Kentucky finalizes lucrative five-year deal with BYU coach Mark Pope

Brigham Young head coach Mark Pope yells to players in the first half during an NCAA basketball game between University of Oklahoma (OU) and Brigham Young University (BYU) at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024.

Kentucky’s deal with Mark Pope is inching toward the finish line — and it’s a lucrative one, the Wildcats not receiving a friendly discount for the BYU head coach. It’s a five-year deal worth $5.5 million per season, before incentives, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander.

“Barring an unforeseen event that changes plans, Kentucky is pacing toward getting an agreement on paper with Pope before the end of Thursday night,” Norlander reported.

The initial agreement was widely reported earlier this evening by a number of national sources.

That $5.5 million per year rate would have put him inside the top 10 nationally this past season at No. 6 overall, behind only Bill Self, John Calipari, Tom Izzo, Bruce Pearl and Rick Barnes. It’s more than what Scott Drew, Dan Hurley, Brad Underwood, Kelvin Sampson and Nate Oats all made, double that of Mark Few and Hubert Davis.

The post Kentucky finalizes lucrative five-year deal with BYU coach Mark Pope appeared first on On3.