Basketball Coaching Carousel

[GoBearcats31]

Pete Thamel — Sources: Texas Tech is targeting Wyoming head coach Jeff Linder as the top assistant on Grant McCasland’s men’s basketball staff. Sides are close to a deal, which is expected to be announced soon.

[GoBearcats31]

@MattNorlander:

NEWS: Top Baylor assistant Alvin Brooks III is leaving the Bears to join Mark Pope's staff at Kentucky, sources tell @CBSSports. He spent the past eight years under Scott Drew and will be associate HC @ UK. Brooks is highly respected in the profession. It's a major coup for Pope.

Link Academy head coach Bill Armstrong is headed to Baylor as an assistant.

I think the the Link to UC pipeline wasn't really a thing, but I'm pretty sure now UC won't have any more of a shot at a Link kid as anyone else...

[GoBearcats31]

@MattNorlander:

NEWS: Top Baylor assistant Alvin Brooks III is leaving the Bears to join Mark Pope's staff at Kentucky, sources tell @CBSSports. He spent the past eight years under Scott Drew and will be associate HC @ UK. Brooks is highly respected in the profession. It's a major coup for Pope.

[GoBearcats31]

Matt Graves, associate head coach at Indiana State, will be the next ISU head coach.

Indiana State is adding New Orleans HC Mark Slessinger (an Indiana native) as associate head coach. I believe this is at least the second instance in this cycle of a smaller program's coach leaving for an assistant gig. Similar to what we saw in football. I wouldn't be surprised if the portal/NIL is a factor here. Obviously ISU will have guys poached by bigger programs, but probably hard at the lower programs where any talented player you bring in will transfer up.

[red_n_black_attack]

That ends that version of Musical Chairs:

1. SMU fired Rob Lanier and hired Andy Enfield from USC (while Rice fired Scott Pera and hired Lanier);
2. USC hired Eric Musselman from AR;
3. AR hired John Calipari from KY;
4. KY hired Mark Pope from BYU;
5. BYU hired an NBA assistant.

Someone will need to become the top paid assisstant in the NBA.

[swilsonsp4]

Phoenix Suns assistant Kevin Young is likely the next BYU coach, per various reports

That ends that version of Musical Chairs:

1. SMU fired Rob Lanier and hired Andy Enfield from USC (while Rice fired Scott Pera and hired Lanier);
2. USC hired Eric Musselman from AR;
3. AR hired John Calipari from KY;
4. KY hired Mark Pope from BYU;
5. BYU hired an NBA assistant.

[Lobot]

Phoenix Suns assistant Kevin Young is likely the next BYU coach, per various reports

Just announced. Done deal.

[GoBearcats31]

Phoenix Suns assistant Kevin Young is likely the next BYU coach, per various reports

[bearcatjd]

Well at least it wasn't Quick Rick Pitino!

[GoBearcats31]

Kentucky makes it official

https://ukathletics.com/news/2024/04/12/mark-pope-named-head-coach-of-kentucky-mens-basketball/

[bearcatbret]

I would suspect that BYU takes a step back next year. I wonder how all of those "Way too Early" polls will change now.

[GoBearcats31]

Matt Norlander

Breaking news: Kentucky has lined up BYU's Mark Pope to be its next coach, sources tell @CBSSports. Nothing is signed at this hour but the sides are quickly working toward a deal and hope to get it done by the end of the night.

[JBB]

UK should consider a proven winner currently not coaching
”The Bob Huggins”. Hey they would have take the baggage, but honestly is Pitino a better choice? At least a consideration……..thoughts???

[Lobot]

@JonRothstein -- Sources: BYU's Mark Pope is a candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Kentucky. Pope was a member of the 1996 national title team in Lexington

This one's a no brainer to me and I think this is the end of their search.

[GoBearcats31]

@JonRothstein -- Sources: BYU's Mark Pope is a candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Kentucky. Pope was a member of the 1996 national title team in Lexington