On my left was my wife, Rhonda, and Larry Vaught was to my right.
I’m used to seeing Vaught, a veteran on the University of Kentucky beat, at press conferences, but this time I took Rhonda to work with me as part of the first VIP Media Member Family Day at Rupp Arena on Wednesday.
Media members were invited to bring a family member to Kentucky coach Mark Pope’s pre-game press conference and a 90-minute open practice session, providing an insight into a typical day at the office for media members who follow the team regularly.
Unlike some in the coaching profession, Pope appreciates those of us who work in the media and cover the Wildcats. On the back of the media credential signed by Pope given to those in attendance, he wrote, “Thank you for your continued support and coverage of the men’s basketball program. I truly believe in the power of storytelling and its importance for the Big Blue Nation to feel connected to their team.”
Personally, that means a lot, especially considering I’ve been on the beat for three decades and counting. I shared Pope's and the team’s story when he played and now as the coach of the Wildcats.
“I have a good sense of, if there's anything I have a sense of, it's the sacrifices that everybody in this sport makes to do (this job) and have the blessing of doing what we do, and especially the sacrifices our families make,” he said. “I know what it's like to be gone for my family multiple or all the nights of the week.”
The press conference featured a difference format than what we're used to. Families of media members were allowed to ask questions during the 30-minute media opportunity. Some of the questions were basketball-related, while others were about life away from the court. Rhonda asked Pope how much he relied on his wife, Lee Anne Pope for advice.
“I rely on her so much,” he said. “We're all blessed to have just a couple of people in our circle that tell us the truth all the time, no matter how painful it might be, and Lee is an incredible, incredible advisor, and she's an unbelievable sounding board. She also brings a perspective to my life that's incredible. She is also the best person I know about teaching me how to love people, share with people and take care of people, and that's the most important part of this job. She develops incredible relationships with these players and with their families, and so the communication lines are really important. And she's has a high, high X and O acumen, where she crushes me a lot.”
Following the press conference, media members and their families watched practice, which included a 5-on-5 session. Rhonda was impressed with how the coaches and players were in tune with each other and Pope's staff used crowd noise over the loudspeakers to help emulate the gameday experience.
At the end of the practice, four media members, older and young alike, took part in free-throw drills to determine if the team needed to run wind sprints before leaving the court. Following the session, the players shook hands with the media and the families in the stands, and some posed for photographs and autographs.
In typical Pope fashion, the Kentucky coach stayed and posed for photographs to wind down the event, and Rhonda and I had a brief conversation and posed for a photo with Pope.
"I think the best part about being the basketball coach here at Kentucky is the fact that we all do this together,” Pope said. “The good days, the bad days, the times where I'm good and the times where I stink. As a head coach, we all get to do it together. It's pretty it's pretty great.”
As I have written several times in the past, Pope gets it when it comes to coaching at Kentucky and appreciates the fan base, the expectations of coaching the Wildcats, the assignment, and the media.
“I know I only get to be the head coach at the University of Kentucky for a while,” he said. “I am not leaving anything on the table here, like we all get a chance to serve in different capacities throughout our lives, and we only get these only little windows where we get to do it.”
Pope is living in the moment, while creating memories, and Wednesday’s media member family day was indeed memorable for Rhonda and me.
UK coach Mark Pope between Keith and Rhonda Taylor. during VIP Media Family Day on Wednesday.
