Mark Pope talks coaching staff and roster news on Kentucky Sports Radio

Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope had his first KSR interview on Monday where he discussed his coaching staff and how the first roster is coming together.

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live at KS Bar and Grill we are now
happy to be joined on the phone by the
new coach only two weeks into the job
may seem like longer Mark Pope Mark
congrats uh and thank you for your first
appearance here on
ksr Matt I’m HED to be on man Tons of
love for you and Ryan and Drew and the
whole crew uh super super grateful for
what you guys do well thank you very
much I first of all you know we I’ve
heard you do some of your intro
interviews so I won’t repeat those
questions you mind if we talk uh some of
the details that fans I know are
interested in you good with that let’s
let’s get in the weeds man that’s what
makes uh Kentucky basketball great I
love it all right well let’s start with
your staff you added uh I think four of
the five members have been announced
looks like a couple really I know are
focused for you on recruiting we’ve got
uh Mark Fox who I I know and then the
Cody that you brought from BYU tell
people what you’re what they’re getting
in your
staff um I I love the staff so far uh
it’s it’s probably the most eclectic
staff I’ve had for sure um and I think
guys are not just bringing um unique
strengths and unique Dimensions to the
staff but also bringing them from from
wildly different categories I think the
breadth of what we have on the staff has
got me super excited we’ve you know
we’ve actually the the four of us have’
only been together now for I don’t know
72 hours maybe all together in the same
room and so it’s it’s um and and and
what’s nice is being we’ve been
recruiting so hard that we’re actually
spending a lot of time together in
situations where it just it’s just
flowing conversation and um I dig it man
I’m telling you uh I was in the room
with um with Coach figer uh long time
long time uh uh coaching partner with me
and then uh Jason Hart Who uh you know
we played together with Milwaukee Bucks
I’ve known a ever and love him and
watching those two personalities just
like bounce off each other it the the
room was electric and I’m just like this
and I was sitting back I’m like Yep this
is exactly what this is supposed to be
those just that’s one example of just
those guys making each other better and
I love it so I I dig the vibe man right
now it’s um it’s got to be great like
our job is to be great and and in the
early early early stages I’m like
there’s some Synergy here with these
guys that’s going to be really really
special it’s interesting to say you got
to be great one of the things I’ve
really liked is it feels like you’ve
embraced the call to this is Kentucky
it’s another level and I got to reach
that am I right about
that yes 100% I mean this is this is
this is the job this is the this is the
best job in college basketball it’s the
most demanding job in college basketball
it’s it’s the mecca of college
basketball there’s nowhere like it and
and with that comes this deal it’s like
hey you either got to get the job done
or you’re not you know there’s no
there’s no you know there’s no second
place guys um it’s just the reality of
this job I know full well what this is I
think I I’ve shared this a couple times
but um you know 28 years ago when I was
walking the whole length of the court to
go shot free throws and the only thing
that Ed my mind is if we if I don’t make
these free throws I will never be
allowed to cross the state line into
Kentucky again literally with fear for
physical harm that was the only thought
going through my mind I get it like we
say this all the time but we understand
the assignment and we’re embracing it
and and it’s terrifying and that makes
it beautiful that’s why this place is
special that’s why we’re just so elated
to be here let’s talk roster I know you
there are some things you can and can’t
talk about so I’ll just do big picture
you have by my count six guys now on
your roster for next year how do you
feel about what you have how do you feel
about what you’re what you’re trying to
get you feel good about these next
couple weeks and do you expect to fill
up all 13
slots yes so you’re smarter than me I’m
have to I’m have to take those questions
one at a time uh so I’m really excited
about where we are today um I think that
um it’s it’s a little bit the way I feel
about the staff you know this is really
artistic I think putting together a
staff and putting together a roster have
a similarity that it’s very artistic it
is puzzle pieces and with every new
piece it kind of changes the picture
where you have to readjust the next you
know what you’re looking for in the next
piece and you don’t there’s so many
factors you don’t have control of you
don’t have control over timing sometimes
about when a a player is going to commit
uh you don’t always have control over
you know if he’s gonna commit and and
and so you you know uh on our big board
right now we’re actually working with 29
guys that we’ve really really zeroed in
on and every time somebody breaks a
little bit in our direction or maybe
Fades a little bit out of our direction
as we do more research more
reconnaissance and hear more information
about guys and how they’re built it
