Austin Pope Departs Kentucky for NBA Opportunity with Lakers’ G League Team

Pope’s time at Kentucky may have been brief, but his impact was felt behind the scenes, particularly in the film room and during offseason workouts. He played a key role in ushering in the first year of the Mark Pope era and left a lasting impression on both players and staff.

Before transitioning into coaching, Pope built a strong playing résumé. He earned First-Team All-Pacific West honors in 2018 after averaging 14.8 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, while maintaining an impressive 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio. His career took him overseas and into the NBA G League, experiences that helped shape his coaching perspective.

Beyond his role at Kentucky, Pope gained coaching experience at the high school level with Viewpoint and Burroughs High Schools and was active in grassroots basketball through BTI Hoops in California.

Now, Pope returns to his home state as he steps into the next phase of his coaching career with the Lakers’ organization. His rapid rise reflects the early growth of Mark Pope’s coaching tree and reinforces Kentucky’s role as a springboard for emerging basketball minds.