What has been the tenure of SEC M BBall Coaches during the Expansion Era?

[jbcarol]

Vandy (updated)

Vandy hired Jerry Stackhouse, the North Carolina and 18-season NBA pro. This is Jerry Stackhouse's first NCAA coaching job. He was the D-League Coach of the Year in 2017 and has stated that he has aspirations of becoming an NBA head coach.  Vandy's new Athletic Director, Malcolm Turner is a UNC alum and was the President of the G-League. He replaced longtime AD David Williams who died a week after his resignation. The day before the hiring of Stackhouse, Vandy Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos stepped odwn. Malc Turner would be replaced former Vandy WBB player Candice Storey-Lee after depleting the athletic surpass without anything visible to show for it.

In SEC lore, Jerry Stackhouse was an All-American on the North Carolina team that defeated the 1995 SEC Champion Kentucky team in the Regional Final of the NCAA Tournament.  Stackhouse was named National Player of the Year by at least one publication. Jerry Stackhouse is the younger brother of Troy Dawson.

Stackhouse was able to recruit Scottie Pippen, Jr. who gave him three good seasons. Coach was considered one of if not the best X and O coach in the league yet struggled to recruit at the level necessary to consistently compete. His '22-23 team went 22-15 and 11-7 in league and while by-passed by the Committee made the NIT Quarterfinals for the second consecutive season. Having suffered talent losses in the portal, Stackhouse's '23-24 team went 9-23 (4-14 SEC) finishing 15th ahead of Mizzou. Storey-Lee announced that Stackhouse would be let go. He finished 70-92 (28-60 in the SEC).

Virginia native Mark Byington, 47, was named by Storey-Lee as new head coach. Byington was head coach at James Madison who is having a great sports year and had made the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 as the winner of the Sun Belt. Dukes went 32-4 (15-3 in SBC). Byington replaced Lou Rowe at the onset of Covid-19. Before that Byington coached 7 seasons at Georgia Southern. He was an assistant to Bobby Cremins at College of Charleston.

Vandy hired Bryce Drew to replace Kevin Stallings. Drew had completed his fifth season at Valpo with a 30-win season and NIT runner-up. His team had made the NCAA-T twice and had won the Horizon League in four of his five seasons. He is the son of longtime Valpo coach Homer Drew and brother of Baylor coach Scott Drew.

Bryce Drew's first team in 2017 made the NCAA Tournament with a 19-16 regular season record and losing in the first round. Despite having three 1,000 point career scorers on the roster, Drew's '18 team finished 13th in the SEC. Drew's 2019 team set modern SEC records for futility going 0-18 in the SEC and setting Vandy records for longest losing streak and worst home record in Memorial Gym.

In SEC lore, Bryce Drew hit the last second shot and dove to the bottom of an iconic dogpile which defeated Ole Miss' best team ever in the 1998 NCAA Tournament. Current Florida coach Mike White was the lead guard for Ole Miss in that game. Drew and White were up-and-comers hired to replace the longest tenured SEC coaches of the time, Billy Donovan and Kevin Stallings. Bryce Drew's currently the coach at for-profit Grand Canyon which played in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Kevin Stallings was the dean of SEC basketball coaches when he completed his 17th and final season at Vandy  in 2016. His highlight was defeating UK's 2012 national champions in the SEC Tournament final.  Stallings was 138–142 (.493) in SEC regular season games. He took the Pittsburgh job replacing Jamie Dixon.

Stallings' best run has been '04-'12 including all six of their seven NCAA appearances during his tenure and two Sweet Sixteens. This represents two of six times Vandy has made the Sweet Sixteen ever. Roy Skinner took Vandy to the Elite Eight during Kentucky's off season in '65 and in a 23-team tournament field winning one game. Vandy has not won  the SEC regular season under Stallings.

Stallings was a teammate of Arkansas native JB Carroll during his playing days at Purdue.

Jan van Breda Kolff preceded Stallings at Vandy and coached for six seasons. Jan was the SEC Player of the Year in 1974 and helped Vandy gain a share of the Conference regular season title and a Sweet 16 run in the NCAA-T.

Jan was 43-53 for a prorated average of 7-9. van Breda Kolff took Vandy to the NCAA first round once in his six seasons. Vandy was in the NIT three times, runners up in '94.

