He played high school basketball at Newport High School in Bellevue, Washington. Pope’s collegiate basketball journey began at the University of Washington, where he was named the 1992 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. He later transferred to the University of Kentucky, sitting out the 1993-1994 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
Pope played a crucial role in Kentucky’s consecutive SEC championships in 1995 and 1996. As a team captain, Pope contributed to Kentucky’s national title win in the 1996 NCAA National Championship.
Pope began his coaching journey in 2009 as an assistant coach at Georgia and later at Wake Forest. He then served as the head coach at Utah Valley and Brigham Young University (BYU), achieving significant success. Pope led the Wolverines to multiple postseason appearances, including the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) in 2017, 2018, and 2019. He guided the Cougars to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2021 and 2024, and an NIT appearance in 2022.
Pope returned to the University of Kentucky as the 23rd head coach in April 2024. In his debut season, he led the Wildcats to the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Pope boasts a career record of 211-120, with his teams winning 20 or more games in seven of the last eight seasons. He’s known for his fast-paced, strategic coaching approach, which he refined during his tenure at BYU.
Pope has been assembling a strong roster for the upcoming season, attracting top transfer portal talent. His commitment to rebuilding the team has generated excitement among fans and expectations for a strong performance in the highly competitive Southeastern Conference (SEC).
