Mark Pope greeted fans in the stands after beating Gonzaga because of course he did

Mark Pope is unbelievable sometimes. Literally. It is almost hard to fathom the things he does. Whether it is signing a gazillion basketballs, stopping on the street to greet fans, or buying a few hundred ice cream cones for Rupp Arena, he shows time and time again that he just gets it.

In the most recent edition of “Is Mark Pope a real person,” the head men’s basketball coach went up into the stands after Kentucky beat Gonzaga in one of the best games you will see this season and celebrated with dozens of fans who made the trip to Seattle.

After his press conference, it would have been very easy (expected, really) for him to head back o the locker room to be with his team and return to the hotel after what had to be an exhausting day. But that’s not Mark Pope. Instead of rushing out of the arena, he went back court side and then up into the stands where several fans were sticking around to bask in the afterglow of such a massive win.

He spent several minutes saying hello, taking pics, and giving out a fair share of hugs and high fives to anyone who wanted one.

Pope is still in the stands greeting fans who made the trip, taking pics, giving out hugs and high fives. The dude is unreal. pic.twitter.com/lafEbftJCM

— Adam Stratton (@AdamStrattonKSR) December 8, 2024

He didn’t have to do that, but he knew that the trip to Seattle wasn’t exactly easy (or cheap) for a lot of fans and went the extra mile to let them know much he appreciated their support. After all, if nothing else, Mark Pope is appreciative.

It is a small gesture but yet another example of Mark Pope showcasing to Big Blue Nation how much he truly loves it, and after the start to his tenure, the feeling is mutual.