Predictions For BYU Coach Mark Pope?
- Thread starter gymman1031
- Start date
Mark is a great kid. He’ll be good no matter what happens. Wish him nothing but luck!
Mixed thoughts. Feel like he'll be at BYU a little while longer, but probably not his final head coaching gig.
I don't see him leaving BYU for essentially a lateral move. And with BYU moving to the Big 12, arguably the best conference in the country, I don't see with him taking just any job from a power school. He was an assistant at Wake Forest and pretty sure he didn't even interview for that opening. I'd say the same for Georgia. He did interview for the Arizona opening, but that would clearly be a step up. Georgia and Wake are lateral moves.
Also, keep in mind that this is his 11th year in the Provo-Orem area. His kids are being raised there. His wife is a BYU alum. He's going to need a tremendous offer to uproot his family from there. He would leave for Kentucky in a heartbeat, no question. Still feel like someone like Chris Holtmann is going to have more clout whenever Kentucky is looking for a new coach.
Ultimately, I feel like Pope is a very ambitious guy. He's going to want to coach the best athletes he can. He's been relatively successful in recruiting non-LDS guys over to BYU, like Alex Barcello and Matt Haarms. But, he's also fully aware that a lot of recruits aren't the slightest bit interested in BYU, because of the honor code. He obviously wouldn't have to worry about that hurdle at a school like Oregon or Maryland, and perhaps that's enough to lure him away.
I don't see him leaving BYU for essentially a lateral move. And with BYU moving to the Big 12, arguably the best conference in the country, I don't see with him taking just any job from a power school. He was an assistant at Wake Forest and pretty sure he didn't even interview for that opening. I'd say the same for Georgia. He did interview for the Arizona opening, but that would clearly be a step up. Georgia and Wake are lateral moves.
Also, keep in mind that this is his 11th year in the Provo-Orem area. His kids are being raised there. His wife is a BYU alum. He's going to need a tremendous offer to uproot his family from there. He would leave for Kentucky in a heartbeat, no question. Still feel like someone like Chris Holtmann is going to have more clout whenever Kentucky is looking for a new coach.
Ultimately, I feel like Pope is a very ambitious guy. He's going to want to coach the best athletes he can. He's been relatively successful in recruiting non-LDS guys over to BYU, like Alex Barcello and Matt Haarms. But, he's also fully aware that a lot of recruits aren't the slightest bit interested in BYU, because of the honor code. He obviously wouldn't have to worry about that hurdle at a school like Oregon or Maryland, and perhaps that's enough to lure him away.
Cal is 62 years old, I think, so he can coach at UK 8 more year if he wants. Mark may want to coach elsewhere before he jumps into the hot water at Lexington.
Just my opinion.
One must remember that the nationally-known Washington Mormon Temple is near College Park, Maryland. That may not make a bit of a difference to Mark, though.
Mark was the ideal student / athlete. Won a natty and a rhodes scholar. He's going to be coaching a long time. I never thought he would go into coaching. And he's been very good at it.
Not sure if there are enough women in Lexington worth having for 3-5 wives either.
