FULL Mark Pope Introductory Press Conference

The University of Kentucky held the introductory press conference for new head basketball coach Mark Pope on Sunday at Rupp Arena.
Pope made his grand entrance into Rupp by stepping out of a bus loaded with UK basketball alumni holding up the 1996 National Championship trophy.
Read the full story: www.lex18.com/sports/bbn-toni...

[@MichaelPaulsin]

BYU fan here.. I’ve loved Pope here at BYU over the past 5 years. I’m sad to see him go, but watching this reveals Pope is meant for Kentucky. He’s going to do great and bring the energy on and off the court. I love the Kentucky fan base and I’ll be cheering you on next season!

[@tungpi3249]

yes thx for your sweet words paul i support byu too i use to be a big fan when you guys won the title and also as a kentucky fan i was shock when i watch the kansas game you defeated them in their own arena it was embrassing but a fantastic job for byu as always go big blue

[@digging6068]

So pumped to bring the tradition of this program back to the Commonwealth. We are all blue blooded from the Mississippi River in Fulton to the mountains and hollers of Letcher County We all are in this together and ready to support the greatest tradition in College Basketball. Glad to have you back Coach Pope and go Big Blue !!!!

[@Darkbluedevil]

Your delusional, Cal brought back tradition ,mark pope is the last resort, no coach wanted to come to Kentucky, After the treatment of Cal. Get a clue .

[@SnipesWildcat]

@@Darkbluedevil Haha. This is far from the truth friend, and we are absolutely blessed to have Mark Pope. Get out of our states news videos dUKe fan, aren’t you a little far from home??🤣🤣

[@saviorself1164]

This is giving me Kenny Payne vibes. A former player, from a national championship team, who has a resume that is kinda light for what you want from a coach at a job of that caliber. There are too many similarities. As long as he doesn't lose his first game at home to a D2 opponent, he might be ok

[@skybearer]

That crowd just goes to show we didn't need nor want an acclaimed and hall of fame coach to sign on, we wanted a true Kentuckian that bleeds blue and can bring back the TRUE culture that Kentucky basketball is all about!

[@jakedavis2954]

Yes sir couldn’t agree more

[@eazye1738]

Have fun with 18 wins and no tournament wins

[@saviorself1164]

If you want a true Kentuckian, you are still waiting. Mark Pope is not from Kentucky

[@skybearer]

@@saviorself1164 I think we all know he's not originally from here 🙄🙄that doesn't mean anything about him being all-in with Kentucky. The guy has constantly been vocal about his time there and how much it meant to him.

[@ljh45s]

Thank you for the right man for the job at UK, He is a leader, very nice family with him, who is with him all the way, May the Lord Bless this family, and go KY,

[@philpointer7630]

Legacy meets the Future It feels like Kentucky basketball again Haven't been this excited in a long time.

[@TheWcorder365]

Hey Arkansas this is how you do a press conference!!!

[@jaycehoward2771]

After the first wave of shock went away I was on board but this was unreal. I was a kid again and got emotional. Just pure thing of beauty and he is exactly what we needed. Have no doubts now. Don't care what haters or delusional fans say this was the right hire after Hurley and Drew said no. Sure we could have got someone with a better resume but then I also remember Hurley and Wrigh and all the dudes didn't fall out o the sky with tourney wins and titles.

[@BS-dq1kz]

@@jaycehoward2771 I’m right with you on everything you said. I’m so pumped! To be honest, I didn’t dislike Cal and felt kinda bad for him to be honest. He knew the fans wanted him gone and I’m a sucker for feeling bad for people(I’m a woman too so…:)I felt worse after hearing his Arkansas press conference and all he said about Ky people and how much he loved it here. However, my family had to set me straight. Cal is gone and I truly believe this is what we needed! It’s kinda like a bad breakup. You don’t know until you’re out of it how much happier you can be. lol. I’m not a bit upset Drew and Dan Hurley said no. Pope is going to get it done! He has the fire in his belly. He loves Ky in a different way than Cal or any of the other big name coaches would have! Mark my word! It may take more than one season to do it but he will get us there. All the Negative Nancy’s and bandwagon fans can eat their words later. Can’t wait!

