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Kentucky names alum Mark Pope as new men's basketball coach

Related Topics: Mark Pope, Mitch Barnhart, Kentucky

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Mark Pope is officially Kentucky's new men's basketball coach, the school announced Friday.

Pope was a captain on Kentucky's 1996 national championship team and has been the head coach at BYU for the past five seasons. Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart opted for Pope after several high-profile candidates turned down the job or distanced themselves from the search.

"Mark Pope not only brings an impressive record in nine years as a head coach, but also a love of the University of Kentucky and a complete understanding of what our program means to the people of our state," Barnhart said.