BREAKING: Kentucky officially releases Mark Pope’s contract details with huge boost sideline

Mark Pope has been serving as Kentucky’s head basketball coach for over a month, but the details of his contract were only recently made public.

On Tuesday, the university disclosed the contract information for Pope and his coaching staff. Pope’s contract, previously reported to be a five-year deal, spans from April 12, 2024, to March 31, 2029.

Throughout his contract, Pope will earn a total of $27.5 million, starting with a $5 million salary that will increase by $250,000 each season.

Despite Kentucky’s storied history as a “blue blood” in college basketball, the team hasn’t advanced beyond the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since the 2018-19 season. Following the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Tournament due to COVID-19, Kentucky missed the 2021 tournament and experienced first-round exits in two of the past three seasons.

Consequently, if Pope leads the team to a Sweet Sixteen, he will receive a $250,000 bonus for each appearance.

However, Pope’s ambitions extend beyond these bonuses. Upon accepting the position, he emphasized that the goal each season should be to “hang a banner” at Kentucky.

“The University of Kentucky is the pinnacle of coaching in college basketball,” Pope said. “It’s the definition of a blueblood program where hanging a banner is the expectation every year.”

Additional incentives for Pope include $500,000 for a National Championship, $250,000 for a Final Four appearance, $100,000 for a regular-season SEC Championship, and $50,000 for an SEC Tournament title.

Kentucky is coming off a 23-10 record and a first-round upset loss in the NCAA Tournament to Oakland. Last year, Pope led BYU to the NCAA Tournament with a 23-11 season.