Eddie Fogler was Vandy's coach for four seasons. His last two seasons were the first two of the SEC expansion era. Fogler went 38-30 in conference regular season play prorating to a 9-7 mark. He took Vandy to the NCAA twice and to the NIT the other two seasons.

For Fogler, Vandy was the NIT Champ in '90. In '93, Vandy won the SEC regular season championship with a 14-2 mark. Vandy made the Sweet 16 and finished with an overall 28-6 record.

Fogler left Vandy to take on a rebuilding task at South Carolina. His 1997 Gamecock team were SEC Regular Season champs but were eliminated early in the NCAA Tournament.  Fogler has been active in Search Firm work after his retirement from coaching.

[jbcarol]

Mitch Barnhart on unique set of issues: 'Everybody else is not Kentucky'

by:
Sam Gillenwater
•

There has been unmatched uproar at Kentucky over the past week in regards to the state of their basketball program. Still, according to AD Mitch Barnhart, the uniqueness of their circumstances in Lexington are also unparalleled, which is why, at least in some ways, the Wildcats deserve some slack.

Barnhart sat down with John Calipari for an interview regarding the direction of their basketball team on Wednesday. In that sit-down with BBN Tonight, he explained how the current conditions at Kentucky in this new era of collegiate basketball make it specifically challenging for them to compete at the level that many expect.

"Everyone else is not Kentucky," said Barnhart.

"They don't have the unique set of issues that we have with the skillset of guys coming in that have the ability to go to the NBA and then deal with the transfer timelines and the NBA Combine like we do," Barnhart said.

With 410 wins under Calipari in his 15 years, no one is going to shed a tear over what comes with Kentucky that complicate their operations unlike anyone else's. Barnhart just doesn't want that fact to be lost on anyone.

"Ours is unique and for no one to recognize that is baffling to me," said Barnhart.

Calipari admits to defensive woes: 'We always knew it was our Achilles heel'

[jbcarol]

Rick Barnes earns $200,000 bonus for Elite 8 appearance, bringing total bonuses to $1.2 million

by:
Steve Samra
•

After leading the Tennessee to the Elite Eight via a win over Creighton, Volunteers leader Rick Barnes has secured himself another nice payday.

According to Steve Berkowitz of USA TODAY Sports, Barnes added a $200,000 bonus on Friday evening, as he secured Tennessee's spot in the Elite Eight. It's another check added to the lofty $1.2 million he's already secured in bonuses throughout the 2023-2024 campaign.

With the win, the Tennessee Volunteers are headed to the Elite Eight for just the second time in program history (their last trip was in 2010 against Michigan State). They'll be looking to punch their tickets to the Final Four for the first time in Volunteer basketball history.

[jbcarol]

:Has Bama proven Nate Oats' style of play can win in NCAA Tournament

by: Nick Kosko
•

Nate Oats and Alabama play a different style of basketball compared to others. There's analytics involved, different philosophies, etc.

But as the old saying goes, it's so crazy it just might work. Oats and the Crimson Tide now have a Final Four date with defending champion UConn.

Oats was asked if the Final Four run made him and the program feel vindicated.

"That's a great question, because a lot of people question, can you win big in March shooting all the 3s you shoot," Oats said. "How many did we shoot tonight? For all the naysayers, is 36 too many?

"16 out of 36 ain't bad. 48 points from the 3-point line ain't too bad. So, look, it's not — here's the thing people don't understand: We're not trying to shoot 50 3s, we're trying to take the most efficient shots we can. So we're 1.29 today."

Oats went into more detail regarding the pros and cons of the style.

Our effective field goal percentage was pretty good," Oats said. "We took two non-rim 2s. We didn't finish at the rim as well as we should have. I thought we blew some easy layups we should have made in the first half.

"Our analytics company — got a third-party analytics company we use, they were here with us for this run — they told me at the half, we were winning the game by 11 on expected value, expected points. Just keep doing what we're doing."

The analytics studied by Oats give a prediction for each game and the Crimson Tide strive to hit those marks.

Wonder if they have a prediction for UConn

[jbcarol]

O'Gara: What if Nate Oats is modern-day Billy Donovan?

