When Mark Pope announced that he would be taking questions directly from BBN, we all knew things could get interesting. But honestly, it turned out pretty good; you had some honest questions and some good answers. Sure, there were sarcastic questions that just were never going to be answered, but Pope did address the GM situation. While it wasn’t the answer a lot of people hoped for, at least there is now a clear hierarchy within the basketball front office. Let’s break it down.
Kentucky
Mark Stoops expects turnover and surprises during “tumultuous week”
In some ways, the writing has been on the wall for this season for a while. Even though it was only made official with last week’s loss to Texas, it’s been clear for weeks the Cats weren’t going to a bowl. The season has been on a steady decline for over a month, with today’s humiliating 41-14 loss to Louisville serving as the icing on a crap cake.
After today’s loss, Stoops admitted he’s been thinking about how to fix the issues that plagued Kentucky this season for quite some time. The rebuild starts tomorrow with an all-staff meeting ahead of what is known as the wildest week in college football. The Early Signing Period starts on Wednesday and even though the transfer portal doesn’t open until December 9, Stoops said there will be some hard conversations in the coming days as players decide their futures and the staff tries to make room for a rebuild.
“Tumultuous week; that’s an understatement,” Stoops said during his postgame conversation with Tom Leach. “There’s going to be a lot of turnover and there needs to be. And nobody needs to panic because we, I, have to create room. I have to build a roster that can compete in this monster league. And we clearly didn’t meet it this year but it’s not like we’re going to be so far away.”
Stoops compared Kentucky’s current situation to when he took over for Joker Phillips back in 2013. Thanks to the transfer portal and NIL, a roster rebuild can happen much more quickly, especially with the right resources, which he says he believes he has. Stoops wants to build around Kentucky’s young playmakers — Cutter Boley first and foremost — and restock the rest of the roster through the portal.
Player meetings will take place in the next few days; while Stoops and his staff will have a plan of who they want to keep and who will need to go, he knows they’ll likely get some bad news too.
“There are going to be players that we ask to go somewhere else, to go play somewhere else, and there are going to be guys that we ask to come back. There’s going to be incoming freshmen, there’s going to be incoming portal [players], and there’s probably going to be some surprises. Let’s be honest. There’s going to be a surprise and again, we won’t flinch. It’s not like we’re going to like it or anything. If you lose somebody you don’t want to but it’s not the end all be all. There are ways to replace anybody.”
Stoops joked that fans probably want to replace him but he’s not going anywhere. After all, as he said earlier in his conversation with Leach, he’s the winningest coach in Kentucky football history. He’s confident he can turn things around, even as the landscape of the sport continues to shift by the second.
“It’s not like I have no idea what I’ve done. I’ve done things at this school that nobody else has. It’s not like I totally forgot, but I have to do better. I also accept it so I don’t, want anybody to attack me for saying that. I’m admitting and saying I need to do a better job and we will.”
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COVINGTON, Ky. (WKRC) – A Northern Kentucky man is in jail, accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl who’d been reported missing.
Matthew Wade, 40, faces charges, including sexual abuse, unlawful transaction with a minor and assault.
Covington Police say they found the teen at Wade’s home on Highway Avenue on Monday. According to the police report, he was knowingly hiding her, knew she was missing and had cut her ankle monitor off.
Investigators say the teen was given alcohol, marijuana and magic mushrooms.
The girl told police wade slapped her and choked her.
Officers also say they found guns in the home.
Mark Pope has confirmed that no official GM position will exist for at least this season, and most likely won’t exist going forward. Why? Because he has the responsibilities spread out across 4 different people, and believes that is the best way forward.
“In this ever-changing college basketball dynamic, everybody is trying a different solution. For us, instead of hiring a singular GM, we’ve gone with a more comprehensive general management team approach. We have four members of the team. Keegan Brown is a data analysis and roster construction expert who’s worked in both college and the NBA. Nick Robinson is our salary cap strategy and management specialist. Kevin Sergent is our compliance officer, and he deals with all of our contracts and legal language. Kim Shelton is our JMI liaison, and she does all of our NIL contracts that deal with corporate sponsorships. That’s our four-person general management team.”
But who is each one of these people, and what makes them qualified?
Who’s doing what in the Kentucky basketball front office?
Well, Keegan Brown has been a video coordinator in the G-League. That essentially means he would go and watch all the videos on league opponents and potential prospects, and come up with data-backed scouting reports for the coaching and front office teams. Pope has worked with Brown at BYU, so there is some familiarity there.
