Mark Pope’s legacy at BYU? Getting students excited about hoops again

Mark Pope may be off to Kentucky, but the memories of his time in Provo won’t be easily forgotten — especially for the BYU students who got to be part of the ride.

Sure, he won a lot of games with the Cougars — and lost a few heartbreakers in March — but I believe Pope’s ultimate legacy at the Y is found not on the court, but rather in the Marriott Center seats.

Dave Rose’s final season at BYU came during my freshman year at the school. It was a bit of an awkward campaign for the Cougars, with minimal buzz around campus for the team and the nightly attendance numbers taking a noticeable dip. Things felt a bit stale.

My generation grew up idolizing Jimmer Fredette. For many of us, he was our first introduction to BYU. I remember walking home from games that 2018-19 season with my Helaman Halls buddies, each of us wondering aloud how exciting it would have been to be part of “Jimmermania.”

Such magic seemed like ancient history to us. BYU basketball would never be that fun again, right?

Pope injected his trademark hyperactive energy into the program, and everything changed. Students quickly caught Pope’s vision because he made sure they knew they were part of it.

Pope leaned heavily on the power of the Marriott Center. He helped re-cultivate a smothering home court advantage for his Cougars — going 66-12 at the historic venue over five seasons — largely due to the overwhelming ROC student section.

Upon arriving at BYU, one of Pope’s first orders of business was establishing Midnight Madness. Known as a relentless recruiter, this inaugural late night pep rally was essentially a pitch meeting to get younger fans bought in for his program.

He instructed everyone in attendance to practice their court storming technique, with a sea of stoked students flooding the Marriott Center floor in hysteria before he had even coached a game there.

Such practice paid off, as a cinematic court storming scene presented itself following BYU’s 91-78 upset senior night win over No. 2 Gonzaga in February 2020.

For many students huddled on the hardwood that night, it was the ultimate core college memory.

Pope’s postgame celebration that night? Heading down the street to Cubby’s restaurant, where he picked up a $1,600 tab for all the fans who came to eat after the program-defining victory and hung out with them into the early morning hours.

Who does that?

Mark Pope does.

Thanks to Pope, going to basketball games became cool again. His team’s offenses were a show that students wanted to see — a fast-paced attack with a barrage of 3-pointers, perfect for the generation raised on the likes of Fredette and Steph Curry.

Prior to Pope’s arrival, BYU ranked No. 27 nationally in average game attendance. This past year, average attendance jumped to No. 10, including five sellouts.

Moving to the Big 12 definitely had something to do with the uptick in crowds, but Pope made sure to give everyone a reason to pack the arena and keep coming back.

The on-court excitement often spilled over into campus, and not just because students would camp out in line stretching all the way to the library just to get prime seats for Gonzaga games.

My classmates, once oblivious to our school’s hoops happenings, began buzzing about basketball. Pope was a master marketer, and due to his personnel promotion, his players became recognizable stars again.

ROC fans would don fake mustaches for Zac Seljaas, fly Mali flags to support Fousseyni Traore and even rep the jerseys of reserves Jared McGregor and Townsend Tripple.

Of course, there were those moments Pope seemed more cartoon character than coach. He did things no student would ever expect from their school’s head of hoops, whether it was rapping Eminem, belting Taylor Swift or giving his best duck impression for a dozen local reporters.

He was refreshing. He was entertaining. He kept things fun and light, and students appreciated that.

Sure, BYU has always had terrific student support for sports and probably always will, but no Cougar coach has ever leaned further into it than Pope. Such an embrace for fans created a whole new contagious energy at each game. It was special.

In preparing this column I’ve had a number of students reach out to me to offer their thoughts on Pope’s exit, with many recounting hugs, selfies and laughs shared with him in their various interactions around town. One even referred to him as “the ultimate fun uncle,” and another as “the realest person I met at BYU.”

There truly was a unique bond between Pope and his young fans. It’s almost as if he felt his job wasn’t just to win basketball games, but also to breed magical memories for those along for the ride.

If so, then mission accomplished. What an admirable legacy to leave behind.