When Nate Oats cut down the Crypto.com Arena nets to lead Alabama to its first Final Four in school history, my mind shifted to somebody else who was once a promising up-and-coming offensive wizard who did historic things on the hardwood at a football-focused SEC school —

What Oats has done through 5 years at Alabama is shades of Donovan's start at Florida. It's now fair to ask —

Granted, they were separated by about 15 23 years when they accepted their respective SEC jobs and when Donovan celebrated his first Final Four at Florida in Year 4, it marked the second in program history.

Donovan's first Final Four (and eventual runner-up finish) in 2000 was 6 years removed from his predecessor, Lon Kruger, leading Florida to that historic first Final Four in 1994. But Kruger's Final Four trip marked the last time he won an NCAA Tournament game at Florida. A Round of 64 exit and a losing season in 1995-96 prompted Kruger to leave Florida for Illinois.

Go back and read this Orlando Sentinel article following Kruger's move to Illinois:

In recent seasons, Kruger has noted the lack of consistent fan support. Average home attendance dropped nearly 2,000 this past season to 7,896, down from 9,838 in 1994-95. But even in the Gators' first Final Four season in 1993-94, when they went 13-0 at home, average attendance was less than 10,000 at the 12,000-seat O'Connell Center.

Illinois, a member of the Big Ten Conference, averages about 15,000 fans each season at 16,450-seat Assembly Hall. The Illini were 18-13 last season and finished ninth in the 11-team Big Ten.

Translation: Kruger sought a basketball school, not a football school.

We know what happened after that. Florida became much more of a basketball school under Donovan.

Donovan co-existed at a time when Steve Spurrier was king, and he didn't seek greener pastures at a time when Urban Meyer was king.

Oats didn't seek greener pastures when Saban was king. It remains to be seen just how king Kalen DeBoer will be in Tuscaloosa, but one thing is certain. Alabama is still a football school. The question is whether Oats can replicate the 2 decades of success that Donovan had at a football school.

I know, Florida fans. You're an "everything school." You take pride in that, as you should. Florida is still the only Division I school to win both football and men's basketball national titles (outright) in the same school year. Donovan made that a reality, along with the $64.5 million renovation that the O'Connell Center underwent in 2016 a year after he left Florida.

It helps that Oats will be paid like a coach at a basketball school. His newly minted extension, which runs through the rest of the decade, will make him 1 of the 5 highest-paid coaches in the sport. Like Donovan, his continued success will still make him a popular name when a basketball blue-blood job or an NBA opens up (let's not forget about Donovan's rumored flirtation with the Kentucky job and his day as the Orlando Magic head coach). There's not much Alabama can do that it isn't already doing that'll change that.

Well, Alabama could speed up those Coleman Coliseum funding/renovation plans. If that undertaking, which is been delayed because of rising construction costs, continues for the next few years, keep an eye on how that impacts Oats. Does he grow bitter? Or does he have that same attitude that he had about the football presence that he had after the Final Four.

[jbcarol]

Nate Oats embraced analytics and got Alabama to the Final Four.

When will the rest of college basketball catch up
Spenser Davis | 

Last weekend at halftime of Alabama's Elite Eight matchup against Clemson, the Tide found themselves down 35-32.

Nate Oats was calm.

Oats later told reporters that a third-party analytics company hired by Alabama informed him that, based on the expected value of shots attempted in the first half, Alabama should have been up by 11 — not down by 3.

"I told the guys that ... expected value, we're winning this game by 11. They're taking tough shots and happen to be making them," Oats said. "We've got some easy layups, and we're missing them. We have to finish at the rim and just keep doing what we're doing."

Alabama made a few more shots in the second half and ultimately won 89-82. In the process, Alabama advanced to its first-ever Final Four on the back of a philosophy that the rest of college basketball has been too slow to adopt.

[jbcarol]

Eric Musselman releases statement as USC formally announces his hiring

by: Andrew Graham
•

"My family and I couldn't be more excited for this incredible opportunity at USC," Musselman said in the release. "I am grateful to President Folt and Jen Cohen for the chance to lead the men's basketball program at such a world-class university with a rich tradition of success. We will be committed to the development of our student-athletes and upholding the values that make the Trojan Family so special. We will hit the ground running and work tirelessly to make our great alumni, fans and all of Los Angeles proud."

