Willie Cauley-Stein: Mark Pope is 'definitely the right guy for the job'

Willie Cauley-Stein is the definition of an all-time Kentucky Wildcat. In terms of accolades, he was a Consensus First-Team All-American, National Defensive Player of the Year, SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player, First-Team All-SEC, SEC Defensive Player of the Year and All-SEC Defensive Team honoree following the team’s historic 2014-15 season. That came after earning All-SEC Defensive Team honors as a sophomore in 2013-14 and Freshman All-SEC honors as a freshman.

He not only saw Kentucky at its peak under John Calipari, he was a major part of it. So it has to be sad to see that chapter close for the program as it transitions into a new era under Mark Pope, right?

Actually, he sees it as a good thing — bittersweet, at minimum.

For one, he’s excited for Coach Cal at Arkansas and wishes him well in Fayetteville. But he’s also rooting for Pope and believes change is a good thing for both parties.

“Obviously, I have a bunch of love and respect for Cal,” Cauley-Stein told KSR on Wednesday. “I think this is a fresh start for everybody. It’s needed at points and I think it came at the right time.”

He hasn’t met Pope, but he’s been paying close attention to his growth as a coach and move from BYU to Kentucky. And through three months in Lexington, the former No. 6 overall pick believes the program’s new leader is off to a great start — the perfect man for the job if there ever was one.

“I haven’t I haven’t got to talk to him yet, but I’ve obviously watched from afar. I think he’s definitely the right guy for the job,” he added. “I’m excited to see what he does with that platform. It’s a different animal, as he knows being there (as a player). Just to see kind of how he takes that pressure and turns it into something beautiful.”

Cauley-Stein knows Pope’s journey to Lexington as a coach after winning a national championship there as a player in 1996. The former All-American hopes the full-circle moment leads to similar success roaming the sidelines, bringing banner No. 9 to his alma mater.

“That’s the thing that every athlete that takes on a coaching role, that’s what you want to see,” he told KSR. “Like, you work your way up to this crazy opportunity and you want to see something beautiful come out of it. I see that.

“I want to see something beautiful come out of it.”