Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope is once again navigating a stretch of early-season turbulence, and his overthinking may be contributing to the Wildcats’ uneven play.
The theme is not new. After Kentucky’s win over Troy in March 2025, Pope discussed the ongoing challenge of staying grounded in the moment.
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“It’s a battle all of us face and never totally win,” he said of trying to keep his players focused when games became unexpectedly tight. “We talk about being present all the time, but that’s a battle. It’s not something you do 100 percent. It’s every single minute, you’re trying to talk yourself off a ledge.”
Pope noted that the struggle applies to himself as much as his players.
“I’m fighting so hard to keep bringing myself back to not taking on the magnitude of the history and all the things that are just too big. They all turn out to be distractions.”
His staff has been part of the effort to keep him grounded. Pope credited assistant coach Mikhail McLean for stepping in during a preparation day, recalling,
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“He settled me down. He’s like, ‘Coach, we’ve had more time to prepare than we normally have. We’re too much in the weeds. You’ve got to breathe right now, and we’re going to be good. Just be in this moment.’”
Pope has spoken openly about simplifying his life in other ways as well. In October, he explained the practical reason behind shaving his head.
“Decision fatigue is real,” he said. “I just do it so I don’t have to look in the mirror too much because sometimes looking at the mirror can be depressing for me, and because it makes my life super simple.”
Still, on-court results have added pressure. After Kentucky fell to Michigan State, Pope said the team’s performance was a reflection of breakdowns in communication.
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“It’s a work in progress. I gotta do a better job. My messaging is not resonating with the guys right now, and that is my responsibility,” he said. “We are not playing like our teams play, and that is my communication issue and it’s a place we gotta work.”
The most recent setback came in a 94–59 loss to Gonzaga, Kentucky’s fourth loss of the 2025–26 season. Asked if players were trying to do too much to compensate, Pope pointed inward. “It’s all coming from me. It’s on me,” he said.
Pope is now 29–16 through two seasons at Kentucky, including a 24–12 debut year that featured a Sweet 16 run and a school-record eight wins over top-15 opponents. This season, however, the Wildcats sit at 5–4 with losses to Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina, and Gonzaga.
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As the season continues, the program faces the task of regaining consistency and identity. At a program with Kentucky’s historic expectations, a head coach cannot afford to be indecisive or overextend themselves, as they are responsible for guiding the entire team, especially at a school long considered the home of college basketball’s greatest tradition.