doesn’t just change the picture for that
player it changes the picture for all 20
you know almost 30 guys and and so I’m
I’m elated with where we are right now
we got a ton of work to do um we we we
feel like we’re really close in a lot of
areas uh I feel like we’re spending an
inordinate amount of time as a staff um
late nights early mornings kind of like
we just keep talking it through talking
through talking through just make sure
that we get the the right collection and
we’re happy with where we are right now
uh and excited about the coming weeks do
you think you’ll fill up the entire will
use will you use all 13
scholarships um you know we’re gonna see
so um I’ll give you an example the way
that we work so um I knew that we had to
to to put this staff together really
really fast okay and I I I kind of
zeroed in on a short list of guys and
ended up with actually the four four
guys that I was desperate to get and
then we’re taking a little pause I have
some more people to add to this staff
but I need to take a little pause right
now and just kind of see how our pieces
are fitting together and and then we’ll
go light speed again but it’s like a
surgical pause um where you just you
just get a chance to breathe it in and
see exactly where you are and what you
need and and so I imagine that as we get
to that place um there’ll be a lot of
things that come into play for example
you know you know I don’t know how fast
we can get to 10 or 11 or 12 but you
know if if we get there before um this
draft deadline you know we definitely
will take a pause just because we’re
going to leave some room open in case
you know we’re talking to a bunch of
guys that are in that category and so
we’re gonna have to we’re gonna have to
leave a little bit of space but we’re
not going to leave too much space
because there’s really talented players
that actually sit us and fit together
now and so that’s gonna probably our
evaluation that is going to change every
day like our evaluation everything is as
you put pieces together it changes the
picture you uh you you’ve been Matt Matt
how about how about that for like a
two-minute answer they didn’t really say
anything but that’s actually that’s
actually really the truth no no I
believe that I mean you guys I was I’m
fascinated to hear you have 29 when you
say you have a big board is it like I
see we had the NFL draft this weekend I
mean do you kind of have okay tier a
tier B tierc I mean you don’t have to do
that kind of how you look at it or is it
just sort of hodge podge well so we got
two things one we have a right now in in
my office I have a a giant white board
that we rolled in here unfortunately one
of the wheels on the right on the white
board is broken and it’s driving me
crazy like my new EA Megan Summers like
she’s aite level but if she can’t get
this wheel fixed we’re gonna have a
problem like we can’t we can’t roll this
thing around man I understand like we
got I’m trying so but we have it on the
big board and we’re making um I have a
huge push to go digital as digital as we
can and so we also have um several
series of of uh Google Docs uh please
please uh uh BBN don’t try and break the
code on our on our you know privately
shared Google Docs we need to keep some
of this in house I probably shouldn’t
even mention that there’s gonna be some
like no no no you shouldn’t do that it’s
just like coach Brooks screwed up and
put your plane tail the other day you
got to be careful about that
stuff so we gota we know we’ll figure
all that out but um so but it is and
it’s actually you know uh we have you
know five different colors and and
several different markings uh you know
and it looks more like a cloud than it
does a roster chart in terms of what
we’re doing on the board but it’s just
because this is a very artistic organic
process that’s the way that’s the way we
operate like I think teams are a
beautiful thing man because they’re
living and they’re Dynamic and they they
they kind of it’s it’s it’s it’s like a
living organism and so it it it it if
you walked in and you sat with us and
heard us talk you would feel like wow
this seat seems really messy but as you
get through the mess man something
really beautiful comes out of it all
right let me go through some kind of uh
quicker questions I get asked a lot your
scheduling you mentioned you’d like to
play St John’s Rick patino then said yes
are we playing St John’s next year yeah
so well we’re actually having a
scheduling meeting tomorrow in fact you
guys want to to you know we can bring
you in live we’ll just do the whole okay
I like it okay I think people would
enjoy
that no so coach foxes uh coach foxes uh
we’re we’re right now we’re in triage
mode which is just so guys you know um I
love the idea of startup companies I
actually love it I love the the rush of
like being an infant stage of building
because you you you never get to sleep
there’s there’s nine billion things on
the list and you only get to like three
of them and so we’re in triage right now
about like our priorities are this staff
in this roster and so a lot of super
important things um have been pushed to
like three and four and those two things
are so critical and crucial right now
that that the other stuff is just going
to have to wait even though it deserves
attention right now it’s just we got to
keep focused on the most important
