PHOTO: Kentucky HC Mark Pope poses with 92-year-old fan at UK's Club Blue NIL event

Kentucky coach Mark Pope has been on the job for a little over nine weeks, and the fans have embraced him wholeheartedly as a returning hero after filling former coach John Calipari's coaching spot. Rarely has the Wildcats coach had a free weekend since then, hitting the recruitment trail hard. On Saturday, he was much closer to home, taking pictures with fans during the program's Club Blue NIL event.

Most memorably, he took a picture with a lifelong 92-year-old Duke fan at the event, with the moment encapsulating the connection that the coach has with the fans.

Mark Pope has the goodwill of the fans

Mark Pope has a long and storied connection to the Kentucky Wildcats. He was the captain of the team when it won the 1996 national championship and was part of one of the most successful eras for the program.

The announcement of his appointment after the sudden departure of former coach John Calipari was a return to the culture of the program, and since then, the Big Blue Nation has embraced his arrival.

Former Kentucky star Kellan Grady revealed to KSR how electrifying it was to watch Pope's unveiling at Rupp Arena, which was sold out (18,000) and even necessitated 5,000 additional fans being denied entry into the arena.

“First of all, I couldn’t believe that there were 18,000 people there for a press conference,” Grady said. “But I think that’s a testament just to the love and support we have from Big Blue Nation.

“People always characterize our fanbase as crazy or they can be too harsh, but you know, you don’t do that if you don’t care. Ultimately, we’ve dealt with dozens of coaches in our lives who have held us accountable and been hard on us.

“And that’s why BBN shows out 18,000 for a press conference with a ton of excitement, and that’s why they can get on our case sometimes, but I think it just speaks to the fanbase we have and then the excitement with regards to Kentucky Basketball going forward. So it’s really cool to see.”

Mark Pope told WLKY that Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart came up with the idea to introduce him to the fans at Rupp Arena and that he was hesitant at first because of the grumblings about his appointment.

"You know, you think about moments like that, they become a little bit iconic, right?" Pope said. "That was a moment. There was a moment in sports, so it was just never happened. BBN, again, did something that never happens in sports. They do it over and over and over again. Our fan base does it over and over again, and so why are we surprised?"

Mark Pope has built a complete roster in the past nine weeks since his appointment. He has insisted he has the minerals to win the proud program its ninth national championship, and he has the fans at his back supporting him in that goal.