The story of Mark Pope has already become a beloved part of Kentucky basketball lore. Long before he became the head coach of the Wildcats, Pope was on the road to becoming a doctor. He was deep into medical school when he made a dramatic life pivot — dropping out and begging his way onto Mark Fox’s coaching staff just to stay close to the game he loved.
Pope has since joked that he “would have been a terrible doctor,” a confession he shared recently on the Field of 68 podcast. For Big Blue Nation, that decision looks like one of the best twists of fate in program history.
But here’s the part most fans don’t know: Pope isn’t the only almost-doctor connected to this year’s Kentucky team.
From Med School to the Paint: Meet Andrija Jelavic
Newcomer forward Andrija Jelavic has a backstory nearly as fascinating as his head coach’s. In a recent interview with the UK Sports Network, the skilled Croatian big man revealed that he too was on a path toward studying medicine before committing full-time to basketball.
Jelavic, who spent last season playing with KK Mega and gained valuable experience against top competition, now finds himself in Lexington ready to be a key frontcourt weapon. If his trajectory on the court mirrors Pope’s rise on the sideline, Kentucky fans could be looking at another program-defining figure.
The Athlete-to-Doctor Pipeline
While it might sound rare, athletes pursuing medicine is more common than you think — especially in professional football. Several former NFL stars have gone on to make headlines in hospitals and medical schools:
Dr. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif: Won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs and graduated medical school during his playing career.
Dr. Myron Rolle: Former Florida State star turned Tennessee Titans safety, now a neurosurgery resident at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Samkon Gado: Former Green Bay Packers running back who is now an Otolaryngology specialist.
Like those athletes, both Pope and Jelavic share the discipline, focus, and work ethic that medicine demands — qualities that just might be the secret weapon for Kentucky’s 2025-26 championship chase.
Why This Matters for Kentucky
Kentucky isn’t just getting a coach and a forward who know X’s and O’s — they have two men who know what it means to fully commit to a dream. That type of mindset is contagious in a locker room, and it’s exactly what Kentucky will need if they want to raise a banner next spring.
Big Blue Nation may just find that the Wildcats’ best prescription for a title is a pair of almost-doctors leading the way.
