STORM RESOLUTION RECOGNIZES MARK POPE AS NEW UK BASKETBALL COACH
FRANKFORT, KY (April 12, 2024)—Today, the Kentucky Senate adopted Senate Resolution (SR) 371, introduced by Sen. Brandon Storm, R-London, recognizing Mark Pope, the newly named head coach of the University of Kentucky (UK) Men's Basketball Team.
Pope, a former standout player and team captain for UK, has been selected as the 23rd head coach of the esteemed men's basketball program. The resolution highlights Pope's illustrious career, from his days as a UK player where he was an integral part of the 1995-96 national championship team, known throughout the commonwealth as the “The Untouchables.” He had successful coaching tenures at Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University.
Pope's achievements on the court are matched by his accomplishments off the court. Following his playing career, Pope pursued medical school before transitioning into coaching. His coaching philosophy, characterized by an up-tempo offense and strong defensive play, has earned him widespread recognition and admiration within the basketball community.
Storm and the Senate extended congratulations to Coach Pope, welcoming him and his family back to the commonwealth. The resolution wishes him and his players success in the years to come as they embark on a new era of UK basketball.
“As Senator Damon Thayer has said on a number of occasions, we are a sports-crazy state, and I think when it comes to basketball, that’s certainly the truth,” Storm said. “The sport brings communities across the commonwealth together, as we recently saw with the Boys Sweet Sixteen tournament. Reed Sheppard played at North Laurel High School in my 21st Senate District, so I wanted to introduce this resolution today to welcome Coach Pope back home.”
The resolution was adopted by title and can be found via the attached PDF.
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Sen. Brandon J. Storm, R-London, represents the 21st Senate District, including Casey, Lincoln, Laurel, and Rockcastle Counties. He recently graduated from the esteemed Henry Toll Fellowship and was the only Kentuckian to participate in the 2023 program. Sen. Storm serves as a Senate member of the Interim Joint Committees of Banking and Insurance; Economic Development and Workforce Investment; Judiciary; Local Government; State Government; Transportation; and Tourism, Small Business, and Information Technology. He also serves as the co-chair of the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee; a member of the Jail and Corrections Reform Task Force; and a member of the Multimodal Freight Transportation System Improvement Task Force.
For a high-resolution .jpeg of Storm, please visit: https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators/Pages/Legislator-Profile.aspx?DistrictNumber=121.
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