Referee calls and controversial decisions- what’s new, right? It’s been the talk of the town since conference games began. Coaches losing their minds on the sidelines is the standard protocol. But then there’s Mark Pope, who’s made a name for himself by doing the exact opposite. But this time, during the Kentucky vs. Texas A&M game, even he lost his calm, which we must tell you is VERY rare. 

With 7:22 left in the first half, Kentucky was trailing Texas A&M 18-14. The team was shooting just 30% from the field and an abysmal 9% from beyond the arc (1-for-11). Meanwhile, the Aggies were finding their groove, thanks to some sharp shooting from deep. A&M even went on a 12-0 run, leaving the Wildcats in a five-minute scoring drought. 

Then Kentucky finally managed to claw back to 11 points, trailing A&M’s 16, when the refs called a foul on Amari Williams that was… let’s just say “borderline.” The Rupp Arena erupted, booing and roaring their disapproval. And surprisingly, even the HC stood up in disbelief.

He shook his head and muttered, “Oh my gosh!” as his players went up to the refs to argue. 

By halftime, though, Kentucky flipped the script and snatched the lead, 35-32. And this showdown has been exactly what everyone imagined. Two of the premier programs in a conference like SEC going toe-to-toe, and honestly, the back-and-forth was pretty much expected. 

Texas A&M came into the matchup hungry, looking to bounce back after a tough loss. And for Pope’s crew, it was their chance to show why they’re A&M’s toughest challenge yet.

And the intensity of this game even got to Mark Pope. Sure, he didn’t erupt like some coaches might (or would), but you could tell it rattled him. His assistant, Cody Fueger, joked that the only thing that could really push Pope over the edge is “a shoe being thrown.” So, yeah, this foul must’ve been “something.” Because otherwise…

Mark Pope keeps it clean with zero technical fouls

Mark Pope hasn’t been called for a single technical foul this season. Not one. Last year he did pick a couple of T’s here and there, but this year, he’s taken a completely different approach. “Sometimes I lose my mind,” the coach admitted. “But for me, I want our players to feel the same way I do—that the referees actually have no power over whether we win or lose the game.”

It’s a philosophy that’s resonated with his team. Even when Kentucky found themselves on the wrong end of a season-high 25 fouls in their 82-69 loss to Georgia earlier this month, the HC stayed cool. Asked about the discrepancy, he simply said, “Like, you know, we leave all that stuff (behind).”

But Pope wasn’t always this zen. His assistant, Fueger, who’s been with him for a decade across Utah Valley, BYU, and now Kentucky, said it’s a night-and-day transformation. “He’s a way different head coach than he was 10 years ago. Way different. It’s not even close,” Fueger said. 

Back in the day, Pope wasn’t shy about letting refs know how he felt. Now, he’s focused on staying disciplined, practicing gratitude, setting an example for his players, and keeping their attention on what they can control. Fueger summed it up perfectly, “If we’re yelling at the ref, we’re not doing our jobs, which is to help this team win.”

Obviously, that doesn’t mean the Kentucky coaching staff thinks the calls are always fair. But they’ve baked that into their game plan. “We just focus on what to do and how to help our players get to where they need to go,” the assistant said. 

It’s this mindset that Pope has instilled in his staff and players, and it’s hard to argue with the results. We bet it is working. With just three losses this season and a team that’s still gelling in Pope’s first year, he is keeping it together remarkably well. Maybe patience really is a virtue.