Mark Pope on following John Calipari at Kentucky: 'You never follow John Wooden'

New Kentucky head men’s basketball coach Mark Pope is well aware of the shoes he needs to fill taking over at his alma mater. And following John Calipari, specifically, is a task Pope knows isn’t necessarily the envy of many.

In a brief interview on SportsCenter on Wednesday, Pope wasn’t shy about the expectations he inherited. Or how Calipari was a transformative figure in college basketball during his tenure in Lexington, even if things soured at the end.

Pope compared Calipari to another head coaching icon with the same first name to hammer home his point.

“Well there’s a saying in coaching, in all coaching, but especially in college basketball: ‘You never follow John Wooden,'” Pope said. “And so appreciative of everything John Calipari did. I’m a diehard Kentucky fan as well as former player and now head coach. And John revolutionized a lot of things in the way recruiting’s done and style of play in college basketball.”

Pope finished his answer with a point he’s hammered home in multiple interviews and his introductory press conference: No matter what had happened, the goal moving forward is to raise banners in Rupp Arena.

“What he did at Kentucky is really incredible and we’re all so grateful for that and can’t wait to move forward and keep chasing these banners,” Pope said.

Pope also discussed his first order of business as Kentucky’s head coach

A member of the 1996 national championship team, Pope is certainly familiar with the Wildcats. But even he needs to get a look at the nuts and bolts behind the scenes — and get a grasp on his roster situation — before he starts shaping the program to his desires.

He also acknowledged that the standard at Kentucky might not even be reasonable or achievable on a year-to-year basis, but also that it’s unyielding all the same.

“I think the first up is knowing what the assignment is, right?” Pope said. “We talked about this in the press conference, it’s tradition and it’s universal that when you accept a new head coaching job you try and manage expectations and kind of set an achievable standard, and that just doesn’t exist at the University of Kentucky.

“There’s one standard and it never changes, and that’s if you hang banners you’re successful and if you don’t you’re not. That’s one of the things that makes this place special, and knowing that going in and embracing that going in is really a part of what we do.”