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PROVO – There was always a chance that Mark Pope would leave BYU for a bigger job, and a high probability that job would be his alma mater.
News of the fifth-year BYU men's basketball coach's move to Lexington wasn't so much of a shock by most in the Beehive State, save for perhaps the timing. But as soon as John Calipari opted for Razorback steak with a side of Tyson frozen chicken, the thought of Pope returning to his ol' Kentucky home became a real possibility.
BYU men's basketball coach Mark Pope is off to Kentucky after just one season — and a fifth-place finish — in the Big 12, leaving behind a program he inherited from the man he always simply referred to as "coach" following Dave Rose's retirement for a five-year, $5.5 million average salary in the Commonwealth, according to CBS' Matt Norlander
BYU traditionally hires active, temple recommend-worthy members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be head coaches across its sports. But that tenant is not a requirement, as the university explicitly stated when it promoted Diljeet Taylor to women's cross country head coach in 2021.
"While in the past head coaches throughout BYU athletics have often been members of the church, it has been a practice but not a policy," the school said in announcing the national championship-winning coach who grew up in the Sikh faith.
But not every Latter-day Saint coaching candidate will be interested in BYU. Shortly after Pope's move to Kentucky was announced by the school, former Utah Valley head coach and 10-year NBA veteran Mark Madsen reaffirmed his commitment to Cal with a lengthy social media post.
Nothing moves swiftly at BYU, where boards and trustees make decisions at a speed more reserved for sabbath observance than collegiate athletics. But in the era of college basketball's transfer portal and with Power Five funding, BYU's upper campus will need to move as quickly as possible to keep any pieces of the current roster intact.
Here's a look at five prospects to start BYU's turn on the annual coaching carousel.
Chris Burgess, University of Utah
A former assistant under Pope at BYU and Utah Valley, Burgess was the former BYU coach's right-hand assistant until returning to his alma mater in April 2022 to join Craig Smith's staff.
An ace with the Cougars' post players during his time in Provo, Burgess helped BYU snap a six-year NCAA Tournament drought in 2021 with a team that ranked in the top 25 in defensive rebounds per game, rebounding margin and rebounds per game behind West Coast Conference defensive player of the year Matt Haarms.
He commanded a salary of $265,000 as recently as 2022 when KSL.com requested his contract, so pay shouldn't be a concern.
Barret Peery, UNLV
If there's a basketball opening on the Wasatch Front, Peery's name likely isn't far away.
The former Payson High standout who guided Southern Utah to a pair of conference championships after a stellar career at Snow College just finished his second season on Kevin Kruger's staff at UNLV. He also coached at Utah, Arizona State, Santa Clara and his alma mater, and was the head coach at Portland State from 2017-21 while guiding the Vikings to a 63-57 record.
Peery and his wife, Tracy, are the parents of four children, including a daughter, Kennedy, who plays volleyball at UNLV.
Kevin Young, Phoenix Suns
Young's ties to BYU are limited, but one of the handful of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in NBA coaching circles who was born in Salt Lake City before a high school career in Marietta, Georgia, that led to his college career at Middle Georgia and Division II Clayton State.
The 42-year-old veteran NBA assistant got his start with the Shamrock Rovers in Ireland's Super League before spending the 2007-08 season as an assistant at Utah Valley. He went on to be head coach of the short-lived Utah Flash developmental team before stops with the Iowa Energy, Delaware 87ers, Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns, where he was named associate head coach in 2021.
Paul Peterson, Wasatch Academy
The darkhorse among the top tier is Peterson, whose collegiate experience is limited but his upside could be as high as anyone.
The BYU-Hawaii graduate played professionally in England, Germany and Serbia before starting his coaching career at his alma mater in 2010. He moved to the mainland to join David Evans' staff at Wasatch Academy and eventually became head coach in 2018, guiding the Tigers into the NIBC (now Nike EYBL Scholastic) against top prep schools and academies in the country like Montverde Academy and IMG Academy.
In doing so, Peterson recruits a loaded roster to the Mount Pleasant, Sanpete County, boarding school that eschews participation in the Utah High School Activities Association in favor of a national schedule.
That roster produces Division I starters every year, including BYU's Fousseyni Traore and Richie Saunders; Gonzaga's Nolan Hickman; Baylor transfer Caleb Lohner; Michigan State transfer Mady Sissoko; and Ohio State transfer Roddy Gayle Jr.
In addition to his time at Wasatch, Peterson also runs a skill development program during the offseason, where he has worked with players that include BYU's Trevin Knell and Dallin Hall; incoming recruit Collin Chandler; and Class of 2025 recruit Isiah Harwell, the five-star shooting guard from Pocatello, Idaho, with offers from Baylor, Cal, Gonzaga, Houston, Texas and UCLA, among others.
K.C. Beard, Houston
A well-respected riser in the coaching ranks, Beard recently finished his third season as an assistant coach at Houston, where he's been since May 2014 as video coordinator.
A native of Parma, Idaho, and graduate of Boise State, Beard played a key role in coach Kelvin Sampson's program as it rose to be among the best in the country, winning 20 games or more in eight consecutive seasons for the first time in program history, capturing six American Athletic Conference tiles, and winning the Big 12 with a 15-3 conference record in the program's first season.
The former Utah Jazz video intern has also has experience with the Canadian national team, the Portland Trail Blazers, SMU and Division II West Texas A&M.
Other names to consider
- Quincy Lewis, Lehi head coach/former BYU assistant
- Jon Judkins, Utah Tech head coach
- Lee Cummard, BYU women's basketball assistant
- Nick Robinson, BYU men's basketball assistant
- Andrew May, Snow College head coach
- Dave Rice, Salt Lake Community College head coach/former BYU assistant
