The Indiana Pacers huddled in the tunnel moments before game one of an NBA playoff series against the New York Knicks in 1998, ready to play in front of a wild, sold-out crowd at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.
The players turned to stare at Mark Pope, who had just leaped out of the huddle and reappeared a few moments later, fully clothed in an apron and chef’s cap, holding a huge pail of baked beans and a spatula.
“Let’s cook these guys,” I said. Pope cried out while his colleagues screamed with laughter.
It was a team led by a living great in coach Larry Bird and loaded with talents like Mark Jackson and Reggie Miller. However, the Pacers had an underrated forward named Pope as a secret weapon. Despite his limited playing, he
assumed responsibility for inspiring the squad during his pre-game motivational speeches, which frequently included a surprise element. Pope is remembered as “a great motivator” by guard and current Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg.
When Pope was named BYU’s 19th head basketball coach in April 2019, his inspiring qualities were evident. A 6-foot-10-inch man with a personality almost too enormous for his stature, the new coach enthralled the crowd with charm, comedy, and boundless excitement for BYU’s prospects. It was a breath of fresh air for a show that had become stale during the preceding few seasons.
And it was more than just platitudes: in Pope’s first season, the squad achieved a 24-8 record and was ranked No. 18 at the end. If the NCAA Tournament hadn’t been
The Cougars, canceled because of the epidemic, would have been a single-digit seed.
“Pope asks, ‘Why not at BYU?’ with lofty dreams.”
Pope, 48, has some experience with winning in the NCAA. He began his collegiate career as the PAC 10 freshman of the year and concluded it as a co-captain of a team that won a national championship. Later, he managed to carve out an unlikely seven-year NBA career.
NBA Hall of Famer Miller had pleasant memories of Pope’s efforts to the Pacers.
Because of his dedication to the game and his habit of arriving early to complete his work before practices, Miller describes Mark as an excellent teammate. “However, his concern for matters beyond basketball and the relationships he would inevitably form made him an even better friend.”
For Pope, relationships are crucial, since
preaches about building a team that takes pride in its unwavering competition, unity, and selflessness, and about having the “best locker room in America.” This mentality has made Pope one of the most popular names in collegiate basketball and BYU a top choice for transfer players.
Discover the second-year coach’s trip to Provo through ten windows into his life.
During his high school years, Pope was recruited by a number of schools, including BYU. Yet the native of Bellevue, Washington, decided on the adjacent University of Washington. Pope transferred to Kentucky to play under its ferociously rigorous new coach, Rick Pitino, who was trying to bring the team back from NCAA probation, after the coach was sacked after Pope’s second season.
Pope was one of the most diligent athletes Pitino, who is currently the head coach at Iona, has ever worked with.
Pope remembers that becoming a member of the Wildcats “was the hardest thing I had ever done up to that point in my life.” However, it was enchanted. Kentucky is a college basketball fan’s paradise.
During his last year, Pope helped Kentucky basketball return to its former glory, playing on one of the most formidable teams in NCAA history.
