“Coach, do you need a phone charger?”: College hoops fans make light-hearted quips at Mark Pope for sharing snap of his family
Mark Pope set social media alight with one of his posts on X. In a display of affection towards his family, the new head coach of Kentucky's men's basketball program shared a picture of his wife, Lee Anne and his four daughters, Ella, Avery, Layla and Shay on Thursday with the caption:
"My whole heart."
While the 51-year-old melted fans with his adorable gesture, a few eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot an unintentional gaffe he made. Pope's photo not only featured his family but in fact, a screenshot of his entire phone screen, indicating his phone had low battery and only two signal bars.
Some fans brought out their funny sides, making quips at the Wildcats' head coach's expense.
"Coach, do you need a phone charger? I can bring you one, just let me know," joked one fan.
"Let’s start a GoFundMe to get Coach a charger. Don’t want him missing calls when the NCAA calls for ring sizes," said another fan.
Another fan added, "Somebody get Coach a charging cable, stat! Gooooooooo!"
Other fans found Pope's unintentional mistake genuine, sharing kind messages for him and his family.
"The fact that he did know how to save the photo or crop it makes me so happy. Authentic," said one fan.
"This is the most basketball-guy post i've seen in a while. I love it, ball is life," said another fan.
Another fan added, "Great pic Coach! So happy you are back and are OUR coach and hoping you and your family are feeling it from #BBN. Good luck and thanks for all you do."
Mark Pope kickstarts new era of Kentucky basketball with a win
Through several public appearances, Mark Pope generated excitement around the Kentucky Wildcats after replacing John Calipari as head coach. On November 4, they gave their fans a show at the Rupp Arena, scoring a dominant 103-62 victory over the Wright State Raiders to get Pope off to a winning start at Lexington.
Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh led the Wildcats' scoring with 21 points, as six players scored in double-digits. The team's efficiency in making shots was also impressive, as they shot 60% from the field and made 11 of 24 three-point attempts.
Mark Pope and the Wildcats will welcome the Bucknell Bison to the Rupp Arena on November 9, before traveling to Atlanta to face the Duke Blue Devils in an exciting showdown at the State Farm Arena on November 12.