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    • Former Kentucky coach Rick Pitino makes an appearance
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    Former Kentucky coach Rick Pitino makes an appearance

    Kathleen William Posted on

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    LEXINGTON — He waited for the cheers and applause to die down. He waited to collect his thoughts. Then he spoke. A visibly emotional Rick Pitino, back at Rupp Arena, dressed in Kentucky blue for the first time in decades, Friday night was a fitting end to a Big Blue Madness event that honored the greatness of college basketball's winningest program.

    “I’m so happy to be back,” Pitino said after grabbing a microphone. “I said, 'Before I put it into coaching, I want to go back to Camelot one more time.' There's no way I could come back better. This is one of the best evenings I've had in a long time because I'm visiting all my players, I'm visiting the fans who made me happy every day for eight years.

    His triumphant return was thanks in large part to one of his former players: Mark Pope, the club's team captain from 1995 to 1996, who – under Pitino's watchful eye – won the Wildcats' sixth national championship, is beginning his first season as UK coach .

    “We can get excited about a gentleman who – there have been a lot of great coaches here, a lot of great ones,” Pitino said, “but we can get excited about someone who has made Kentucky what he stands for. It's not about Pope.” . It's not about Pope. You’ll never hear him say (it’s about him).”

    It was no secret that Pitino was in Lexington: Earlier this week, he confirmed rumors that he would attend Saturday's Kentucky-Vanderbilt football game at Kroger Field. It was widely speculated that his appearance at the football game would come shortly after a sighting of Big Blue Madness. However, it was never officially announced — by Pitino, Pope or anyone else — that the former coach would be in the building Friday night. However, shortly before he took the floor alongside other living members of Great Britain's eight national championship teams, he was spotted in a tunnel at Rupp Arena.

    He barely trotted onto the court wearing a blue quarter-zip sweater above all Sporting Kentucky's interlocking “UK” logo (in white), Pitino received the biggest ovation on a night that had no shortage. Not with Pope at your side. Or in-state high school heroes Trent Noah and Travis Perry, who are fan favorites as freshmen even though they haven't played a game for the Wildcats yet.

    But Pitino's reception exceeded them all.

    Although I wanted to direct the attention elsewhere.

    “(He is) the most selfless, humble young man I have ever coached in my life,” Pitino said, referring to Pope. “One of the greatest examples of what Kentucky basketball is all about. Mark Pope will literally guide you to greatness.”

    Of course, Pitino himself is still going strong.

    He is entering his second season as St. John's head basketball coach.

    Everywhere he worked as a college coach there was success.

    In 36 seasons at the collegiate level, Pitino has posted a playing record of 854-306 (.736) during stops at Hawaii, Boston University, Providence, Kentucky, Louisville, Iona and St. John's. Pitino's record is 731-303, according to the NCAA, after racking up 123 wins during his time at U of L, including a national title in 2013 and a Final Four appearance in 2012.

    However, nowhere does it cast a larger shadow than in Lexington.

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    UK coach Mark Pope praises his team at Big Blue Madness

    University of Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope told Wildcat supporters that his team will “fight every day” in Big Blue Madness.

    He led the Wildcats for eight seasons (1989-90 to 1996-97), compiling a record of 219-50 (81.4%). He took a program that was inches away from the NCAA's death penalty and almost immediately brought it back to prominence. UK was ineligible for the NCAA Tournament in his first two seasons. In six seasons the Wildcats were eligible, but Pitino led them to the Elite Eight five times. These included a national championship in 1996, a national runner-up finish in 1997 and another Final Four in 1993.

    Pope never shies away from the opportunity to praise Pitino.

    While UK's newest coach kept his comments about his mentor brief on Friday, Pope had already made it clear how much Pitino means to him.

    “Every coach who has coached here has done great things and contributed to Big Blue Nation, but Coach Pitino has changed me,” Pope said during his introductory press conference in April. “And I tell you, he changed my soul, my DNA as a human being. He allowed me to be someone who felt like I could walk into any room and take on any impossible task.”

    “And I will love him forever.”

    Reach Kentucky men's basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

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    Kathleen William
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