Despite fan hype, Mark Pope fails to earn respect from coaching peers in new poll

When Kentucky hired Mark Pope, fans celebrated his blend of analytics and innovation. His play designs were fresh, purposeful, and, most importantly, effective. He explained the why behind his choices, not just the what, a refreshing change in a sport filled with coach-speak.

Yet, according to a recent CBS Sports poll of 100 coaches, his peers don’t see him among the game’s elite tacticians.

The poll results

When asked “Who is the best X’s and O’s coach in college basketball?” here were the top responses:

• Matt Painter (Purdue) – 19%
• Dan Hurley (UConn) – 18%
• Greg McDermott (Creighton) – 16%
• Kelvin Sampson (Houston) – 7%
• Ben McCollum (Iowa State) – 5%
• Randy Bennett (Saint Mary’s) – 4%
• Tom Izzo (Michigan State) – 4%
• Dusty May (Michigan) – 4%
• Bill Self (Kansas) – 4%
• Others– 7%

That means Pope landed in the “Other” category, under 2% recognition, if he got any votes at all.

Why that’s hard to reconcile

Analysts and scouts frequently highlight Pope’s offensive actions:

• High-ball screen variations that free shooters.
• False motion to disguise simple sets.
• Spacing concepts that mirror NBA principles.

Pope’s BYU teams consistently outperformed expectations offensively, and in his short time at Kentucky, he’s already designed sets that get multiple shooters clean looks. And the infamous timeout against Duke where he diagnosed exactly what Cooper Flagg would do leading to a steal and a win.

Meanwhile, some of the coaches ranked higher carry baggage:

• Matt Painter is brilliant, but Purdue’s late-game out-of-bounds blunder against Houston cost them a shot at the Elite Eight.
• Chris Collins (who earned votes) has just four 20-win seasons in 12 years at Northwestern, balanced by six losing seasons.

The poll reflects reputation as much as reality when you think about it.

Why coaches might underrate Pope

Recency bias → Pope has been at Kentucky only one season. Coaches may want to “see it first” in March consistently.

Program prestige → Names like Painter, Hurley, and Self are safe picks.

Threat perception → Coaches rarely praise rising rivals, and Pope’s playbook is already making waves.

The bigger picture for BBN

Fans in Lexington don’t care where coaches rank Pope in a poll. What matters is whether his system translates in March. And if early returns are any indication, Pope has elevated Kentucky’s offense in ways that should show up when it matters most.

Question for BBN: Do you trust outside coaches’ opinions, or are you buying what Pope is selling?

Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion