Kentucky
Mark Pope reflects on when he first wanted to be the Kentucky coach
Mark Pope wasn’t always going to be a basketball coach. Once he decided to make that career choice, though, Kentucky was always the job that was the apex on that path.
Pope spoke about wanting the Wildcats’ head coaching job during the first edition of his local radio show on Monday. He started by explaining why he, a Rhodes Scholar and medical student at Columbia University, was best off to step away from the profession in favor of returning to the hardwood.
“I think I actually made this comment. I love talking about this,” Pope prefaced as he laughed. “The truth is is that, when I dropped out of medical school, the entire medical community rejoiced. Survival rates multiplied exponentially. That was probably my greatest gift to the healthcare profession.”
That decision led Pope back to the basketball court at several jobs over the past 15 years. It included assistant roles at Georgia, Wake Forest, and BYU before becoming a head coach at Utah Valley and, most recently, at BYU.
However, the opening of the gig at Kentucky was a whole new ball game for him. It was a seat that John Calipari had filled for a decade and a half. It was also one that the program was quickly considering new options for.
Still, once the coaching search got to Pope, it became the realization of an aspiration for him to return to his alma mater and take, in his opinion, the best job in college basketball.
“I think, my whole life after that, the unimaginable dream of someday being able to be associated with a staff at the University of Kentucky? I mean it is the ultimate in college basketball,” said Pope. “This is the best job. This is the best school. It’s the best team. It’s the best fanbase. It is the pinnacle of college basketball. It also is at the core of everything in my being, my whole heart.”
Pope played for the Wildcats back from 1993 through 1996 under Rick Pitino. That included his senior season where he was a captain on The Untouchables, a team that won the national title in ’96.
Becoming a coach at Kentucky, let alone the head coach, was something that was beyond belief at times for Pope, which the initial fan reaction to his hire evidenced. Still, it’s now very much his reality as the new leader of the Wildcats and the Big Blue Nation.
“It seemed like something that would be unapproachable – yet here we are together,” smiled Pope.
LEXINGTON, Ky.– The Florida Gators are looking to do something the program has not done since 2019: win a game at Kentucky.
Fresh off a loss against Georgia, the Gators sit at 3-5 and one loss away from surpassing its total from last season. However, Florida is confident they can replicate last season’s 48-20 defeat of the Wildcats, snapping a three-game losing streak in the series while sparking a turnaround to end the 2025 season.
“Tough place to play and we got them night again. So it’s going to be a tough challenge, but we’re excited to take the team up there and get ready to go play,” interim head coach Billy Gonzales said. “We’re excited to get a chance to put the pads on and accept the challenge and give it everything we have.”
Here’s everything you need to know for the Gators’ matchup against the Wildcats, including broadcast information and betting odds, as well as other game day information for those attending the game.
Florida Gators (3-5, 2-3SEC) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (3-5, 1-5 SEC): What You Need to Know
Where: Kroger Field, Lexington, Ky.
When: Saturday, Nov. 8, 7 p.m. ET.
Watch: SEC Network
Weather: 54 degrees Fahrenheit, partly cloudy, with a five percent chance of precipitation, according to Weather.com.
Radio: Gator Sports Network from LEARFIELD
Odds: Florida is considered a 3.5-point favorite over Kentucky, according to FanDuel. The over/under is set at 44.5 points.
Series History: Florida has dominated the series historically, 54-21. However, Kentucky has held control of the matchup recently, winning three-straight from 2021-23. The Gators got back in the win column against Kentucky last season with a 48-20 win behind five rushing touchdowns from running back Jadan Baugh and 259 yards passing from DJ Lagway on only seven completions.
What’s At Stake: Florida is in desperate need of a win as bowl eligibility begins to slip away, and facing a struggling Kentucky team is a great opportunity. Not to mention, a win would snap Florida’s three-game losing streak in Lexington and give the Gators its first road win in SEC play since Mississippi State on Sept. 21, 2024.
Kentucky is getting set to face the Valparaiso Beacons on Friday night inside Rupp Arena, but their next opponent has shifted their full attention on them. Louisville just wrapped up their blowout 104-70 win over Jackson State, and now, are already starting to take shots at the Wildcats. After the game, one of their players, Kasean Pryor, who made his debut for the Cardinals on Thursday, took a shot at Kentucky in the postgame press conference, but the fans also had something to say during the game.
As the clock winded down in Louisville’s blowout win in the Yum! Center, Cardinal fans began chanting “Beat UK! Beat UK! Beat UK!” as the time ran out and all eyes shifted towards their big game against Kentucky on Tuesday. The players are hungry, but their fanbase is starving for a win over the Wildcats, as Louisville has beaten Kentucky just three times since John Calipari’s first season at Kentucky in 2009-10.
Louisville fans are chanting “Beat UK” pic.twitter.com/WKQj7GHHA7
— Rare Rookies #BBN (@rarerookies) November 7, 2025
When new coaches took over at both programs, Louisville fans were very confident once again last season, but Mark Pope was victorious in his first game as a coach in the rivalry. Heading into year two of the new eras, Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey has the Cards ranked #11 in the country with an explosive offense, ranked top 3 on KenPom. Mark Pope has his Wildcats #9 in the country as they work towards #9, and his squad is a top 3 defense in the country right now, also according to KenPom. As Kentucky gets Jaland Lowe back in the rotation and acclimated with getting the offensive flow back, Friday will be important to see a good showing on that side of the ball before facing Louisville.
Anyway, it’s like clockwork with Louisville fans, as every year when this game gets closer and closer, they become very desperate for a win, and based on history, things have not gone well for the Cardinals in this rivalry. Pat Kelsey has a really good squad this season at Louisville, but Mark Pope’s is as good, if not better, and we’ll see how Kentucky’s offensive flow looks on Friday before facing Louisville, because that will be important in the fringe top-10 matchup on the road.
Louisville fans are eager to see their team take down the WIldcats, something that has been a rare feat for them to see over the years in the in-state rivalry. They’re wasting no time talking smack with how little they’ve had to gloat about in this rivalry, but Kelsey’s #11 ranked squad has them excited. Kentucky will be looking for yet another win in the rivalry column on Tuesday in the Yum! Center.
CCTV captures deadly Louisville plane crash
The moment of a catastrophic UPS cargo plane crash was captured on a nearby security camera in Louisville, Kentucky.
The death toll for the UPS cargo plane crash, as of the evening on Nov. 6, has reached 13 people, one of whom was a pilot who lived in Northern Kentucky.
Richard Wartenberg had been living in Independence since 2005, public records indicated. According to UPS, he was the captain of Flight 2976, which was bound for Honolulu but crashed shortly past the runway of Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Nov. 4. This made it the deadliest plane crash in the history of UPS Airlines.
Wartenberg, 58, appeared to be a car enthusiast, A 2022 article from the Bent Pylon, a publication of the Porsche Club of America, noted that he was a member of the Ohio Valley Region chapter. At the time the article was published, Wartenberg had been a member of the club for 20 years, which had nearly 2,000 members.
The Courier-Journal reported that the death toll includes two other pilots. Lee Truitt served as first officer, or second-in-command of the flight. Dana Diamond was the flight’s international relief officer.
In addition to the 13 deaths, nine others remain missing and unaccounted for.
This story may be updated.
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