WATCH: Coach Mark Pope makes Kentucky debut in style with electric entrance accompanying 1996 championship team & trophy

Mark Pope had an electric entrance Sunday at Rupp Arena after being hired as the new coach of the Kentucky Wildcats basketball program.

Pope was named coach after John Calipari resigned to take the job at Arkansas. Although Pope reportedly wasn't the top choice, he won fans over with his first grand entrance yesterday.

Pope got off the bus with the 1996 national championship team and was greeted with a rapturous response from the sold-out crowd as he lifted the 1996 championship trophy.

The entrance got Wildcats fans excited, as Pope signed a five-year deal for $5.5 million per season. Having the 1996 national championship team walk him in was also a nice touch by Pope to get fans behind him.

As of late, Kentucky has been struggling, as the Wildcats have been eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in two of the last three seasons, and Mark Pope knows he has to bring championships back to Kentucky.

"I understand the assignment," Pope said at his introductory press conference. "We are here to win banners. As we go through this journey, we're here to win banners in Nashville [at the SEC tournament] because you guys turn out in Nashville like nobody else and that matters. And our job here and our assignment is here to win banners in the Final Four, national championships. That's our job."

Before hiring Pope, Kentucky reportedly showed interest in UConn's Dan Hurley, Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan, Baylor's Scott Drew and Alabama coach Nate Oats.

Mark Pope says he bleeds Kentucky blue

Along with walking in with the 1996 national championship team, which gave Mark Pope a nice pop from fans, he said all the right things.

Pope made it clear this was the job he wanted, as he said his heart bleeds Kentucky blue.

"They know my heart bleeds blue Kentucky," Pope said. "And [Barnhart] knew that. Maybe, he was a little cautious calling me because he knew I was going to say, 'Yes,' before he ever finished the question."

Pope also made it clear he plans on making Kentucky the No. 1 team in the nation and has confidence he can do that.

"At BYU, we had the second-most 3-pointers in college basketball," Pope said. "But at Kentucky, we don't come in second. My team last year had the fourth-most assists in the country and at Kentucky, we share everything. We're going to be absurdly aggressive on offense. We're going to change it up and keep people on their heels on defense."

Mark Pope went 110-52 over five seasons at BYU. He now coaches Kentucky after playing there from 1994 until 1996.