LEXINGTON, Ky. — While two assistant coaches left the Kentucky men's basketball staff this off-season, only one new assistant has been hired.
Mark Pope might keep it that way.
Alvin Brooks III (now an assistant at NC State) and Jason Hart (now associate head coach at SMU) left Lexington after Pope's second season at the helm. So far, Pope has brought in 13-year NBA veteran and former Jackson State head coach, Mo Williams, as an assistant. He joins returning staff members Mark Fox and Cody Fueger.
"He's such a multi-dimensional coach; he's doing incredible work for us," Pope told BBN Tonight host Maggie Davis as part of an extended, sit-down interview this week. "Of course he brings an incredible personal pedigree, but the most special thing to me about him is his humility."
"He's taken some of the hardest jobs in all of college basketball; for some inexplicable reason, he's been willing to do it," Pope said of Williams's experience at Cal State Northridge, Alabama State and Jackson State. "And he's come here and jumped right in with our staff and developed great relationships. He's fully about the team."
"He's just seamlessly fit into this group, and everybody's raised their game with him being a part of it."
That seamless fit may mean Pope decides against filling that final position.
"I like my organization a lot right now. I think this group is functioning at a high level. I like the way our staff feels. I like the way we feel in staff meetings every day. I like the way we're executing on the road. I like the way we feel on the court right now. I'm not in desperate need of adding more pieces, although I'm open to the idea," Pope told Davis, when asked about the open position.
Well, it just so happens I sat down with Mark Pope yesterday. I asked him if international recruiting/possible NCAA rulings were impacting the hiring process for the open assistant role:
— Maggie Davis (@MaggieDavisTV) July 2, 2026
"I'm not in desperate need of adding more pieces, although I'm open to the idea" ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/EIumaYXuoA
"I love the space we're in right now. We're not in a rush. With that said, there are going to be a whole host from our league of legal cases testing the [College Sports Commission] and the NCAA on their current guidelines and rules on international players.
"Depending on what the outcome of those are, it could very much shift the direction we go with hiring new staff members."
Pope did also make one off-the-court hire this offseason, in Director of Roster Management, Keegan Brown. The former BYU Director of Player Personnel turned Wisconsin Herd video coordinator is now focused on Kentucky's recruiting efforts, rather than on-court performance.
Watch Pope's entire conversation with Davis on Thursday evening's episode of BBN Tonight, airing weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on the official station for UK Athletics, LEX News.
The interview will also be available to watch in its entirety on this website and on YouTube.
Maggie Davis is committed to covering the stories that matter to you. If you have an idea, please reach out to Maggie at maggie.davis@wlex.tv
