Rick Pitino says 'it's time to move on' from Coach Cal, enjoy 'whole different brand' under Mark Pope

Hell has frozen over. Rick Pitino is an ally of KSR and UK Athletics, specifically the Kentucky men’s basketball program. All we needed was Pardon My Take and Mark Pope to make it happen.

It’s been a wild day here at Kentucky Sports Radio HQ, to say the least. The bridges previously burnt beyond repair during Pitino’s days at Louisville have somehow been built anew, all forgiven with the St. John’s head coach ready to support the place he calls Camelot in this new era for the Wildcats.

Pitino understands vitriol at Louisville

For starters, he understands why fans were so upset with him taking the Louisville job and the events that followed with the Cardinals. The vitriol was fair and he’s put it behind him, only focusing on the good during his time in Lexington and the endless support he received from Big Blue Nation.

“I love the Kentucky fans. To me, they are very, very special. They treated me and my family in great reverence,” Pitino said on KSR. “I got nothing but great things to say about the Kentucky fanbase. I totally get it today why they were bitter at me for going to University of Louisville. … Obviously, I didn’t get treated great when I was at Louisville, but sitting back on it and examining it today, I totally understand why. …

“The reason I was going back is I loved Kentucky so much from my UK days and wanted to relive that love of the sport. Right now, they have a fabulous program with all sports and I think that it’s going to be a special, special time for Mark Pope and the University of Kentucky Wildcats.”

When things were rolling under Pitino in the 90s, the Hall of Fame coach says Kentucky fans “treated me like a king” and “with great respect.”

“I never had a bad year, never had a bad day,” he added.

Total support for Mark Pope at Kentucky

Mark Pope’s time at Kentucky as a player from 1994-96 was a part of that happiness. It’s why he’s been an outspoken supporter of the Wildcats since he was hired, certainly why Pitino was willing to come on the radio show that crushed him when he became enemy No. 1 down I-64.

The new head coach is worth healing those old wounds.

“I absolutely love Mark (Pope), and would do anything for his program,” Pitino said. “… The fans are going to fall in love with Mark because the ‘Pope’ didn’t matter, the name on the back never mattered to him. He couldn’t care less about individual glory. If anybody mentioned that he played a great game, it was always about the team and always about Kentucky. … Obviously, I’m extremely biased because he was my captain of the national championship team. He was a great captain, a tireless worker — I absolutely love him and what he did for our program.”

What separates Pope as a coach

It’s not just about what he did for that 1996 national championship team or his talent as a player — Pope jokes regularly that he stunk on the court, possibly the worst player in NBA history. Pitino disagrees, obviously, but says he’s a rising star in the coaching ranks, owning traits very few have.

Many coaches are brilliant basketball minds, but what separates Pope is his humility.

“When I was not working, I traveled out to see him coach a small school, Division 1 school — Grand Valley or something like that — and I was blown away for how good a teacher he was. And then I watched every game I could at BYU and loved their offense. It was great ball movement, great player movement,” Pitino said on KSR. “I just think Mark does a fabulous job at communicating with his players, he has a great way about it. He has a quality that very few of us have: incredible humility. For somebody who, at a very young age, just was a tireless worker and is accomplishing things, he’s always maintained the same humility that he had back when he was a player.”

Pope the leader as a captain

The traits that made him a special leader as team captain in 1996 stuck with him as a coach, someone able to bring people together, as loyal as they come. It’s why his teammates gravitated toward him as a player and why players do the same now while he’s holding the clipboard.

“Pope tried to become a doctor, and it wasn’t his niche. Mark Pope was a Rhodes Scholar candidate — he’s just an extremely bright person. Combining his credentials about being bright, he’s an excellent teacher of basketball,” Pitino said. “He was also a terrific basketball player that got the maximum of his abilities, because he gave it all every single day, great leader.

“He showed great leadership, everybody on the team just thought he was the best guy on the team in terms of — he never said a negative word about a teammate, never said a negative word about his coaching staff, loyal to the point that you couldn’t quite believe it. His wife and children are the same way, just wonderful, wonderful people.”

Moving past John Calipari

John Calipari was Pitino’s arch nemesis when their paths crossed as rivals at Kentucky and Louisville, respectively. He saw Coach Cal’s dominance up close during their head-to-head battles, a wild run that ultimately ran its course after 15 years.

It happens, Pitino says. When it does, though, you’ve got to push your chips in on the next guy and give him the best shot at similar success.

Fortunately for Kentucky, Pope is that guy. And his former coach is excited to see what’s in store moving forward.

“Cal did a terrific job, but what happens with a lot of coaches — and there are exceptions to the rule like Bill Self and Mike Kryzyzewski — is familiarity breeds contempt. You’re there a long time, you get a little stale, you need another journey,” Pitino said on KSR. “This is now Mark Pope’s time. Cal was great to the University of Kentucky, brought them a lot of success and we wish him certainly well at Arkansas. Now it’s time to move on and have a whole different brand.”