Cohen, the Trojans athletic director, praised Musselman in the release.

"I am beyond excited to welcome Eric, Danyelle and their incredible family to USC," Cohen said. "We were determined to find the best coach to champion the development of our student-athletes and elevate our men's basketball program. His track record of building winning programs and his unwavering commitment to a culture of excellence make him the perfect fit for USC. Eric displays heart, boldness, resiliency, and everything that it means to be a Trojan. He inspires togetherness and will help build and grow the program's connectivity within the Trojan community. As we move to the Big Ten and enter a new chapter for USC Men's Basketball, there is no better fit than Eric Musselman to launch our program to new heights."

Musselman was seen as the lead candidate to take over at USC
An opening was created for the Trojans when Andy Enfield decided to take his talents to the SMU Mustangs earlier this offseason.

On the whole, between Nevada and Arkansas, Musselman has a 221-93 overall record to go with six NCAA Tournament appearances – including two Sweet Sixteens and two Elite Eights.

As for USC, the Trojans had 15-18 overall record under Enfield this year, including an 8-12 mark in Pac-12 play, to miss out on the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans are preparing to leave for the Big Ten next season after a groundbreaking round of conference realignment, so a new era is upon them.

[jbcarol]

Eric Musselman explains why USC was better for him over Arkansas

by: Alex Weber

Eric Musselman made the surprise move from Arkansas to USC this week and gave props to both schools at his introductory press conference.

"First of all, you know, our time at at Arkansas, we worked for an incredible athletic director, Hunter Yurachek, and we were really happy there. I mean, it's one of the best basketball jobs in the country, there's no question about that," said Musselman, touting the support he was able to rally for the program.

"We've had three straight years of of being sold out in September and that building holds 20,000 people in Bud Walton. And obviously, you know, three straight Sweet 16s, minus this year, and two Elite Eights.

"I mean, it's a proven program that has won in the past before I got there with Nolan Richardson and Eddie Sutton and they're going to win again after my time there," he added before shifting focus to the USC job and why it was attractive.

"This is an opportunity — the more Jen and I talked, I don't know if you know Jen, but I had great angst, because, like, can she hurry up and make a decision, because we really believe that with all the things going on with the the USC brand with going into the Big 10, that this is a really incredible fit for us as a family and an incredible fit for for USC. I think it's great all around."

Eric Musselman's move from the SEC to the Big Ten is hardly an upgrade or downgrade given that those are the two premier conferences.

Musselman is just hoping he can bring out the passion in USC fans that he saw at Arkansas, who was top-five in attendance for several years of Musselman's tenure, whereas USC has been nowhere near that range.

"You know, I've seen the attendance figures at both places, and I hope that the people in Arkansas feel like we had a big impact on on the attendance growing in Bud Walton, and if you look at the numbers before we got there and the numbers of what they were this year, I think we did have an impact on that."

After a tough last season, USC needs an injection of energy

"I certainly hope that we have a great impact on our attendance here as well," he commented to end his opening press conference.

[jbcarol]

KSR Today: The John Calipari Error at Kentucky is over

by: Tyler Thompson
•

The nuts and bolts from college basketball's most trusted news breakers is that Calipari wasn't happy in Lexington and wanted to get out. According to Matt Norlander, Cal's exit plans date back to February, when he was initially interested in the Ohio State job, but the timing wasn't right. Then, along came Arkansas, a tradition-rich program with a booster, John Tyson of the Tyson Farms empire, who is VERY close to Calipari. According to ESPN, the Razorbacks will pay Calipari less than the $8.5 million per year base salary he's making at Kentucky, but the deal will be "incentive-laden" to top that number. It's also said to include a very hefty NIL budget.

Speaking of money, Calipari owes Kentucky none. His contract is such that if he leaves Kentucky of his own volition, he doesn't have to pay the school a dime, nor vice versa. If Mitch Barnhart had decided to part ways with Cal, Kentucky would have owed him $33 million, funds its boosters were reportedly ready to pay. Now, that money can go toward Cal's successor.



