Why Kentucky didn't hire Rick Pitino as next head coach, explained

After being turned down by several high-profile candidates and seeing members of Big Blue Nation react to the hiring of new head coach Mark Pope the way they did, many are wondering why Kentucky didn't cast a wider net in search of a more experienced option.

One name that came up amid the search for John Calipari's successor following his decision to leave Kentucky for Arkansas was Rick Pitino, who coached the Wildcats for eight seasons from 1989-97 but is currently at St. John's.

Instead, Kentucky elected to roll with Pope, who played for Pitino as a member of the Wildcats from 1994-96 and was a captain of the prominent 1996 national championship team.

If hiring one of their own to try exciting a riled-up fan base with a rich history of success at the highest level that hasn't reached a Sweet 16 since 2018-19 was the approach, why didn't Kentucky put more thought into hiring Pitino? Dan Wolken of USA Today believes the decision to name Pope as their coach aligns with murmurs he heard before the signing.

Age was a factor in Kentucky decision to bypass Rick Pitino for Mark Pope

Wolken reports that there was buzz swirling about Kentucky's desire to land a "younger coach," which may explain why options like Pitino, Auburn's Bruce Pearl, and Billy Donovan of the Chicago Bulls were "never in it," as he says despite speculation surrounding each of them.

Be that as it may, the Wildcats evaded the tenth-winningest coach in men's Division I college basketball history (Pitino), a two-time NCAA championship-winning option in Donovan, and a renowned prospect in the form of Pearl in favor of Pope with age factoring into the decision-making process.

However, Pitino reportedly vouched heavily for Pope to those within the Kentucky brass, hoping he would get the job. And the former appears to be excited about welcoming the latter back to Lexington if the video he posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) once he did is any indication.

If Pitino is this enthusiastic about Kentucky hiring the former blue blood and BYU coach, fans should be more optimistic than they have initially led us to believe. Pope went 110-52 in five seasons with the Cougars, including two NCAA Tournament appearances. Before that, he spent four seasons at Utah Valley, where he went 77-56. He has become known for his innovative and prolific offensive schemes and play designs.