Mark Pope
Encyclopedia
Mark Edward Pope is a American
basketball
coach and is currently an assistant coach for Brigham Young University
. A former college and professional player, he played for the national championship Kentucky Wildcats
and later the Indiana Pacers
, the Milwaukee Bucks
and the Denver Nuggets
of the NBA.
. He earned Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors in 1992 after setting a UW freshman single-season record with 8.1 rebounds per game. He transferred to the University of Kentucky and was a member of Kentucky's 1996 NCAA Men's Basketball Champion
team. Pope was a second round pick of the Pacers in the 1996 NBA Draft
. The last year of his career was the 2004-05 season as he was cut in training camp with the Nuggets the following season.
Pope enrolled in medical school
in 2006 at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
in New York City. In 2009, he left medical school and joined the staff of Mark Fox
at the University of Georgia
. Fox was an assistant coach when both were at the University of Washington. The following season (2010-11), Pope moved to Wake Forest University
to serve as an assistant under Jeff Bzdelik
.
In May of 2011, it was announced that Pope had been hired as an assistant to Dave Rose
at Brigham Young University
. Pope replaced Dave Rice
, who left BYU to assume the head coach position at UNLV.
, have four daughters. Lee Anne is the daughter of the late Lynn Archibald, who was the head coach at Utah and was an assistant at BYU in the 1990s. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach and is currently an assistant coach for Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. A former college and professional player, he played for the national championship Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...
and later the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
and the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
of the NBA.
Career
Pope was a high school star in Seattle and played two years at the University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. He earned Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors in 1992 after setting a UW freshman single-season record with 8.1 rebounds per game. He transferred to the University of Kentucky and was a member of Kentucky's 1996 NCAA Men's Basketball Champion
1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1996, and ended with the championship game on April 1 at Continental Airlines Arena in...
team. Pope was a second round pick of the Pacers in the 1996 NBA Draft
1996 NBA Draft
The 1996 NBA Draft was the 50th draft in the National Basketball Association . It was held on June 26, 1996 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The draft was broadcast in the United States on the Turner Network Television...
. The last year of his career was the 2004-05 season as he was cut in training camp with the Nuggets the following season.
Pope enrolled in medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
in 2006 at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, often known as P&S, is a graduate school of Columbia University that is located on the health sciences campus in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan...
in New York City. In 2009, he left medical school and joined the staff of Mark Fox
Mark Fox
Mark Fox is a public policy analyst and journalist.He is currently Chief Executive of the BSA - The Business Services Association, London, UK.-Early life and education:...
at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
. Fox was an assistant coach when both were at the University of Washington. The following season (2010-11), Pope moved to Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
to serve as an assistant under Jeff Bzdelik
Jeff Bzdelik
Jeff Bzdelik is an American basketball coach, currently coaching at Wake Forest University. He formerly coached the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association for slightly over two seasons, from 2002 through 2004...
.
In May of 2011, it was announced that Pope had been hired as an assistant to Dave Rose
Dave Rose (basketball coach)
David Jack Rose is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the BYU Cougars men's basketball team...
at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. Pope replaced Dave Rice
Dave Rice
-References:...
, who left BYU to assume the head coach position at UNLV.
Personal Life
Pope and his wife Lee Anne, a former assistant to talk show host David LettermanDavid Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
, have four daughters. Lee Anne is the daughter of the late Lynn Archibald, who was the head coach at Utah and was an assistant at BYU in the 1990s. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.