How Pope, Young have fared in their first two years as head coach at Kentucky, BYU

It’s been nearly two years since Mark Pope left the BYU basketball program for the head coaching position at the University of Kentucky.

Let’s see how his two seasons at Kentucky have compared with his previous head coaching position.

Pope taking the Kentucky job came with pressure and expectations relatively new to him, at least from a coaching standpoint. His previous two stops, UVU and BYU, both are solid programs, but historically haven’t had the same success as Kentucky.

John Calipari was the head coach at Kentucky before Pope, and had an incredible 15-season run with the program. Calipari won the 2012 NCAA championship with the Wildcats and recruited countless high-end NBA talents.

Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, Bam Adebayo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are just a few of the many stars Calipari was able to bring through Lexington, proving himself to be one of the best recruiters in college basketball history.

Pope was considered a solid fit for the job, having success at both UVU and BYU, and being a former player and captain on the 1996 NCAA championship winning team at Kentucky.

One question many had with Pope was if he would be able to bring the same level of talent to Lexington as Calipari. That still remains a question mark in his first two seasons with the program.

Let’s take a look at how the recruiting landscape has shaped out for Pope at Kentucky and Kevin Young at BYU.

Kentucky 2024-25 recruiting class 

Most notable transfer portal additions or recruits for Pope in his first season with Kentucky: Four-star freshman Travis Perry, four-star Brandon Garrison from OSU, four-star Jaxson Robinson from BYU, four-star Otega Oweh from Oklahoma, four-star Lamont Butler from San Diego State, and four-star Koby Brea from Dayton

According to On3 recruiting, Kentucky had the 41st overall recruiting class.

BYU 2024-25 recruiting class

Most notable transfer portal additions or recruits for Kevin Young in his first season with BYU: Five-star prospect Egor Demin from Russia, four-star freshman prospect Kanon Catchings, four-star Mawot Mag from Rutgers and three-star Keba Keita from Utah.

According to On3 recruiting, BYU had the 22nd overall recruiting class.

How the 2024-25 season played out for each program

On a short turnaround from leaving BYU, Pope was able to put together a solid roster in his first season with the Wildcats.

This Kentucky roster was laden with experience, with Oweh, Robinson, Brea and Butler being the Wildcats' top four leaders in points per game, while all being transfers.

Pope’s strategy paid dividends in his first year with the Wildcats, going 24-12 and reaching the Sweet 16 as a No. 3 seed.

Although Pope didn’t have the best recruiting class on paper, his first year with the program should definitely be considered a success.

The BYU basketball program in its first season under Young went 26-10, while also picking up a Sweet 16 appearance.

Young brought BYU one of its best recruiting classes on paper to the program, and future NBA talent Demin.

For a program who just lost its long tenured head coach, Young seemed up to the challenge in his first year as replacement.

Kentucky 2025-26 recruiting class

In his second year with Kentucky, Pope was able to add the following notable players recruiting or through the transfer portal: Four-star Kam Williams from Tulane, four-star Denzel Aberdeen from Florida, four-star Mouhamed Dioubate from Alabama, four-star Jaland Lowe from Pitt, five- star Jayden Quaintance from Arizona State.

Kentucky finished the 2025 offseason with the 16th best class in the country according to On3, a 25-spot jump from the previous year.

Pope was able to show what he could do with the resources that Kentucky offered; still not on par with his predecessor Calipari, but a step in the right direction for the program.

BYU 2025-26 recruiting class

Young showed his recruiting acumen in his second year with the Cougars. Young was able to bring in the highly touted, No. 1 overall prospect, AJ Dybantsa, who more than likely could be the first overall pick in the NBA draft.

Young, with Dybantsa, was able to add talent through the portal, highlighted by four-stars Rob Wright and Kennard Davis.

On3 ranked BYU with the 24th overall class in 2025, a two spot drop from the previous year, but Young brought in a talent like Dybantsa, likely the best recruit in the school's history.

How the 2025-26 season played out for each program

Pope’s highest rated transfer recruit, Jayden Quaintance, only played four games for the Wildcats before being shut down for the season due to a knee injury.

Quaintance is projected to go top 20 in the NBA draft come June. He was expected to have his best collegiate season yet, after transferring from Arizona State. His size and talent could have paid dividends for the Wildcats, but his impact will forever be a question mark.

The Wildcats went 22-14 and were a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament. 2024 offseason Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh was a standout for Pope after withdrawing his name from the NBA draft. Oweh averaged 18.6 points per game, the leading scorer on this year's team.

Oweh scored 35 points and hit one of the most memorable shots in the 2026 NCAA tournament, helping lead Kentucky into what was an overtime victory over Santa Clara.

After defeating Santa Clara, Kentucky lost to No. 2 seed Iowa State, letting the game get away from them and therefore ending a highly anticipated season in a disappointing way.

The Cougars on the other hand, had the highest expectations in program history, with the most talented player to ever play for the school, Dybantsa.

BYU started the season on a red-hot run, going 16-1 and at their peak, being ranked as the No. 7 team in the country.

The Cougars ended the year on a rough patch, going 7-11 in the final 18 games. The Cougars, like Kentucky, went through many season-ending injuries that impacted the play on the court.

Most notably, BYU senior star Richie Saunders tore his ACL, losing his 3- point shooting, and tenacious defense, limiting how well the team could perform the rest of the year.

The No. 6 seeded Cougars ended the year with a 23-12 record and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament against Texas.

It was a very disappointing season relative to expectations, despite the incredible play of freshman Dybantsa, who averaged 25.5 points per game.

Both teams struggled to close the season and fell short of their preseason hype.

Where the programs go from here 

With Pope at Kentucky, there is an increased level of pressure to have a talented, successful team each season; especially since taking over for Calipari.

Rumors have circulated about whether Pope is the right fit for the job in Lexington, but his third season as head coach of the program will be paramount to deciding what his future looks like with the school.

Pope will inevitably have to have a breakout season with the Wildcats to uphold the reputation of a blue blood like Kentucky.

Young’s program, on the other hand, fell short this season, but BYU continues to bring in talented players, especially freshmen. Young has brought in some of the most talented and NBA ready players that the Cougars have ever seen, but expectations will continue to increase while the talent level is high in Provo.

Both coaches have had highs and lows in their respective first two years, but the pressure will only increase as more high-end players continue to play for these teams.

BYU and Kentucky fans should feel confident in their respective schools future, but postseason success will be the deciding factor.