Kentucky fans aren't thrilled with Mark Pope hire to replace John Calipari

Albeit alarmingly embarrassing, one cannot question the energy and excitement Mark Pope has for his new job as the head coach of Kentucky's Division I men's college basketball program, also known as his alma mater. However, we can question the school's decision to hire him as the heir apparent to John Calipari, and Big Blue Nation is way ahead of us.

Kentucky fans wasted no time taking to social media to express their concern about the arrival of Pope, who signed a five-year contract with a $5.5 million average annual salary to be the next coach of the Wildcats. Here are some of the most eye-opening reactions on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Kentucky fans react to Mark Pope hire, and they aren't happy about it

In the hit reality television series Pawn Stars, people come into the family-owned pawnshop and expect to leave with a smile and full pockets, only to leave with disappointment and a lowball offer that ends up with them making half of the money they anticipated or nothing at all. This user compares Kentucky missing out on preferred rumored choices like Baylor's Scott Drew, UConn's Dan Hurley, Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls, and former Villanova coach Jay Wright before landing on Pope.

The theme of these reactions appears to be Kentucky missing out on high-profile candidates like the ones previously listed and ultimately hiring Pope.

Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated uses a witty expression to perfectly illustrate what is going through the minds of Kentucky fans in reaction to Pope being their new coach.

Kentucky fans aren't the only ones upset about Pope being named the replacement for Calipari. The BYU faithful are disappointed to see the coach who has been at the helm for the past five seasons and led the program to two March Madness appearances walk out the door.

While he may not have experienced winning at the highest level as a coach yet, Pope knows what it takes to be part of a championship squad, as evidenced by his contributions to Kentucky winning a national title in 1996. He was a team captain and critical reserve for the Wildcats, averaging 7.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game across two seasons.

Despite not having the pedigree or allure of other potential candidates, Pope is highly regarded for his creative basketball acumen as an offensive guru, which bodes well for a Kentucky team that finished this past season ranked second in the nation in scoring (89 points per game).

Fans should wait and see what their new coach has to offer before jumping to conclusions.