Therefore, Mark Pope hosted a midsummer press conference at the Joe Craft Center on Tuesday, when the new head men’s basketball coach for Kentucky discussed a wide range of subjects, the majority of which had nothing to do with sports.
or, more precisely, basketball in its most literal sense. Pope said nothing particularly about what takes place on that 94-foot-long by 50-foot-wide stretch of hardwood known as the basketball court. He also said nothing about offensive sets, three-point shooting, defensive strategy, or rebounding.
Rather, Pope told us how he spent two hours writing a secret song with two of his new players, one of whom was going through a difficult moment. The coach will also pay a substantial ransom to anyone who can locate the song online and email it to him. Pope begged, “Someone please get that recording because I want to hear it.”
The major in English mentioned how Dr. Joan Blythe, one of his favorite English teachers from his time at the University of the United Kingdom, would not be pleased that her former Rhodes Scholar candidate had a rule against using synonyms and colorful language for himself and his new team.
We simply repeat the same phrases over and over again, saying exactly what we mean to convey,” he remarked. “And you’re beginning to hear our guys speak to each other exactly like we do.” He discussed how he thinks of a “player-led team and a player-led organization,” which is different from a “players first” program (my explanation, not his). In this program, his players get to the point where they are responsible for one another.
Pope stated, “We think it’s best to lead from the middle, not the front.” “My voice will never be as strong as our guys’.”I
t brought to mind a statement made by three-time Super Bowl champion coach Bill Walsh, who claimed that a coach has done his job when his team reaches a point where they are unwilling to fail their teammates. Pope’s original Wildcats version, after all, is a mash-up of diverse athletes from many places and schools who share a single characteristic. They have all jumped into the same boat with unwavering trust.
