It is expected that Mark Pope will be announced as the new head coach of the men’s basketball team, according to multiple reports. BYU will host a press conference regarding the hire at 3:00 p.m. today.
Utah Valley's Mark Pope, a former Cougar assistant, is expected to be named @BYUbasketball's next head coach. @drewjay's developing story lays it all out: https://t.co/yUlcTISizC pic.twitter.com/C0ETtUFP81
— Salt Lake Tribune Sports (@sltribsports) April 10, 2019
Reports indicate BYU men's basketball has hired UVU's Mark Pope as its head coach.
If reports are true, @jaromjordan believes hiring Pope is a great choice.#BYUSN pic.twitter.com/RatZwUtNJY
— BYU Sports Nation (@BYUSportsNation) April 10, 2019
#BREAKING Pope comes to BYU as new head coach for their men's basketball coach.https://t.co/vtWy6bLvPn
— KSL Newsradio (@kslnewsradio) April 10, 2019
Pope would come to BYU after a four-year tenure with Utah Valley University. During potentially his final season with the Wolverines, Pope lead UVU to an 11-4 non-conference record, the best non-conference record the school has ever seen. UVU boasted a 22-game winning streak at home during the season, the second-longest in the nation during the 2018-19 campaign.
Under the direction of Pope, Wolverines junior guard Jake Toolson received an AP All-American honorable mention, just the second player in UVU men’s basketball history to receive the accolade. In addition, Toolson was the first ever UVU men’s basketball player to receive WAC Player of the Year honors, while his teammate, Wyatt Lowell, became the first freshman in program history to receive WAC Freshman of the Year honors.
One interesting element to BYU hiring Mark Pope: WAC Player of the Year Jake Toolson of UVU, former BYU player, graduates this spring but still has a year of eligibility remaining, could follow Pope back to BYU and be immediately eligible to play in 2019-20. All speculative.
— Jay Drew (@drewjay) April 10, 2019
Pope was an assistant to former BYU men’s basketball head coach Dave Rose from 2011-2015, in addition to previously serving as an assistant coach at Wake Forest. The native of Omaha, Nebraska, also held the position of director of basketball operations at the University of Georgia during the 2009-10 season.
