Mark Pope celebrated with a Kentucky fan's grandmother on FaceTime after the win

Mark Pope FaceTime's a fan's grandmother after Kentucky's win at Tennessee — Photo via Jack Pilgrim - KSR

Mark Pope is a man of the people. We know this. He’s stuck around for hours following games at Rupp Arena, signing every autograph and taking every picture until every member of Big Blue Nation left satisfied. That’s been the case on the road, too — even following losses. If you make time to come watch the Cats play, he’s gonna make time for you.

That was especially true in Knoxville, Pope sticking around to talk to every single fan in attendance who wanted to say hello. There was a line wrapped around the first row of the lower level, the Kentucky head coach going one by one until there were none left.

The crowd for Pope. pic.twitter.com/E15hq99pgu
— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) January 29, 2025

One had a retro windbreaker he wanted Pope to sign, the UK head coach telling him, “That is awesome,” finishing his signature with ’96 champions to match the era.

Mark Pope signs a retro windbreaker here at TBA: “That is AWESOME!” pic.twitter.com/tPVMoUa4EO
— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) January 29, 2025

Some had newborns they wanted Pope to meet, others just wanted their shirts and hats and balls signed or a selfie.

Man of the people. pic.twitter.com/3uiPzPEEIK
— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) January 29, 2025

The best moment came with the last fan standing, everyone else gone and on their way home. It was a man on FaceTime with a woman — presumably a grandmother — looking to chat with the leader of the program with wins over Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville, Florida and Tennessee in his first year at Kentucky.

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Pope sat on FaceTime with this woman for as long as he was allowed to stay, going back and forth for a good 30 seconds before finally hitting the exits to get back to Lexington.

“That’s awesome,” he told the fan, not realizing in the moment he had just made his entire year — and we’re still only in January.

Mark Pope stayed with the very last Kentucky fan in attendance, who was waiting with a FaceTime call from his grandmother pic.twitter.com/fjI1xTYXLT
— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) January 29, 2025

We’re used to that from Pope, though. As impressive as he is on the floor as a coach, he’s even better as a person away from it.