Mark Pope called for first technical foul as UK basketball coach
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- UK basketball coach Mark Pope was called for a technical foul by game officials.
- The technical foul was assessed to Pope during UK’s home loss to Missouri.
- Pope is known for his reserved demeanor toward officials during games.
For the first time in his tenure as the Kentucky basketball coach, Mark Pope was assessed a technical foul.
Pope was called for his first tech as the UK coach with 1:23 to go in the first half of the Wildcats’ SEC home opener against Missouri at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats ultimately lost the game, 73-68, to fall to 0-2 in conference action.
This was Pope’s 51st game as the head coach of his alma mater.
The technical was assessed to Pope after he repeatedly yelled at an official following a sequence in which UK sophomore forward Jayden Quaintance battled on offense around the rim for positioning with the ball, eventually crashing to the ground after missing a shot and being unable to secure the rebound. No foul was called on Missouri.
Just seconds later on the other end, Kentucky was called for a hand check foul.
While Kentucky played defense following the offensive sequence involving Quaintance, Pope pursued Rob Rorke, who was the official closest to him, and angrily yelled. At one point, Pope made contact with Rorke as he walked down the sideline. Assistant coach Jason Hart attempted to step in between Pope and Rorke.
After the defensive foul on UK was called, Pope went back for more and the technical foul followed. Rorke was joined by Doug Shows and Pat Adams on the three-man officiating crew for the game. Missouri’s Jayden Stone made one of the two technical foul free throws.
Pope didn’t speak about the technical foul during his postgame press conference Wednesday, after UK lost to Missouri in Lexington for the first time in program history.
Pope’s demeanor toward officials on the sideline is, usually, more reserved than most of his coaching compatriots.
Previously, Pope spoke about his approach when it comes to communicating, and occasionally criticizing, referees.
“Sometimes I lose my mind — I got a couple T’s last year — but, for me, I want our players to feel the same way that I do. That the referees actually have no power over whether we win or lose the game,” Pope said last season, which was his first in charge of the Wildcats. “And the calls are really hard. But if I can be disciplined and keep my focus on the game, I think it helps our players be disciplined and helps (keep) their focus on the game — come what may from refs.”
Additional insight on how Pope interacts with game officials was provided to the Herald-Leader by UK assistant coach Cody Fueger, who has been on all of Pope’s coaching staffs during the last 11 seasons at Utah Valley, BYU and Kentucky.
“Now, if he feels like a technical is going to get our guys going, he’s done that in the past,” said Fueger, who previously told the Herald-Leader that Pope has never been ejected from a game in his coaching career.
During the 2023-24 season at BYU, Pope was notably assessed a technical foul during a loss at Baylor after slamming a water bottle down on a table, causing water to explode into the air.
This story was originally published January 7, 2026 at 7:51 PM.
