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The Details of Mark Pope’s Kentucky Contract, Top 10 Paid Coach in the Country

Published

2 years ago

on

Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Per an open records request, here is Mark Pope’s Kentucky contract details. It is a 5-year, $27.5 million deal. This contract gives Pope a significant raise, as he was estimated to be making around $2-$3 million at BYU (private university). Pope’s salary now puts him in the top 10 highest paid in the country and tied for third in the SEC with Nate Oats (Alabama, $5 million), behind Bruce Pearl (Auburn, $5.7 million) and Rick Barnes (Tennessee, $5 million).

Annual Compensation

  • YR1 (2024-25): $5,000,000 (Date of hire-March 31, 2025) (annualized)
  • YR 2(2025-26): $5,250,000 (April 1, 2025-March 31, 2026)
  • YR 3(2026-27): $5,500,000 (April 1, 2026-March 31, 2027)
  • YR 4(2027-28): $5,750,000 (April 1, 2027-March 31, 2028)
  • YR 5(2028-29): $5,750,000 (April 1, 2027-March 31, 2028)

Guarantee (University Terminates Without Cause)

  • 75% of total remaining Annual Compensation due through the otherwise unexpired term.
  • Payable in monthly installments over the overwise unexpired term
  • Coach shall have affirmative obligation to mitigate/offset with other employment.

Buyout (Coach Terminates Without Cause)

  • 33% of the total remaining Annual Compensation otherwise due Coach through the remainder of the Term if current athletics director is in the athletics director position
  • 20% of the total remaining Annual Compensation otherwise due Coach through the remainder of the Term it current athletics director is no longer the athletics director

Benefits to Coach

  • Standard University benefits package (retirement, health, etc.)
  • Coach’s choice of use of two (2) late model, luxury automobiles or standard, University head coach stipend
  • Private air travel for personal use for 30 hours per Contract Year (up to 15 unused hours may roll over to the following Contract Year)
  • Twenty (20) prime, lower-level basketball tickets for each men’s basketball home game and eight (8) football tickets for each home football game
  • Ten (1 0) Lower level, prime tickets for each men’s basketball away or neutral site game(s)
  • Membership in one private mutually agreed upon club/golf club membership

Assistants and Support Staff Salary Pools

Such amount shall be set at a level commensurate with high-level SEC programs and peer institutions.

Annual Performance Incentives

Such amounts shall be due and payable at the next regular payroll date subsequent to the achievement(s); incentives are earned as long as Coach is serving as Head Coach on the date upon Which any bonus incentive is achieved. Maximum bonus is $700,000 per season (i.e. $500,000 for National Championship plus $100,000 SEC Regular Season plus $50,000 for SEC Tournament Championship plus $25,000 for a Cumulative Team GPA of 3.0 or greater plus $25,000 for a Team GPA of $25,0000).

  • Win NCAA National Championship – $500,000 OR
  • Final Four Appearance – $250,000 OR
  • Elite Eight Appearance – $100,000 OR
  • Sweet Sixteen Appearance – $50,000

PLUS

  • Regular Season SEC Championship (or share of) – $100,000 AND
  • SEC Tournament Championship – $50,000 AND
  • Cumulative Team GPA of 3.0 or greater – $25,000 AND
  • Team APR of 975 or greater – $25,000

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Men's Basketball

Star Forward Milan Momcilovic Chooses Kentucky Over Louisville and Arizona

Published

1 day ago

on

June 1, 2026

By

Photo via AOL

The wait is over BBN!

Milan Momcilovic has officially announced that he will be playing his senior year of college basketball at Kentucky, suiting up in the blue and white for Mark Pope and the Wildcats!

The 6-foot-8 wing averaged 16.9 points per game in the 2025-26 season, leading the nation in 3-pointers made (136) and percentage from deep (48.7%).

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Momcilovic is mostly ranked as No. 2 in most portal rankings, but ESPN has the former Cyclone as the No. 1 overall player. With that being said, this technically serves as Pope’s first No. 1 transfer during his tenure at Kentucky.

Pulling his name out of the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday, May 27, Kentucky was seemingly the favorite to land the wing during the entire sweepstakes due to positional need, scheme fit and money available to spend. He could even play another year with the Kentucky Wildcats if the “5-in-5” rule is passed and he forgoes the draft again.

Putting Pat Kelsey in a locker and outbidding him on a recruit is always great for morale, but this fills the much-needed star spot for next year’s roster. Pope and his staff have shaped the team with plenty of skilled players, but Momcilovic adds that extra layer of shooting and will serve as the go-to guy when a game may be on the line.

This will be the final player added to the 2026-27 team, with an insert at the starting small forward position in Momcilovic’s future. Pope and the Big Blue Nation have their guy, and soon enough, we’ll see the Pewaukee, Wisconsin native on Rupp Arena’s court.

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Men's Basketball

National Reporter Matt Norlander Chooses Kentucky as Landing Spot for Star Forward Milan Momcilovic

Published

6 days ago

on

May 28, 2026

By

Photo via Imagn Images

The Milan Momcilovic sweepstakes is underway, with multiple teams involved in the No. 2 overall transfer player’s recruitment. It is believed that Kentucky and Louisville are the top candidates after his decision to pull out from the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday, May 27.

Along with the in-state rivals, Arizona and St. John’s are both very well still in the mix, but the Red Storm are slowly falling out of contention after landing Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou.

On May 28, national reporter Matt Norlander cleared the air on CBS Sports’ Eye On College Basketball podcast, stating that he believes Kentucky will land Momcilovic by the end of the weekend or Monday.

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“My prediction right now is that Milan Momcilovic will go to Kentucky,” Norlander said. “My understanding is that decision is going to come in the next one, two, three days, four days max.”

He would go on to talk about the other top programs involved, stating why he thinks they will be working in an uphill battle in this bidding war.

“My forecast is that it’s Kentucky, but you know, we’ll see if Louisville can get in there,” he continued. “Arizona I don’t think has the money to contend, like I think Kentucky and Louisville just have more money to play with.”

For the worried members of the Big Blue Nation, this is certainly good news to be put out by one of the most trusted college basketball reporters at the national level.

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Going by this report and Adam Zagoria’s from NYT Sports, it shouldn’t be long until a commitment decision for Momcilovic is announced publicly.

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Men's Basketball

BREAKING: No. 2 Ranked Transfer Milan Momcilovic Removes Name From 2026 NBA Draft

Published

6 days ago

on

May 27, 2026

By

Kamil Krzaczynski | Imagn Images

Milan Momcilovic has officially removed his named from the 2026 NBA Draft and will return to college for his senior season.

Kentucky leads in his recruitment, followed closely by St. John’s, Louisville and Arizona. A backdoor to Iowa State is also still open.

The No. 2 ranked transfer would be a huge addition to Kentucky’s 2026-27 roster if he committed, averaging 16.9 points per game on 50.6/48.7/87.8 shooting splits last year. Funny enough, in the current world of college athletics that we live in, Momcilovic was responsible for eliminating the Wildcats from the NCAA Tournament, dropping 20 points in the Round of 32.

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He would go on to lose to Tennessee in the Sweet 16 with Iowa State, so at least we know that there’s some inner-hatred for a long-standing rival if he ends up a Wildcat.

He made the most three-point shots in Division I basketball and is a versatile 6-foot-8 wing, which would fit perfectly into Mark Pope’s offensive system. He completed workouts with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves during the draft process.

Now, the bidding war for the top dog begins, with some of the most prestigious programs in the sport placing their bets on the star forward.

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