Shots fired up University Parkway 👀

Rick Pitino wholeheartedly endorses Mark Pope as the new head coach at Kentucky.

'Mark Pope will go on to greatness. You can put it down.'

Big things coming for Mark Madsen at Cal 👀

You still up? Come hang out with Jake Hatch (Yawk) jakehatch.bsky.social and I to talk about Mark Pope and Kentucky: youtube.com/live/e2HF60HoN…

Mark Pope's offer from Kentucky is a five-year deal worth an average of $5.5 million annually, per the inestimable Matt Norlander.

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A group of SMU donors convinced the Ponies to give up all of their TV money for 9 years to go to the ACC, and now Mark Pope is leaving BYU for Kentucky.

College sports, everyone.

To quote Ross Dellenger: 🥃 🥃

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Mitch Barnhart ID'd Mark Pope as a candidate for the UK job three days ago, per a source. This was not an impromptu decision on Thursday. Pope had a previously arranged meeting with UK for earlier today that was set days ago in the event higher-tier candidates fell through.

I've covered Mark Pope as much as anyone in his career, from his days as an assistant to Dave Rose to Utah Valley and back as head coach at BYU.

He's as stand-up as they come, and Kentucky has themselves a great hire, if this all goes through.

Breaking news: Kentucky has lined up BYU's Mark Pope to be its next coach, sources tell CBS Sports. Nothing is signed at this hour but the sides are quickly working toward a deal and hope to get it done by the end of the night.

ksl.com/article/509773…

Pope, who led the Cougars to a 23-11 record and an NCAA Tournament bid in their first year in the Big 12, is under contract at BYU through the 2026-27 season.

Sources: BYU's Mark Pope is a candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Kentucky.

Pope was a member of the 1996 national title team in Lexington.

Current Bulls coach Billy Donovan is the new odds-on favorite to be the next HC at Kentucky at +220, with BYU's Mark Pope not far back at +900 per Bet Kentucky.

'Auburn's Bruce Pearl, Illinois' Brad Underwood, Xavier's Sean Miller, Florida's Todd Golden, Iowa State's T.J. Otzelberger and BYU's Mark Pope would appear to emerge as the next tier,' per ESPN.

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BREAKING: Scott Drew has passed on Kentucky’s offer and will remain at Baylor, source tells CBS Sports.

Kyle Taylor, who has moved on to Coastal Carolina, went 143-20 in 5 seasons with 5 trips to the NJCAA national tournament at SLCC.

Heck of a hire by the Bruins to replace him with Rice, who coached at BYU, Utah State and most recently, CBU.

The former Westlake High standout also averaged 11.0 ppg, 3.6 apg, 3.4 rpg, 1.4 steals in 2022-23 at Southern Utah.

NJCAA second-team All-American at Snow. #JUCOProduct

Former Cedar High standout is in the portal after redshirting his freshman season at Utah State. The 6-foot-8, 218-pound wing chose the Aggies over interest from SUU and BYU (and following a two-year church mission in Minneapolis).