Big News In The Big Blue Nation Today

We’re on the verge of big news in the Big Blue Nation today… and what a shocker, Big Blue Nation is BIG MAD about the big news. What else is new? 

Hey BBN I’m gonna remind you right off the top that you wanted this. Check that, you demanded this. Big Blue Nation, you INSISTED that Cal wasn’t meeting the standard and Cal had to go. And you got what you wanted here.

Ten seconds ago the BBN was all ANYBODY BUT CAL. But as of this morning, they’re all ANYBODY BUT CAL… AND MARK POPE. Way to go BBN, way to be out on the next head coach before he even finishes signing his name on his contract.

Here’s the good news BBN… at least somebody took the job, right? AKA the best job in America that nobody seems to want. Well, except Mark Pope.

And here’s the thing, Mark Pope is a damn good basketball coach. And a damn good dude and an incredibly bright dude with a sterling reputation. And he’s one of you, BBN. So maybe consider giving the dude a chance. Crazy suggestion, I know. But maybe it can't hurt to give the guy a chance.

Especially since you all have no choice. You have no other options. Nobody else wanted the job. So I'm confused what exactly you want Mitch Barnhart to do?

I know you’re all in a panic right now trying to get Mitch to pull out of this deal, but I will once again ask, for who? It's the exact same question I asked when you were all foaming at the mouth and trying to chase Cal out of town. 

My point from the beginning was IF NOT CAL THEN WHO? And the same thing applies now, IF NOT POPE THEN WHO, BBN? It’s not like Mitch Barnhart wasn’t out there hustling. He just got buzzered over and over and over again by the top candidates. 

Dan Hurley was a no. [LT HAMMER] Jay Wright was a no. Nate Oats was a no. [LT HAMMER] Scott Drew was a no. Choc Donovan was a no, or they weren’t willing to talk to him since he’s still in season; either way, he ain’t coming.. 

It’s not that Barnhart didn’t try, it’s that nobody wanted it. Nobody wanted your job or your money or to follow Cal, BBN. And the way you ran Cal out probably has something to do with it too. So naturally your next move is to try to run the next guy before he even gets introduced. Even though, once again, HE IS ONE OF YOU.

And he’s a damn good basketball coach. He runs a modern, innovative offense. He’s got an incredible reputation in the sport. And he’s always had amazing energy, but you know his energy right now has to be off the charts. This dude is gonna attack this job with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. He might not have the ideal resume, but the dude understands exactly what this job is. And he’s gonna attack it with everything he’s got.

You might as well embrace it, BBN, because what other choice do you have? You have no other options. I get it, this isn’t what anyone expected. I get it, you didn’t run off Cal to get rejected by the Alabama coach and the Baylor coach and then settle for the BYU coach. Believe me, I get that. 

Maybe you should have thought about that before you ran the last guy out. Maybe you should have considered that before you considered a divorce. Maybe you should have thought all of this through before you chased Cal and his dog Paul and his dog stroller out of Lexington.

I get it, you expect more BBN. You expect more than one tournament win over the last four years, I get that. It’s just unfortunate, you ran a guy with one tournament win in the last four years for a guy with no tournament wins ever. 

Mark Pope has never won a tournament game. He's never won a conference championship, either regular season or a conference tournament. He's never had a top 50 recruiting class. He doesn't check the boxes that you expect your head coach hire to check, BBN, and I understand that. 

I get that you’re disappointed. I'm not saying you're wrong to be, necessarily, but you also don't have any other option. And I'm confident in saying this too... You're getting a lot MORE in hiring Pope than you think you are.

You're getting a lot more than just the BYU coach with a slightly underwhelming resume. No, he's not the biggest name or the flashiest hire and this job can swallow even the best coaches. 

But the dude is smart as hell. He's got a great offensive mind. He's embracing all the craziness that is the college game today. And, once again, he's one of you. He's brought a Natty home to Lex Vegas. He's a Pitino favorite. BBN, he's you. And he's all you got right now. So good thing he isn't some bum off the street, good thing he's a damn good coach, and that's why he deserves a chance and some patience and some bleeping respect... FOR REAL.

I hate the phrase it is what it is, but it is what it is: Barnhart took big swings and punchd out on every single one of them.  This is your dude: why don’t you give him a chance and or let him give you a reason to bury before you start throwing dirt on him. Especially since he’s one of your own.