Nick Robinson also worked with Mark Pope in Provo, being an assistant coach from 2019 to 2024 and following Pope to Lexington. He has been on staff all 3 seasons now, and is being tasked with handing out Kentucky’s money and setting a budget for each player.
Kevin Sergent is not new to Kentucky; he has been in Lexington since 2020. But this is his first time handling compliance on his own; his official title is Senior Associate AD for Athletic Compliance. He handles all the rules, applying for waivers, basically making sure the entire staff is doing everything the right way.
Kim Shelton is a UK alum who was more known for soccer than anything else. She was part of the very first Kentucky women’s soccer team and is a former CEO of Lexington Sporting Club. She worked for Kentucky when Commonwealth was renamed as Kroger Field, and played a role in setting up naming rights for Kentucky Proud Park. Right now, she is kind of the bridge between Kentucky and JMI, specifically handling BBNIL Suite.
If you don’t remember what BBNIL suite is, it’s essentially the opt-in program where student athletes agree to only work with deals through JMI. They find offers, broker deals, and help athletes make money. It is, of course, optional, but if players decline, they will not be able to use the University of Kentucky logos in their NIL marketing.
Trent Noah is probably the most successful NIL athlete who opted out. The Kentucky native is handling his own NIL, and by the amount of ads and cardboard cutouts I see littered around the state, he seems to be doing pretty well.
Seeing JMI integrated again into Kentucky Basketball is probably going to make some of you uneasy, and I get that. But everyone who has worked with them who has officially gone on the record says they are a pleasure to work with.
And that’s how Mark Pope wants it done. There is a theory out there that he wants a GM, but JMI won’t let him. Considering he has chosen 2 of the 4 people personally, I highly doubt that’s true.
What do you think of his explanation, and what do you think of how he is handling the GM role?
Leave the ordinary behind as you explore the Bluegrass State
Explore all of the unexpected adventures that Kentucky has to offer. (Photo: Kentucky Tourism)
Published May 12, 2026 04:28PM
When it comes to outdoor destinations, Kentucky’s got some impressive headliners, like Mammoth Cave National Park, home to the world’s longest (known) cave system, and Red River Gorge, a climbing mecca with more than 4,000 sport routes. But away from the more popular paths, you’ll find outdoor adventures that are defined not only by their incredible scenery but also by their one-of-a-kind experiences.
See a Moonbow
If you’ve never seen a moonbow (a rainbow caused by the light of a full moon), there’s only one place in the Western Hemisphere where you can make a plan to see one—Cumberland Falls. Known as the “Niagara of the South,” this 125-foot-tall cascade is home to one of the only predictable moonbows on the planet. Take a look at the schedule, grab your headlamps for the short hike, and go see this rare natural marvel.
More in Daniel Boone National Forest: Visit the nearby Natural Scenic Arch Area, where a short trail reveals stunning views of a sandstone arch spanning nearly 100 feet.
Stay in a Treehouse
The treehouses at EarthJOY Village in northern Kentucky are the real deal, with features every outdoor-loving kid (and adult) has dreamed of—porch views, rope bridges, and a tree trunk right in the middle of the living room. With three impressive treehouses to choose from, more than 285 acres of private forest, and 20 miles of hiking trails, you’ll always find adventures to unlock.
More Camping: Camp closer to the ground—and the wildlife that populates the region—at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area or John James Audubon State Park.
Go Underground
Some of the most “outdoor” experiences you’ll find in Kentucky are technically inside the many caves and caverns that the state has become known for. There are plenty to explore. Our picks? Hidden River Cave, home to the world’s longest underground swinging bridge, or Lost River Cave, where you can take a boat ride through the otherworldly below-ground landscape.
More Fun in the Depths: Did you know you can scuba dive in Kentucky? You can try it out or get PADI certified at Pennyroyal Scuba Blue Springs Resort before heading to popular destinations like Lake Cumberland.
Take a Canopy Walk at an Outdoor Art Gallery
The short but scenic Canopy Tree Walk at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum allows you to take in the views from the forest’s highest heights—75 feet above the ground. There are even more spectacular sights in this 16,000-plus-acre stretch of wild forest, like the Forest Giants, designed by sculptor Thomas Dambo, or any number of other outdoor art installations along the 40 miles of trails.
More Hiking: Explore the 343-mile Sheltowee Trace Trail, founded in the 1970s as Kentucky’s first long-distance footpath that basecamps in trail towns like Morehead. And even urban hubs like Lexington offer green escapes like the Raven Run Nature Sanctuary.
Kentucky is about coming together for real-life experiences and meeting real-life people. Discover a destination that moves you in ways you never expected. Find What Moves You in our new Kentucky home.
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