[@jaycehoward2771]

@@BS-dq1kz when they mentioned Bruce Pearl I was like you all want Cal light. We didn't another rockstar. We needed steady and needed to get back to having heart and pride for the front of the jersey not the back. So as much as I like Cal he was done and it showed. He just didn't seem to want to coach and you are correct that press conference and his interview he just seemed not Cal like.

[@theMermaidRhonda]

@@BS-dq1kz Cal was a good coach and I'm sure he'll do well at Arkansas, but his way was no longer working at KY. I felt like he was just recruiting for the NBA and not for UK. I wish him well but I'M SO EXCITED FOR COACH POPE!!

[@erikshoffman]

This was absolutely incredible.

[@ScratchCat-im7fe]

As a UK alumni, I cannot begin to describe this event. The video does not show the true meaning. After Calipari squeezed the life out of BBN, this was so needed. While I respect what Calipari did when he came to UK, somewhere along the way his battle with the boosters turned into a battle against the fanbase. He began to abuse this program and I was very pleased at the direct shots Pope took to Calipari. And there were many. He had to unravel the damage Calipari had done to this program and he didn’t miss. This event for my children was so important to me. Thank you Coach Pope. Thank you.

[@kentuckyman21]

Tears that was such an awesome moment with those former players coming off that bus

[@beckypatrick7811]

Mark Pope knows KY because he had the pleasure of being one of those champions so many years ago! Sometimes I totally don't agree with Mitch Barnhart, but he knocked it out of the park when he picked Mark Pope to be our coach! I'm so pumped to see what Mark does! He's the right guy for the job! I was there and we got in the arena about 4:15 but I saw so many people still behind us. I thought there's no way all of these people are going to get in! I heard they had to turn back about 5000 people! I felt so bad for it took forever for us to get inside! The fan loyalty for KY basketball is unparalleled!

[@jeffEvans1221]

If you can’t tell we’re a basketball school

[@mattnapier606]

Coach Pope understands the heart and soul of UK basketball. He’s definitely the right choice. He will bring teams together and they will be hanging banners. Welcome home Mark!!! GO BIG BLUE!!!

[@luckyluciano6552]

This goes to show that Kentucky fans want to win, and that they don’t want to be a OAD, NBA feeder program. Good for Pope, wish him luck.

[@groovechildcreations]

Currently finishing my third watch through including Q&A 🤣 might convert to Mormonism after one more viewing. Freakin stoked for midnight madness now

[@erikshoffman]

Absolutely excellent coverage and reporting.

[@annikancrylarker3314]

Notice how all of us in attendance (so happy I went to this) stands up when introduced to all of his girls. That’s how you welcome a lady in Kentucky. Well done, fellow Wildcats. Go Big Blue.

[@cartwillcartwill6609]

We’re BBN. We show up and show out

[@CALISPEC1]

I love what Derek Anderson says about appreciating the opportunity, that’s what it means to play at UK 👏

[@virgil5650]

Dude...BBN better be nice to the Popes.

[@BS-dq1kz]

They sure weren’t to Cal for a few years but I pray they will be to Pope too. I think he can get the job done!

[@pmontyjaaaymes488]

They will. Pope will get all the passes for yrs to come bc hes a UK alum. Watch. Even if he doesnt win.

[@Michael-mt1zq]

If anyone has it on vhs when the 96 team was on the bus pulling in Rupp please upload it. I’ve been looking for it for years.

[@Michael-mt1zq]

Aw man that’s awesome. I found it on the Untouchables documentary where the bus came into Rupp.

[@tylerahlstrom4553]

BYU fan watching here. Wow, I thought BYU had a passionate fan base. This was quite the press conference! A lot of excitement there. Mark Pope brings a ton of energy. He will be missed. I wish him and his new team the best.

