“We always told our children, if you want to do something bad enough and you do the work, you can do it,” said Linda Pope, Mark’s mother during an interview with Y Magazine. It is a lesson that, according to reports, the basketball coach took to heart early on and “tried to instill in his players”. Today, that lesson has allowed the 52-year-old to become one of the most recognized faces of college basketball. Having joined the Kentucky Wildcats as head coach after 15 years of previous experience coaching at the collegiate level, fans wait to see whether Mark has it in him to lead the team to its 9th NCAA Tournament champion title, the first one since 2012.
Having seen Mark Pope numerous times on the basketball court, fans might have become well aware of his coaching manner, his on-court demeanor, his way of motivating his players, etc. However, how many of them know about his family background and religious beliefs? Well, if you are among those who don’t, there is no better time than now to enlighten yourself.
What is Mark Pope’s ethnicity?
According to reports, Mark Pope was born on September 11th, 1972. Both of the former NBA player’s parents, Don and Linda Pope, are private individuals. Therefore, there is not much information about them that can be highlighted. However, according to reports, Mark was the youngest child in the family, as he had three older brothers growing up. Religion played a key role in his upbringing.
On a personal front, Mark Pope has rarely chosen to say anything publicly about his ethnic background or the presence of different backgrounds in basketball. However, as highlighted by ‘The Athletic’s Kyle Tucker, Mark did plan to recruit a more diverse mix of prospects than his predecessor, John Calipari.
What is Mark Pope’s nationality? Where was he born?
Mark Pope was born in Omaha, Nebraska. Both Don and Linda are American Nationals, which automatically makes the UK coach an American too!
Even though he was born in Nebraska, Mark Pope reportedly grew up in Washington. It was at the Newport High School, in Bellevue, where Mark first laid the foundation of his basketball career. Then, possibly not wanting to stray too far away from home, he established his college career at the University of Washington. After two seasons with the Huskies, Mark transferred to the Kentucky Wildcats. He sat out the 1993–94 season due to NCAA transfer rules, but reportedly appeared in every game for the Wildcats over the next two seasons. He also won two SEC championships with the Wildcats squad. Between 1991 and 1996, Mark played in 125 games and averaged 9.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.
What religion does Mark Pope follow?
As highlighted above, religion played a very important role in Mark Pope’s upbringing. What else can you expect from a person whose last name is literally ‘Pope’? As highlighted by Y Magazine, Pope grew up with faithful Latter-day Saint parents. His three older brothers all served in some missions. However, Mark himself was “pretty apathetic” about his faith as a youth.
“I certainly didn’t put in the time or the effort,” said Mark during the interview. Then, when he got to the University of Kentucky as a player, Mark reportedly attended numerous religious affiliations and devoted his concentration to the New Testament along with basketball. “My senior year of college,” he said, “I was still kind of searching.” It wasn’t until he took a road trip with his father, Don, to Adam-ondi-Ahman in Missouri, when the future Kentucky coach finally felt connected on a religious level. In Mark’s own words, “The words of Heavenly Father were imprinted on my mind in an undeniable way.”
Jan 14, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks on during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
Today, just like his members, Mark Pope continues to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This makes him a follower of Mormonism. Faith and hard work has been the driving force for Mark Pope up till this point. How it will treat the coach during the upcoming March Madness remains to be seen.
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