New UK men’s basketball coach Mark Pope attends 2024 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs

The Kentucky Derby is always a chance for A-listers and celebrities to be seen at one of the most well-known sporting events in the United States.

On Saturday, it was new Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope’s turn to embrace that spotlight.

Pope — the former head coach at BYU and Utah Valley who was hired to replace John Calipari as the Wildcats’ head coach on April 12 — was at Churchill Downs on Saturday afternoon ahead of the running of the 150th Kentucky Derby.Earlier on Saturday, former UK basketball player Reed Sheppard walked the red carpet at Derby 2024.

A key member of Kentucky’s 1996 national championship squad, Pope has been logging significant travel hours in recent weeks as he assembles a roster from scratch for the 2024-25 season.

Pope’s recruiting endeavors have taken him everywhere from Oklahoma to Las Vegas this offseason. On Friday morning, Pope was in Utah to greet incoming UK player Collin Chandler at an airport. Chandler, who was formerly signed to play for Pope at BYU, was returning home from a two-year mission trip for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Prior to his arrival Saturday at Churchill Downs, Pope and his fellow UK coaching staff members lodged their Derby picks. Pope went with Sierra Leone, the winner of the 100th running of the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland earlier this spring.

Each of the five UK coaching staff members went with a different horse as their Derby selection.

During the short period of time that Pope has been back in Central Kentucky, he’s also been a frequent visitor at Keeneland. Pope took former Drexel forward and future Kentucky Wildcat Amari Williams to Keeneland as part of his recruiting visit to Lexington.

When Pope was at Keeneland with Williams, he was interviewed by FanDuel Racing.

“We’re deeply into the work right now and enjoying every second of it,” Pope said during that interview. “I’m not sure exactly what I’m allowed to talk about and not, but we’re here on business. So, we’re trying to get some work done.”

Williams is one of seven players from the NCAA transfer portal that has committed to play for Pope at UK this offseason.

Pope has also been seen at Keeneland with UK basketball legend Dan Issel.