The Kentucky Wildcats is set to embark on a new era next season, albeit at a cost.
The university is anticipated to appoint Mark Pope, the current head coach of the BYU Cougars, to take over the helm of the men's basketball team following the departure of John Calipari.
Pope will reportedly sign a five-year contract worth an average of $5.5 million per season, totaling $27.5 million for the duration of the agreement, according to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports.
This number will position him among the highest-paid coaches in college basketball, surpassing several notable figures.
Pope would immediately rank as the sixth highest-paid coach based on the publicly available salary list of college basketball head coaches from the 2023-24 season.
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Former Kentucky coach John Calipari ranked second on the list, earning $8.5 million during his final season with the school. Despite taking a pay cut to $7 million upon his move to the Arkansas Razorbacks, he still maintains his position as the second-highest-paid coach on the list.
Mark Pope will make more than several championship-winning coaches
With his hefty compensation, Pope will outearn several national championship-winning coaches despite not having won a game in the NCAA Tournament in his coaching career.
The 51-year-old's upcoming $5.5 million salary will exceed that of UConn Huskies' Dan Hurley, who won the last two NCAA titles and is making $5 million. Additionally, Baylor Bears head coach Scott Drew, who won in 2021, earns $5.1 million.
Pope's salary at BYU has not been officially publicized, but the estimated range is around $2 million per year.
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