[@user-sq4dt5vn3m]

On 3/13/97 I spent about an hour talking to Mark outside the Huntsman Center. On 3/15/97 we talked again for about an hour and a half. This was a year after the '96 Championship. He was still a young man...I was a 51 year old member of BBN attending the first round games at the University of Utah. When I got home I told my wife I had met Mark Pope and thought he would be the best ambassador for UK basketball there could ever be. I've been waiting for this moment for 27 years. GO BIG BLUE!

[@erikcox8749]

Loved the reaction Matt got, I'm a fan of KSR, and now we'll get to hear our coach on the show. I love the nostalgia and let's go Cats. Anyone who hates on this hire won't be laughing come March or better yet every time they look at their schedule and they have to play us. Go Big Blue ✌️💙

[@kevinfinn2543]

It's a GREAT DAY in Ky!!! We have a competent coach now

[@Darkbluedevil]

What are you on? This is ten steps back! What a disaster for Kentucky. This is the biggest coaching blunder in college basketball history.

[@stevemcintosh6711]

@@Darkbluedevil I'm puzzled as to why Mitch would hire Pope when there was much better options.

[@davenichols4352]

Mark will be greatly at BYU and the state of Utah. He is the real deal as a coach and a person. We wish him well..at his dream job ..and look forward to KY bringing home more championship banners.

[@ronaldgreen8394]

Thank you brother, love him as our coach

[@TomSigmon]

I Was A Junior In High School When We Won 1996 National Championship Welcome Home Get Ready Coach Pope Go Big Blue

[@laurasnider1678]

Hope is alive! 💗

[@DarkestTikTok]

Well at least the Lex PD was doing something more constructive than their usual New Circle WalMart security detail.

[@virgil5650]

Hahahaha!!!

[@user-yu3mc2td8m]

I can't Waite to see Mark Pope ,changes at UK next yr and a championship.

[@chris-johnson]

Full! Court! Pressure!

[@KJBpreacher]

I’m not a Kentucky fan but that was cool and absolutely insane. Roll Cats

[@kentuckyman21]

That’s how you do a press conference in college basketball. No other school in the country can touch that.

[@DarkestTikTok]

Pope's was electric now imagine Pitino's entrance with Pope as assistant for a few seasons.

[@BS-dq1kz]

I was truly hoping for Pitino but I’m happy about Pope. I’m excited and we need to embrace him now more than ever.

[@philpointer7630]

Awesome!!

[@theMermaidRhonda]

I'm so excited for Mark Pope! GO CATS!

[@npensol]

Seeing the bus come out and hearing the Allan Parsons Project music brought back alot of memories. I was 19 years old when they won the 1996 championship. I'm now 46. Welcome home Coach Pope. Gonna be a great season.

[@lesliekozachik8503]

It would have been so cool to be there yesterday. I’m grateful to be able to watch it on KZbin! Go Big Blue!

[@tmtSHD]

Wow!

[@Polygraph_test]

Mark knows basketball. He will get the talent at UK to make deep runs. Coaching at Ky is personal to him. He won’t be out worked.

[@bigbluegr8ness383]

GO BIG BLUE 🔵⚪️🏀☝️😼

[@BrayZap]

I have no idea what happened the past few years why we havent been able to get it done even with a bunch of talent but i sure hope he knows what hes doing and can win. What a great introduction though it really was beautiful how he did this

[@Canttouchme96]

I think he was saying "im gonna call you after its over" to jeff sheppard 😬, probably didn't mean to put him on the spot during his speech lol

[@joshsallieoasis]

We need the opening video on the big screen

[@Snowboarder-ov2ss]

Sad to see him go. I've met him on a couple occasions. He's a really great personable person. Fans will love him. I think he'll be successful with the recruits KY can get. He does more with less and is an overachiever. I was really hoping KY would find someone else. Oh well. :(

[@MsClaytown]

I want Perry & Sheppard pretty please 🙏

[@kmencl11]

From a BYU fan I'm glad he took the position at Kentucky. We wish the cats goodluck.... maybe you too can make it to the tourney. To Mr. Pope we say....."Well....Bye".