That's, obviously, the next big question. Who's next? Scott Drew has long been considered the name atop Barnhart's list. He recently turned down Louisville and reaffirmed his commitment to Baylor. Does it still hold if Kentucky comes calling? Dan Hurley, who will be coaching UConn in the national championship game tonight, is the hottest coach in college basketball. He should get a call, along with Nate Oats, Jay Wright, and Billy Donovan. Maybe the third time is the charm for Donovan, who has been in the NBA for almost a decade now? Get ready to track private planes and horse farm listings again.

The only thing certain is that the next 24-48 hours will be insane as the program searches for its 23rd head coach, the seventh since Adolph Rupp retired in 1972.

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein
@JonRothstein
Billy Donovan tells reporters prior to tonight's Bulls-Knicks game that he has not been contacted by Kentucky and he's committed to being in Chicago.
6:20 PM · Apr 9, 2024
·

[jbcarol]

Arkansas officially announces John Calipari as head coach

by: Zack Geoghegan
•

John Calipari is officially the men's basketball coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Cal will be formally introduced this evening at 6:00 p.m. CT at Bud Walton Arena.

Per Arkansas' press release, Calipari's contract with the Razorbacks is a five-year deal beginning at $7 million per year with plenty of incentives.

The contract runs through 2029 with a maximum of two automatic rollover years for NCAA Tournament berths.

"By all accounts, John Calipari is one of the premier coaches in college basketball," Arkansas Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek said. "A national championship coach, a four-time national coach of the year and one of the nation's top recruiters, Coach Cal has consistently demonstrated his ability to attract outstanding talent and build championship teams within the Southeastern Conference and position his programs among the best in the nation."

Calipari, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015, leaves Kentucky for Arkansas as the Wildcats' second-winningest head coach in program history. Throughout his 15 seasons in Lexington, he posted a 410-122 overall record that included 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven Elite 8s, four Final Fours, and a national championship in 2012.

"As I visited with Coach Calipari during this process, he acknowledged the tremendous opportunity we have at the University of Arkansas to attract and retain top players and compete for championships," Yurachek added. "He understands the deep passion of the Razorback Nation and has experienced the tremendous home court advantage of Bud Walton Arena. I have no doubt that under Coach Calipari's leadership and with the collective support of all those who love the Hogs, Razorback Basketball will continue to maintain its national prominence within college basketball."

With Calipari officially off to Arkansas, UK and athletic director Mitch Barnhart will continue their search.

[jbcarol]

Jeff Borzello
@jeffborzello
Details on John Calipari's new Arkansas contract:

[jbcarol]

Calipari is currently 198-65 (.753), two wins behind Donovan in fourth all-time.

[jbcarol]

Calipari: Endorsement from Nolan 'made my day'

by: Justin Rudolph

The newest Arkansas Razorbacks head coach, John Calipari, has a reputation that speaks for itself. He has led three different programs to the final four despite some being vacated.

During Calipari's introductory press conference, he revealed that Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek reached out to Richardson to gauge his thoughts on hiring the former Kentucky Wildcats head coach. And the endorsement Calipari received was one that brought a smile and sense of joy to the Razorbacks men's basketball head coach.

"When I asked Hunter and I asked John, what did Coach Richardson say about me being hired? And he said, what he said was, 'A great hire because he cares about kids. Made my day; made my day," said Calipari. "I sent him the poster, and then I called him... I told him you're always welcome here. I had Coach Hall at almost every practice I had before he got ill, telling me to play the 1-3-1. I imagine he'll tell me you gotta press more.

"I'm excited about this. This program, you talk about some of the best jobs in the country in basketball, this is one of them," stated Calipari. "We can say what we want, this is one of them."

[jbcarol]

Bio Blast: Billy Donovan

by: Adam Luckett
•

For the first time since 2009, Kentucky is looking for a new head men's basketball coach. The Eddie Sutton coach to be named later trade was completed on Sunday night when John Calipari decided to leave Lexington for Arkansas after 15 seasons in the Bluegrass. After a 410-122 (198-65) run with four Final Four appearances and six SEC regular-season titles, Calipari has found a home.

Kentucky Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart is now tasked with finding the program's next head basketball coach. For the third time during his tenure, Barnhart will be conducting a search. The Calipari hire was an absolute home run, but the Billy Gillispie hire was the worst in program history.

Billy Donovan has been in the NBA for a decade now working for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls after spending 19 seasons in the SEC at Florida.

