Mark Pope: 'I understand the assignment'

Mark Pope won a national championship at Kentucky back in 1996. Now, as the program’s new head coach in 2024, he set that standard as the Wildcats move into a new era.

Pope made no buts about the task at hand during his massive introductory press conference inside Rupp Arena on Sunday. He said that he simply understands what his job is in Lexington – win titles.

“There’s one other way where I want to blow up this press conference and I’m going to get crushed for doing this,” Pope prefaced. “Every coach in America at every other job in America 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,” stated Pope.

Pope’s answer was referring to any and all titles that are up for grabs each season. He wants to win every game, every championship, and everything he can because he knows as well as anyone that that’s the standard at Kentucky.

“As we go through this journey, we’re here to win banners in Nashville because you guys turn out in Nashville like nobody else and that matters,” Pope contined. “Our job here, our assignment is go win banners in Final Fours, win national championships. That’s our job.”

“The one thing I know about Kentucky, guys, is I would try and temper expectations but that ain’t happening. Like, you guys are not allowing that. So why try, right?” explained Pope. “We’re trying to go win. Our goal is to win every single game we play. That’s what we’re shooting for. We’re trying to go win.”

Saying such things and making such declarations on your first day on the job could get you in trouble in hindsight. For now, though, Pope wants Big Blue Nation to know that he has the right people around him to hold him accountable to that level.

“With those high expectations, inevitably, is going to come criticism but I don’t want you guys to worry,” said Pope. “I’m on a group chat with every single one of my ’96 championship team teammates and they will destroy me every time something goes wrong.”

Simply put, winning is all that matters at a program like Kentucky. The Wildcats are atop the all-time wins list in college basketball. They’re second to only one other school in national titles too with eight in school history.

Pope was a part of one of those as a senior captain on The Untouchables in 1996 under Rick Pitino. He also won five conference titles and 89 games overall as part of three teams, one as a redshirt and two as a player, from 1993 to 1996.

Many, whether fans or pundits, measure Kentucky in no more than victories and championships. That’s just the fact of their matter and, as such, Pope isn’t moving an inch from that in his expectations for himself, his players, and his alma mater as his tenure begins in the bluegrass.

“Listen, that’s the job, guys. That is the job. Like, we’re not ducking it. That is the assignment,” Pope said. “We know the assignment. That’s what it is, right?”

“Frankly, if you’re too cautious or too worried to take on that challenge? Don’t come to Kentucky because there’s nothing else that’s acceptable,” said Pope. “So, somewhere in me, I’m bordering somewhere between bold and dumb but I think we can go it, guys. Let’s go do it.”