as BYU HC gets mired in coaching rumors?

The news of John Calipari leaving the coaching job at the University of Kentucky has left a void that the Wildcats are keen to fill as soon as possible with the best coach possible. Speculations have centered around former Kentucky player and current Brigham Young University (BYU) head coach, Mark Pope.

Reports indicate that Kentucky is now very close to completing the deal to bring Pope back. CBS Sport's Mat Norlander was among the first to report the potential hiring. The fact that Pope has a history with Kentucky and he has been an amazing coach and BYU, with a 110-52 record over five seasons, has made his signing imminent for the Wildcats.

Big achievements have marked Pope's coaching career. As a former player who also won a championship with the Wildcats, Pope seems to be the right guy to understand what Kentucky needs to win.

His time at Cougars has seen them making two NCAA Tournament appearances in the past five seasons. Despite some early tournament exits, he has showcased his ability to guide a team to some level in the NCAA landscape.

Kentucky going after Poepe has also become important after they failed to secure the signature of other high-profile coaching candidates, including Baylor's Scott Drew as he declined interest in the job. Now, bringing back Pope can potentially help the Wildcats regain their lost momentum in NCAA Tournaments.

What has Mark Pope done as a head coach?

NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament - Practice Day - Omaha

Mark Pope started with his role as an assistant coach at various universities and has had a successful coaching career since. He started coaching after playing college basketball for Kentucky and Washington Huskies.

He was an assistant coach under Dave Rose for four years at BYU. He played an important role there, as he helped the Cougars achieve four straight 20-win seasons and four consecutive postseason appearances. This included three NCAA Tournament bids and one semifinal in the 2013 NIT.

His career as a head coach started in 2015 when he took over as a head coach of Utah Valley, where he secured a 77-58 record and led them to their first-ever postseason appearance in the CIT tournament.

After Utah, Pope joined BYU in 2019 as a head coach. He guided BYU to two NCAA appearances and has an overall record of 23-11 in the 2023-24 season. BYU concluded the current season in fifth position in the Big 12 conference.