“Lee Anne is going to kill me” - Mark Pope breaks down story of him helping wife amid car trouble

Despite it being just six months since his move to Lexington, Kentucky coach Mark Pope has seemingly become one of the most beloved people in the city. On Tuesday, a fan shared on X about witnessing Pope save the day for a "someone who had run out of gas."

​

"Just drove by Lexington Metro helping someone who ran out of gas in the middle of Broadway and had traffic merged to one lane…it was @CoachMarkPope😂 What a relatable guy," they wrote.

However, during his interview with The Field of 68 podcast, Mark Pope revealed that the fan was none other than his wife, Lee Anne.

​

​

“Just this morning, like you talk about the great events, I had a great event this morning,” Pope said. “So we’re starting a Zoom compliance meeting, Lee Anne is going to kill me by the way, we’re starting a Zoom compliance meeting at 9 a.m. and I get a phone call at 9:01.

"It’s Lee Anne and she’s just run out of gas on the busiest street in Lexington, like a mile away from here. So I get the GAs, we jump in the car. We run, the police are there, it’s this huge thing. We’re trying to get some gas, people are driving by honking horns, ‘Let’s go Cats! Let’s go Cats!'”

The expectations are high on Pope as he is set to lead a completely rebuilt Wildcats roster. After years of missed opportunities and close calls, fans are eager to see Kentucky back in its glory days with the Wildcats alum at the helm.

---

Mark Pope shares the progress report of his players

In the interview, coach Mark Pope shared that all Kentucky players have shown great potential, despite this being the first year together. Most players came from the transfer portal with one from Pope's former school, BYU and freshman recruits that had previously committed to the Cougars.

​

​

"Guys are just showing themselves, Pope said. "There hasn't been a ton of separation. We have really good veteran players. The nice thing is everybody is making huge strides.

"I'm super proud of our guys. They're getting better and better, and we still have a long way to go. Our growth trajectory is extraordinary right now."

Mark Pope's official debut as the Kentucky coach will be on Nov. 4 in a game against Wright State.

​