things being the most important thing so
we’re going to have our first real
schedu meting tomorrow I don’t know if
we’ll make final decisions I’ve actually
talked to Coach P um and he he trust me
he he knows his business better than
anybody he has a good idea of like what
we’re going through right now and so um
I think that would be super fun for uh
for Big Blue Nation I think it’d be
really fun for St John it would be
really incredibly special to me and and
uh and so that’s something we’re going
to work on but we’ll make progress you
know this roster and staff first we’ll
get the scheduling here in the in the
coming weeks uh let me ask you about in
in ter terms of in the future you know
we Kentucky over the last few years
gotten a ton of of of Highly touted
freshmen starting I know this year
that’s tougher because where you’re
coming in but is your plan on the next
few years are you going after the top
tier freshman I mean I know you want
guys that fit your system but do you
still plan on going after those Elite
top 10 to 15 kind of
guys 100% this is this is the University
of Kentucky right um that is a a a
massively important component of
building uh I mean come on Kentucky is
Kentucky of being not building but being
what Kentucky is um is having the most
talented players in the world uh the
most talented high school players in the
world come be a part of this so that
will always be a very important staple
it was important for Jo beh Hall it was
important for Rick patino it was
important for for you know every coach
to come through it clear it was really
important for cal cal actually you know
Cal redefine the process of being to do
that in in his incredible contribution
to the University of Kentucky and so um
that’s a that’s a huge part of what
we’ll do um and the portal is also you
know we’re we’re also in a brand new era
guys like the the portal and N rules are
different this year than they were last
year this is a brand new era and so so
you know we’re really fortunate to be at
the University of Kentucky I’ll never
get tired of saying that gentlemen um
the University of Kentucky as this new
era comes also and that adds a whole new
dimension to to this this this
incredible stew that you that you that
you concoct of of putting together a
great roster and so that’s going to be a
huge piece also do you let’s talk nil
obviously that’s a huge thing now maybe
one of the biggest things in in getting
players do you feel like Kentucky as of
today is in a place to be able to
compete with every program in the
country from an nil
perspective yeah um the the short answer
is
yes um the longer answer is is we are
growing and we need to grow desperately
fast um nil is is a massive massively
important part of the landscape of
College athletics and certainly at
Kentucky basketball it is it is
massively important it’s going to be one
of the factors is going to be one of the
foundational factors in in whether we
can hang banners or not that there’s no
two ways about it guys there’s no way to
get around that and so it’s wildly
important um we we are in a in a solid
spot right now we know uh that we need
to grow and grow really fast the
beautiful thing about Kentucky is that
um we have some really really really
significant capable donors uh that are
that are um making a big difference in
what we do but what we have that no one
else in the country has is we have Big
Blue Nation man and and and if we can
find the right ways to harness the
ownership that this state and Big Blue
Nation around the world has of this team
uh then we’re going to be just fine and
and uh and that’s my job that’s my job
is I have to you know I have to
Galvanize this entire fan base to jump
behind this and and and and it’s it’s
not just ownership in in word or or or I
IDE but it’s actually ownership in terms
of participation also and that’s how
we’re going to roll man that’s why this
place is special that’s why it makes us
different than everyone else well let me
help you with that there’s the you I
think are doing an event if I’m correct
where people who are part of Club blue
the club blue nil thing can meet you am
I right about that yeah so um listen
this is uh you know it’s like it’s like
a sorry guys if you need to get that if
that’s somebody important I understand
if there’s a player that other line I’m
actually I’m actually at my assistant
gra is right here will will you tell him
I’m call right back okay no no listen if
that’s important Mark we’ll wait I I I’m
I don’t want you to miss out no no we’re
gonna be we’ll be we’ll be absolutely
fine we can handle this right now um
this is actually what we’re talking
about right now hey what we’re talking
about right now is probably the most
important thing okay so um listen Club
blue is real like this club blue is is
is this is the focal point of our whole
nil life right now um we have some
amazing people that are that are helping
to uh to to run this um it is a there is
no overhead with this program it is 100%
of the money goes exactly where we
wanted to go and so we’re holding our
first uh kind of um meet the team event
it’s going to be June 15 uh there will
be details we’re hoping that we’re going
to almost have a completed roster by
then we should be
done if not completed and it’ll be our
first kind of opportunity to spend time
with the team and so we’re making a push
