Kentucky coach Mark Pope exemplifies everything a college basketball coach should be

Mark Pope is the perfect coach for the Kentucky basketball program.

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope calls out to his team during their game against the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. / Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When Mark Pope was hired to be the next basketball coach of the Kentucky basketball program many questioned if he was ready for the job. All of Big Blue Nation wanted to see Coach Pope be the perfect fit for this program as he was the captain of the 1996 Championship team, but there were some concerns.

Pope has been in Lexington for a while now and has put to rest almost every negative narrative about him as a coach early into his tenure. Coach Pope has recruited at a high level and won big games. All there is left to do is have success in the NCAA Tournament.

This discussion doesn't really have to do with his abilities as a coach on the court. It is more about the other details of the job. Coaches in college hoops has other jobs than just winning games. They have to develop their players into great people after basketball, respect the game of basketball, and lastly, treat fans the correct way. Coach Pope is a perfect example of all of these things.

Coach Pope has a group of players who have been great with the Kentucky fan base and will all be great men when it's time to hang them up.

A great example of this was on Saturday against Louisville when, after the big rivalry win, Coach Pope let the Louisville players get to their locker room before his players threw the L's down to the crowd.

Twice this season, Coach Pope has also put his own body on the line to protect his players in scrums. Coach Pope has made it very clear that he will go to war for his players, and they do the same for him.

Mark Pope was the basketball coach Kentucky needed, and he is going to get this program back to hanging banners sooner rather than later.