Many Kentucky Wildcats fans have seen enough of head coach Mark Pope.
As the Wildcats remain winless in SEC play, Pope has become a big target for a Kentucky basketball fanbase that is growing more restless.
On Wednesday, the Wildcats suffered an embarrassing 73-68 loss to the Missouri Tigers at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., leaving Kentucky with a 0-2 record to start conference play.
Wildcats fans were hoping for Kentucky to have a strong bounce-back performance against Missouri following an 89-74 defeat at the hands of the No. 14 Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala., but instead witnessed their team struggle to repulse an unranked visitor.
Shortly after Missouri recorded its first-ever win at Rupp Arena, calls for Pope to be sacked started to show on social media.
Fire Mark Pope. There is no excuse for this. He had every resource available to him.
— travis peak (@fatmantrav79) January 8, 2026
Mark Pope sucks.
— Jeff (@JDeck2) January 8, 2026
The team is a brutal watch.
They also despise playing with each other.
This program is broken.
Fire Barnhart. Fire Pope.
I’m officially done with the mark pope experience. This just can’t continue for another year and a half. Losing that game especially the way they did is a fireable offense in itself.
— Trevor Huber (@huber_trevor) January 8, 2026
FIRE MARK POPE THIS WEEK! Make Mark Fox interim HC for the rest of the season. Pope has turned this program into the laughing stock of CBB, and he spent 22 million to do it.
— A Fatigued UK Fan (@dubsack270) January 8, 2026
Prediction:
— Mike Justice (@justmikejustice) January 8, 2026
3-15 in SEC play, 12-21 on the season.
If we don't fire Pope tonight, take it to the bank.
As it stands, Kentucky is just 1-5 against ranked opponents so far in the 2025-26 college basketball season. The Wildcats also only have two Quad 1 victories, and their debacle versus Missouri gave them a Quad 3 defeat. Overall, Pope’s squad is 9-6.
It is not too late for the Wildcats to turn things around, but Pope’s seat is not going to get any cooler if Kentucky takes another blow on Saturday, when the red-hot Mississippi State Bulldogs swing by Lexington.
