Kentucky’s Calipari to Sign 5-Year Deal with Arkansas: Mark Pope to Take Over Wildcats Program

After 15 successful seasons at Kentucky, head coach John Calipari is set to embark on a new chapter in his coaching career as he finalizes a five-year deal to become the next men’s basketball head coach at Arkansas. This move comes after Calipari led the Wildcats to a 410-123 record, four Final Four appearances, and a national championship in 2012 during his tenure.

Replacing Calipari at Kentucky will be former Wildcats player and current Brigham Young coach Mark Pope. Pope, who played for Kentucky from 1994-1996 and won a national championship with the team, has compiled an impressive coaching record at BYU, with a 110-52 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances in five seasons.

Kentucky’s Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart expressed confidence in Pope, stating that the Wildcats are “working diligently to hire a proven, highly dedicated coach who embraces the importance of this program to our fans and the state of Kentucky.” The decision to hire Pope comes after Kentucky considered Baylor head coach Scott Drew for the job, but Drew ultimately decided to stay with the Bears.

As Pope takes the reins at Kentucky, he will face the challenge of navigating roster changes, with several players already making decisions to leave the program. Despite the uncertainty, Pope’s experience as a player and coach, along with his ties to the Kentucky program, make him a promising choice to lead the Wildcats into a new era of success.

Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story as Pope prepares to take over the helm at Kentucky and Calipari begins his new journey at Arkansas.