Championship Pedigree
Billy Donovan was a star player for Rick Pitino at Providence from 1983-87 and led the Friars to the Final Four first-team All-Big East honors in his final season. After a short professional playing career, Donovan joined Rick Pitino's first staff at Kentucky and spent five years in Lexington helping the Wildcats get to a Final Four in 1993. After leading Marshall to a 35-20 mark over two seasons, Donovan got his first big job at 30 years old.

After consecutive losing seasons to begin his tenure in Gainesville, Donovan quickly built what ended up being a top-five college basketball program at a true football school. The Gators went to eight consecutive NCAA tournaments from 2000-07 going to three Final Fours, and winning two national titles. Donovan was the last college head coach to repeat until Dan Hurley accomplished the feat on Monday.

After a two-year reset, the Gators again ripped off five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with four consecutive Elite Eight appearances. Donovan finished his Florida career with a .715 winning percentage, two national titles, four Final Four appearances, four SEC Tournament titles, six SEC regular-season titles, and a 34-12 record in the Big Dance.

Moderate NBA Success
After Florida won its second national championship under Billy Donovan in 2007, the long-time head coach turned down Kentucky after a long pursuit by Mitch Barnhart in March. Two months later, Donovan had contact with the Orlando Magic and accepted the position on June 1. Donovan had an introductory press conference that day with the Magic but backed out of the position the very next day.

Donovan would stay at Florida for eight more seasons before officially making the professional basketball jump.

[jbcarol]

Mitch Barnhart@UKMitchBarnhart
.
@CoachMarkPope not only brings an impressive record in nine years as a head coach, butalso a love of the @universityofky and a complete understanding of what our @kentuckymbb program means to the people of our state.

[jbcarol]

Bio Blast: Mark Pope

by: Adam Luckett
•

[Ed. Note: This article was published minutes before reports came out stating that Kentucky has zoned in on BYU head coach Mark Pope for its head coaching vacancy.]

After Scott Drew and Dan Hurley each turned down the job, there is just one name remaining in Tier 1. We got our first name in Tier 2 on Thursday.

CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein reports that former Kentucky big Mark Pope is now a candidate for the head coaching position at his alma mater. Let's learn some more about the 51-year-old with 187 career wins.

National Champion
Mark Pope began his collegiate career at Washington playing for two seasons in the Pac-12 before transferring to Kentucky. After sitting out the 1993-94 season, Pope became a key piece for Rick Pitino and was a team captain on the 1996 national championship squad.

Mark Pope knows what Kentucky basketball is.

After his time in Lexington, Pope spent time years in professional basketball playing for the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and Denver Nuggets. Pope had a strong run as a player that is now being overshadowed.

Overshadowed by his run as a coach.

Paid Assistant Dues
After his playing career ended, Mark Pope enrolled in medical school but left in 2009 after coming to the conclusion that becoming a doctor was not what he wanted to do with his life. Pope joined Mark Fox's Georgia staff in 2009 at age 36. Fox was an assistant at Washington when Pope played for the Huskies.

After a year in Athens as the director of basketball operations, Mark Pope became a full-time assistant at Wake Forest in 2010-11 under Jeff Bzdelik. That would lead to an opportunity to work for Dave Rose at BYU. Pope would spend four seasons with the Cougars before landing his first head coaching gig at age 42.

Winning Track Record
Mark Pope took over a Utah Valley program in 2015-16 with not much history. The Kentucky alum would spend four seasons in the Western Athletic Conference and increased Utah Valley's win total each season. The Wolverines won 25 games in year four under Pope and that led to a bigger opportunity.

BYU brought Pope back to Provo following Dave Rose's retirement. After a 24-8 campaign in year one that would've ended in an NCAA Tournament bid if not for COVID-19, Pope got the Cougars back in the field of 68 in year two. BYU took a step back in year three and year four but made a big jump once they switched from the West Coast Conference to the Big 12.

In 2023-24, Pope led BYU to a 23-11 (10-8) in the best conference in college basketball. The season was highlighted by a road win at Kansas in February. Pope is 0-2 in NCAA Tournament games but has posted three top-20 KenPom finishes in five seasons at BYU.

