Washington Basketball: 8 candidates to replace Mike Hopkins as Head Coach

Mark Pope

Sometimes there are connections between candidates and openings that just make sense and Pope might be a name that checks that box. We’re not sure what exactly Washington’s athletics department really values in their next head coach, but it’s hard to ignore Pope’s combination of familiarity and success, especially after this season.

A native of Bellevue, Pope played college ball for two seasons at Washington before transferred to Kentucky. He played professional ball for nearly a decade before getting into coaching, with stints as an assistant at three different schools. Pope’s head coaching career began with a 4-year rebuild and success at Utah Valley before being hired by BYU in 2019. Pope won several games in his first few seasons with the Cougars, taking them to the Big Dance in 2021, but is having his best season in year one in the Big 12.

How alluring would it be for Pope to return to the program that he played for over thirty years ago? It’s less about the program specifically and about connections to his former hometown. That being said, he’s already half a decade into a solid gig in the Big 12, and it’s not like luring him to the Big Ten will be a major selling point. Pope would be a fantastic hire for the Huskies based on recent results, it’s all about if he wants to make that kind of move after the kind of season BYU has had already.