When Mark Pope was hired just over two years ago at Kentucky, Cats fans quickly came around to what was, initially, a controversial hire. A coach that had just been bounced by 11-seed Duquesne in the first round of the NCAA Tournament was being given a shot at the winningest program in college basketball history. Some folks were more than worried.
Yet, given his history in Lexington, an insanely hyped press conference, and a Sweet 16 appearance with a sticks-and-glue roster in his inaugural campaign, things appeared to be back on track for Kentucky Basketball. Until they weren’t.
Pope’s second year at Rupp Arena became the perfect imperfect storm. Injuries, misplaced money, failed expectations, and droves of unfortunate clips and quotes erased much of the positive momentum he’d initially garnered in Lexington.
All of a sudden, year three appears crucial to Coach Pope’s tenure at Kentucky. I like the guy; but it’s hard to feel bad for him - mainly because he knew things could turn out this way all along. Jeff Goodman, on the Field of 68, all but confirmed that Pope saw the high likelihood of his future being controversial at Kentucky from the jump.
One of Two Ways
On the show, Goodman recalled seeing Coach Pope in Indianapolis right after he'd been brought on at Kentucky. According to Goodman, Pope said, "I know. It's going to go one of two ways here. If I do well, they will love me."
And again, at first, Pope was almost unequivocally loved in Lexington. But the BBN, following the later John Calipari years, has developed a deservedly short fuse.
“Listen, I know. It’s going to go one of 2 ways here (at Kentucky). If I do well, they will love me. And if I don’t, I know that I’m going to get crucified. But I played here, I understand it, I’ll embrace it…”
— Cats Coverage (@Cats_Coverage) May 12, 2026
— Mark Pope before his first season at UK, per Jeff Goodman. pic.twitter.com/UbDRZWBAmE
"And if I don't, I know that I'm going to get crucified. But I played here, I understand it, I'll embrace it..." Goodman, for one, commended Pope's honesty with the state of his position: "I love the fact that he hasn't run and hid from it. He's out there right now."
That isn't to say that Pope isn't liked in Kentucky. I'd say, at least in my experience, most fans generally like the guy who captained the 1996 team to a national title. It's not his personality that frustrates some people, not remotely.
It's the chase for a ninth championship that hasn't made any real progress in nearly a decade.
The Chase for No. 9
Coach Pope himself has been perhaps the biggest proprietor of the so-called "assignment" of a ninth title in Lexington. He went as far as to paste it in the program's practice facility, to be seen every day by whatever team is undergoing the task at the time.
Even moreso, that's why his recruiting shortcomings - as well as Kentucky's recent, historically bad tournament exit - have landed him in hot water amongst the BBN.
Goodman's story shines a compelling light on Pope having known this was a possibility all along. If anything, it should endear more people to his character. All the same, if Kentucky comes up way short once again in Pope's third year, the reality of things will likely get a lot closer to the latter of his "two ways" than the preferable former.
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