[jbcarol]

Most NCAA Tournament Wins Amongst SEC Coaches

Billy Donovan       35

John Calipari        32

Adolph Rupp        30

Nolan Richardson 26

Tubby Smith        25

Rick Pitino           22

Joe B. Hall           20

Bruce Pearl          15

Dale Brown          15

Eddie Sutton        13

Wimp Sanderson  10

Rick Barnes           9

Nate Oats             8

Sonny Smith         7

Mark Pope, et al.   0

[jbcarol]

Kentucky fans give electric welcome to new coach Mark Pope in Rupp Arena ceremony
Spenser Davis | 

Kentucky gave a hero's welcome to new head coach Mark Pope on Sunday afternoon.

Pope was officially introduced as the Wildcats' next head coach in a ceremony at Rupp Arena


Ben Roberts
@BenRobertsHL
The scene inside Rupp Arena ...

Pope is a former Wildcat himself who played for UK in the mid-1990's. He was a member of Kentucky's 1996 national championship team — a squad that knocked off John Calipari and UMass in the Final Four.

Pope made a grand entrance to the event along with several other members of the 1996 national title-winning team:

That wasn't the only prop used in this ceremony from the 1996 season. Instead of receiving a ceremonial jersey at his introduction, Pope requested to use a game-worn jersey — one that shows his "blood, sweat, tears and love."

Rupp Arena full plus the court filled with seats.

[jbcarol]

Scarblog: Does Kentucky basketball have 'hope with Pope'  

The rest of the SEC will have a say.

There's only one conclusion to draw after more than 20,000 Kentucky basketball fans filled Rupp Arena on Masters Sunday to welcome former Kentucky basketball player Mark Pope home as the new Kentucky basketball coach.

Kentucky loves basketball. Do not stop the presses. Do not hang the banner.

John Calipari, Billy Gillispie, Tubby Smith, Rick Pitino, Eddie Sutton, Joe B. Hall and Adolph Rupp is the entire roster of UK head coaches since the SEC played its first season in 1932-33.

Some things don't change. While Kentucky basketball ain't what it used to be - South Carolina (2017), Auburn (2019) and Alabama (2024) have been to a Final Four more recently from the SEC - ain't nothin' like Kentucky basketball passion nowhere.

To call Sunday's event an introductory press conference is as inadequate as the Wildcats have been in their valedictory NCAA Tournament performances since Auburn stole a piece of their soul in the 2019 Elite Eight. In a brilliant bit of showmanship, Pope arrived inside Rupp Arena riding on a bus with a bunch of former teammates. He burst through the doors and onto the floor carrying the 1996 national championship trophy.

[jbcarol]

FOIA: Kentucky finally releases Mark Pope contract details

Incentive-laden

by: Grant Grubbs
•

Lexington Herald-Leader obtained contract details for Kentucky's new head coach, Mark Pope. The 51-year-old coach has signed a five-year contract with the school that will pay him $5 million in the 2024-25 season. His salary will increase by $250,000 annually every ensuing year.

Every season Pope guides Kentucky to a Sweet 16 appearance, his contract will be extended one season as long as there are no more than five years remaining on the contract at that time. Per Jon Hale, each extension would trigger another $500,000 raise.

"He would net $100,000 for an SEC championship, $50,000 for an SEC Tournament title, $25,000 for a team GPA of 3.0 or greater and $25,000 for a team APR score of at least 975," Hale wrote.

"Pope could also receive the largest of a set of bonuses tied to NCAA Tournament finish each season: national championship ($500,000), Final Four ($250,000), Elite Eight ($100,000) and Sweet 16 ($50,000). Pope's maximum bonus each year is $700,000."

This story will be updated.

[jbcarol]

Men's college basketball coaching changes for 2024-25

Apr 10, 2024, 09:16 PM ET



School: Out / In

Arkansas Razorbacks: Eric Musselman / John Calipari

BYU Cougars: Mark Pope / Kevin Young

Florida A&M Rattlers: Robert McCollum /

Kentucky Wildcats: John Calipari / Mark Pope

Missouri State Bears: Dana Ford / Cuonzo Martin

Mount Saint Mary's Mountaineers: Dan Engelstad /

USC Trojans: Andy Enfield / Eric Musselman

Vanderbilt Commodores: Jerry Stackhouse / Mark Byington

[jbcarol]

Mark Pope talks title expectations, following Coach Cal on SportsCenter

by:
Jack Pilgrim
•

Pope discussed his predecessor and what it's like replacing a Hall of Fame coach in John Calipari. There's no denying those are big shoes to fill considering what he's meant to the game of basketball and this program since arriving back in 2009, but he embraces that.