right now um for for as many people in
Big Blue Nation that can join Club blue
you will make a very tangible direct
impact on this program and so the
event’s going to be June 15th anyone who
subscribes to to Club blue before May
15th is going to be invited I’m hoping
that rup is too small actually to hold
this group of people I’m hoping we have
to move into the football stadium that
would be my goal or or maybe Keenan
maybe we do it on the fairgrounds um you
know I’m hoping it has to be that big a
venue but if you let me explain to
people how to do it Mark yeah Club blue
nil clubl nil.com if you have to
subscribe by May 15th there’ll be a meet
and greet with Mark the players
giveaways Etc if you subscribe by May
15th the event is June 15th Mark and
they will meet Club blue nil you is that
is that correct Matt you said that way
better than I was there but that’s
exactly right Club blue nil just go on
click join Club blue there’s a hundred
different options but be a part of this
this is our team like that’s what makes
it special I hope everybody jumps on
let’s do this together yeah I don’t
remember ever them doing an event like
the there there was one event where they
had the practice but I don’t think I’ve
ever seen a meet and greet with the
basketball program so that will be June
15th do you remember markk in 1997 you
worked with WLEX you obviously mentioned
Cutler at the press conference do you
remember Ryan lmon who’s sitting here
next to me come on R Ryan is a legend
are you kidding me like like guys what
are we talking about so I’m just hoping
I’m just hoping that Ryan has forgot
some of the totally stupid stuff we did
on on that true oh no I
Haven you have not forgotten no no no no
no not at all Ryan has a question
unfortunate for me like like every good
reporter I I have a follow-up question
go for okay my first question mark is
kind of the serious question I just got
to know one thing can you tell me who’s
in the house
tonight UK let’s
baby my second question will uh I’ve
said for 28 years my most favorite
moment covering the cats has nothing to
do with happen on the court it’s when
that bus rolled into rup arena in 96 and
a lot of memories and a lot of talk
since you got the jobs been pointing
back to that era can you just talk about
that special moment and what has your 96
group chat been like since you got the
job yeah so um it’s uh yeah guys I mean
listen there’s there’s no words and the
fact that we got to run it back uh with
I think even a bigger you know I I think
there were more people actually Seated
on the court than there were when he
came back in in in 96 um there’s just no
words it just is you know I I’ve said
this a lot um since then about the the
press conference driving back in into
the building 28 years later um that that
that deal at rup had really nothing to
do with me that had to do with Big Blue
Nation coming in that building and
looking each other and putting putting
arms around each other and sharing love
with each other and saying we’re still
here man and this is real and and and
that again is like that is you know
people are going to try and recreate
that people going to try and mimic that
but that that just is that’s unique to
that’s unique to Kentucky and um and so
I it’s I feel all the you know I feel
all of the beauty of that and the fact
that I got to be a part of that and
share that with everybody in BBN was
super cool that was a special day by the
way to just a couple weeks ago I hope I
mean I hope you realiz I know you do
Mark but I hope you felt that that day
and r i mean along with like the
National Championship in 2012 that’s as
special a day as I can remember I hope
you app I hope you felt that yeah I I
definitely did and you also feel the
burden of the responsibility right um
and you also feel that you also it’s
interesting because you feel the burden
of responsibility but you also feel like
we are not in this alone I mean I don’t
know if anybody gets to walk in the job
and feel like I think you usually walk
in the job and feel like the whole
world’s on your shoulders which we feel
here but I also feel like I’m looking
around the room and I’m like there’s
22,000 people and there’s all my guys
from 96 and all the guys from 98 and all
the guys from 2012 and all the guys in
between and before and after and all
these fans like all of us all of us
together are living and dying by every
moment that is so guys I’m telling you
it just is it’s a beautiful thing well
we want to have you in in here so that
we can talk to you for a longer session
but we knew you were busy thank you for
making the time I’m sure we’ll get to
talk to you again very soon Club blue
nil to get to help with the roster and
to meet Mark and the team on June 15th
mark thank you very much and go get us
some more
players guys super happy be on and great
listen I I’m telling you I love I’m so
incredibly grateful for the storytellers
of these guys journey and like I I know
that you guys are speaking to every
person every BBN uh faithful in every
barber shop and every bar around the the
state of Kentucky and around the world
and I’m grateful for you guys telling
their story it’s super powerful man it’s
it brings us all together so Greatful
what you guys do thank you Mark good
luck to you and appreciate you coming on
Mark Pope the new coach here the
University of Kentucky