[@BBNTrashtalker]

This could go really good Or this can go really bad

[@prestochange-oh9243]

Atleast Mark seems genuine...so sick if cals snake oil. Well be fine...were built for march....tweak...there is only one tournament im interested in,oh but i wanna win the sec tourney too i mean.

[@pmontyjaaaymes488]

No reason to disrespect Cal. If Pope dont win then hes an oil salesman just as much. Right? Cal brought you no.8 so you can pump your chest out and say we got 8 championships. Remember that.

[@prestochange-oh9243]

@@pmontyjaaaymes488 truth isnt dis respect. Its just truth. Its snake oil because cal said games mattered..but they didnt. All that mattered was nba draft night.

[@seatownfan]

Mark Pope Is from Washington state.

[@kentuckyman21]

He’s a Kentuckian we’ve adopted him

[@seatownfan]

@@kentuckyman21 nah

[@user-vh6uc7fi6y]

IM A POPE ADDICT!

[@pmontyjaaaymes488]

No matter what ppl feel about Cal. Remember he brought you No.8 so that you can go around and brag to other colleges about that. With that being said. Lets see what Pope can. 96 championship as a player doesnt mean anything in 2024 as a coach. So lets see what he can do. Gotta prove it.

[@demetriussouthers8043]

Calapari probably watching this like 😢🥺

[@FloydCarpenter-gv1fh]

Like what I am seeing here is a big plus for you hire Jeff Shepherd as an Assistant

[@orangejuice3688]

who did they boo when all the random people were getting off the bus?

[@annikancrylarker3314]

They were saying “GOOOOOOOSE”

[@mattchumley6735]

There was a “Goooose” and a “Wooooo” (pronunciation for the “Łu” in Łukasz).

[@paulcoleman222]

How you leave your last position says a lot about his character. He did not address his BYU team or its fans when he left. I lost a lot of respect for the man. He left like a thief in the night. He is a great coach and I Wish him success.

[@BStant23]

No he did.. he mentioned them in this conference and he just posted a thank u on social media.

[@MrLocke-bk3om]

Awesome how mark pope left byu like a thief in the night without so much as a word or note of thank you to the fans…freaking classless. Have fun, Kentucky and good luck.

[@aaabbbccc985]

“At Kentucky we don’t come in second” Has he watched Kentucky the last five years? lol. He’s right, they didn’t come in 2nd, or 3rd or 4th, they couldn’t even beat Oakland. lol.

[@maa7332]

Ahsmwm No inner city kid is coming to play for Mr. Pope. Keeping it 💯 Let's come back in a year.

[@JasonB_13]

Probably not but Cal got inner city kids from all over, cream of the crop... what good did it do him?? Had the greatest assembly of talent I've ever seen in 2014-15 and still couldn't get it done. I don't care what that coach said on Last Chance U, it ain't always about the Jimmy's and the Joe's. At some point there has to be X's and O's.

[@maa7332]

That is like saying I bought the wrong car versus I cant afford to buy the car. You soon shall see the difference, GOD willing. Catch us in a year.

[@stevemcintosh6711]

UK could have done better than Pope, they had better options.

[@jaycehoward2771]

This is a take rooted in pure delusional nonsense.

[@pmontyjaaaymes488]

These fans on here talking are so funny. N im a UK fan. But this is too funny. 😂

[@luckyluciano6552]

I have to ask, who? You don’t think UK went through the upper echelons of the sport to replace Cal? They all turned them down. This is a good hire for a lot of reasons.

[@johnclevesjr6869]

​@@luckyluciano6552, summed up rather emphatically and succinctly!💙🤍

[@johnclevesjr6869]

Anyone else notice that he skipped over the '98 championship team, when he was listing the title-winning Wildcats teams?🤔🤷‍♂️💙🤍