He wants to appreciate those highs Coach Cal hit in Lexington while also putting his own spin on things as he builds a new culture his way.

"Well, there's a saying in coaching, especially in college basketball: you never follow John Wooden. We're so appreciative of everything John Calipari did," Pope said. "I'm a diehard Kentucky fan as well as a former player, now head coach. John revolutionized a lot of things in the way recruiting is done and style of play in college basketball. What he did at Kentucky is really incredible and we're all so grateful for that. We can't wait to move forward and keep chasing these banners."

Part of that? Roster construction and the way he recruits high school talent vs. transfer portal pieces. Calipari went heavy on one-and-done freshmen while others in college basketball have pushed their chips in on experience, cutting out youth almost entirely.

Pope'll be finding the right balance of both, he says. He wants to bring in the best of the best regardless of age, prioritizing fit over raw talent and major project pieces.

"It is ever-changing, what we're seeing. The changes are coming more fast and more furious than they have come before," he said. "Here at Kentucky, it's a really nice mix of bringing in some of the most elite talent that will be guys that play one year of college basketball and then go on to have extraordinary NBA careers and it's always going to be some guys that are going to stick around for two or three or four years and really kind of grow the program a little from within and when you get the right mix, that's what leads to championships and that's what we're searching for."

[jbcarol]

Just Win, Baby (BTI's Rants and Ramblings)

by: Bryan the Intern
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What a wild roller coaster of emotions over the last week for Kentucky fans. The sudden departure of John Calipari caused quite the earthquake within this fanbase. Some were ready for a new era of UK basketball and some certainly were scared of what was next. The coaching search certainly didn't go as most had expected or hoped. But Mark Pope's sudden hiring sent shockwaves through the Bluegrass, first in a negative way and then a sudden flip to the positive. Pope's energy and connection to the program seem to breathe some new life into a battered group of fans.

And now many have already started nervously questioning the recruiting successes, or lack thereof, of Pope through 5 days on the job. At this point, we have absolutely no idea what the roster for UK will look like for the 2024-25 season, but that hasn't stopped many from predicting doom and gloom. If we have learned nothing over the last 5 years of college basketball, we should know that rosters can be destroyed and rebuilt in a matter of weeks. ...

LET POPE COOK
We really live in a world where opinions are developed so quickly. We have no idea what the Mark Pope program will look like. I do not have 100% confidence it will work. But I also know that 5 days is not nearly enough to make a determination what this is going to be. I would urge everybody to take a step back and at least let the man make a roster. He can not have 92 players on the team. So every big-name transfer or available freshman is not coming here. Some guys are going to go elsewhere. But do know after 5 days that we now have a coach who WANTS it

What to know about Jason Hart and Mark Fox

So what do you need to know about additions two and three while we wait for four and five?

Hart brings West Coast connections to Lexington
Born and raised in Los Angeles, went to high school in Inglewood, 13 years of coaching in the greater LA area at Taft HS (2011-12), Pepperdine (2012-13), USC (2013-21) and the NBA G League Ignite (2021-24). Beyond his four-year playing career at Syracuse and ten years in the pros — and he still spent four of those seasons in California playing for the Kings and Clippers — Jason Hart has done nothing but live and breath SoCal life.

Fox is overqualified for the position
It's not every day you get to add a guy with 324 career wins and five NCAA Tournament appearances as a D1 head coach across three stops to your staff — certainly not as an off-court assistant in a non-recruiting role.

Things ended on a sour note at Cal with a 38-87 campaign across four seasons and a 3-29 finish in 2022-23, but Mark Fox is also the same guy with nine 20-win seasons at Nevada and Georgia, including just three losing records in 14 combined years at both stops. He inherited a terrible situation with the Golden Bears and never found his footing, but his basketball mind has never been in question. Again, this is a guy who has coached with USA Basketball, worked with the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Summer League and had professional development stints with the likes of Brad Stevens, Gregg Popovich and Geno Auriemma. He's as respected as they come...