Kentucky hires BYU’s Mark Pope as men’s basketball coach to replace John Calipari

Kentucky has hired BYU’s Mark Pope as men’s basketball coach, bringing home a captain of the Wildcats’ 1996 national championship team to succeed John Calipari 

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Initially off the radar among Kentucky’s coaching targets, Mark Pope is now entrusted with maintaining the program’s gold standard.

Makes sense, since he helped do so as a player.

Kentucky hired the BYU coach to guide its men’s basketball program, bringing home a captain of the Wildcats’ 1996 national championship team to succeed John Calipari.

The school announced the 51-year-old Pope’s hiring in a release Friday morning but did not mention any contract details. He will be introduced at a Sunday afternoon news conference at Rupp Arena.