"Captain of 'The Untouchables' is coming home": St. John's HC Rick Pitino sends a message to Wildcats fans amid criticism against new HC Mark Pope

Rick Pitino, head coach of St. John's men's basketball team, recently addressed Kentucky Wildcats fans criticizing new coach Mark Pope following John Calipari's departure for Arkansas.

In the video posted on X, Pitino described Pope as:

"The captain of the untouchables is coming home to lead the Wildcats," Pitino said. "Mark Pope, offensively, no one does it better, the away his teams move, the way his team shoots the three, the ball movement to play movement, it's outstanding."

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Rick Pitino, the former head coach of the Wildcats, led them to a national championship in 1996. His coaching career has spanned 50 years, during which he has coached at the college level, in the NBA, and internationally. Mark Pope was part of the Wildcats' 1996 national championship-winning team, which Pitino coached.

The team went unbeaten in the SEC and only lost two games to out-of-conference opposition on their way to the National Championship. This particular team is known as the "Untouchables" and is regarded as one of the greatest college basketball teams of all time.

However, Mark Pope's appointment has drawn criticism from fans. This is partly because of the Wildcats' recent NCAA tournament struggles under previous coach John Calipari.

In the last four editions of the tournament, they've only won one game. Pope himself has never won a game in March Madness. Despite this, Pitino believes Pope's potential shouldn't be discounted, likening his challenges to those faced by other coaching legends.

"What you don't realise it, it took Jay Wright 11 years to finally get a NCAA win, Billy Donovan, was at Marshall for two years, didn't have a NCAA appearance, went on to greatness"

However, only time will tell if Mark Pope can become as successful.

Who is Mark Pope?

After playing for the Kentucky Wildcats in college, Mark Pope pursued a professional career that took him to the NBA, where he played for four teams, including the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks. Prior to joining the NBA, Pope also spent some time playing internationally, primarily in Turkey.

In 2009, Pope transitioned into coaching, starting as the assistant coach for the Georgia Bulldogs basketball program. After a year in Athens, he moved to Wake Forest to again be their assistant coach.

In 2011, Pope moved to BYU, where he experienced considerable success during his two stints with the program. As an assistant coach, he helped guide the Cougars to four trips to post-season tournaments, including the semi-finals of the NIT.

Pope's first head coach role came in 2015 with the Utah Valley Wolverines. Over his four years with the Wolverines, he oversaw constant improvement, with the team making three appearances in the College Basketball Invitational tournament, and reaching the semi-final once.

Returning to BYU in 2019, this time as head coach, Pope's tenure saw mixed results. Despite making the NCAA Tournament twice, the team failed to secure a victory in either appearance.

Given his background, it's understandable that some Wildcats fans may harbor reservations about Pope's hiring. However, Rick Pitino expresses confidence in Pope's abilities and believes in his potential for success.

Do you think that Mark Pope will be able to bring the Kentucky Wildcats back to their former glory?