Everyone is talking about Kentucky needing a general manager. That conversation is completely valid. But I believe there’s another change that has to come first.
The Cats are struggling on the court, and things off the court aren’t much better. The 2026 recruiting cycle opened with real optimism. Kentucky was in on everyone. Now they’re trailing in nearly every high-profile recruitment. The best remaining chances on the board are overseas prospects Miikka Muurinen and Sayon Keita, which tells you how far things have shifted.
Jayden Quaintance is reportedly one of the five highest-paid players in college basketball and has appeared in just four games. You can’t invest that much money in a player coming off major knee surgery and then act surprised when it doesn’t work. So yes, Kentucky needs a GM. That part is obvious.
But there’s a more pressing issue.
Kentucky’s bench coaching has to change
I’m not ready to give up on Mark Pope just yet. He’s sharp, and I think he has real ideas that could improve the way this program performs. He cares about the program, the state, and the people around it, and shows that in the community. But it’s clear that the in-game adjustments and overall game planning haven’t been good enough for Kentucky basketball.
You saw it against Alabama, when Kentucky let them go under every screen without a real counter. You saw it against Florida, when Urban Klavzar, literally the one shooter you could not leave, kept getting clean looks. You saw it against Missouri, when Kentucky had control late and still let the game slip.
These are all coaching issues.
Evaluating Mark Pope's assistant coaches
Cody Fueger should be safe. His offense is ranked 49th nationally in scoring, and there’s enough there to justify continuity. But nearly everyone else on the bench deserves real scrutiny.
Jason Hart and Alvin Brooks III were hired to close on the recruiting trail, but they haven’t, not even a little bit. That said, I still lean toward keeping them, especially if a GM is added. They’re active in huddles, engaged on the bench, and provide real feedback. If Kentucky chose to move on, I wouldn’t lose sleep, but I don’t think they’re the core problem.
Mark Fox is a different story. He oversees the defense, and the results are just plain ugly. Kentucky is 120th nationally in steals, 213th in fouls per game, and gives up 73 points per night, ranking 129th. The team routinely trails at halftime and rarely looks prepared defensively. At this point, loyalty feels like the only reason he’s still there. Because when you look at the numbers, none of it stands out as good.
Mikhail McLean is tougher. He has a good reputation nationally, but he’s responsible for big-man development and scouting. Malachi Moreno has been solid as a freshman. But he had to be solid because Brandon Garrison hasn’t progressed, and probably regressed. Quaintance didn’t work out, and whoever had the idea to invest $2 million there instead of Yaxel Lendeborg is regretting that now. Reese Potter is still a mystery as a redshirt. I could be convinced either way here, but I lean towards letting him go.
The most overlooked area, though, is training and player health. Kentucky has too many injuries and too many that linger. Whether it’s nutrition, strength staff, recovery, or resources, something has to change. Too many players are spending more time on the training table than the floor. That is why it is so refreshing to see Will Stein heavily invest in this part of the game.
A GM would help with roster construction, and Pope clearly needs that support. But this team also needs better coaching around him. I believe Mark Pope should be safe. I think Cody Fueger likely should be, too.
Everyone else? That’s far less certain.