A massive crowd attended Mark Pope’s introductory press conference on Sunday. The new Kentucky men’s basketball head coach delighted fans at Rupp Arena by setting the bar high.
Pope, who won a national championship as a Wildcats player in 1996, said he’s back in Lexington to bring the program another title.
“I’m going to get crushed for doing this,” Pope said, courtesy of On3’s Sam Gillenwater. “Every coach in America at every other job stands up in their press conference, and they try and moderate expectations. We don’t do that here at Kentucky. When Mitch [Barnhart] called me and talked to me about being the head coach here at Kentucky? I understand the assignment. We are here to win banners.”
Pope later reiterated that winning in March is his job. He reasoned that his confidence was somewhere between “bold and dumb” but isn’t shying away from that task.
“I think we can do it, guys,” he declared. “Let’s go do it.”
Pope also told attendees that video of a packed and thunderous Rupp Arena will go out to “every recruit in America” to show what a special environment Kentucky is.
If he accomplishes his goal, Pope will lead Kentucky to its ninth national championship. Yet he must turn around the program’s recent March doldrums.
Kentucky tallied one NCAA tournament win in John Calipari’s final five seasons. That includes a first-round loss to No. 15 Saint Peter’s in 2022 and another opening upset to No. 14 Oakland last month.
Pope also never led BYU beyond the first round in five seasons, so he’s certainly setting lofty expectations to start his Kentucky run.