Mark Pope has done just about everything right, both on and off the court, since taking over as the head coach for the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team this summer.

The former 1996 team captain is constantly preaching about gratitude and what an honor it is for him to be trusted to lead one of the top programs in college basketball history.

It’s not only that Coach Pope says all the right things but also that he seems incredibly genuine in all of his interactions with the Big Blue Nation.

His appeal to the common fan was on full display after UK’s monster 106-100 win over the Florida Gators inside Rupp Arena on Saturday afternoon.

After the game, a video posted on X showed Mark Pope joining in on the singing of Happy Birthday to a lucky fan at Carson’s Food and Drinks.

“Coach Mark Pope is having a victory dinner at Carson’s after his big win today. He sang my best friend Happy Birthday. A man of the people.” The caption from @Clint_Dizzle read.

You can watch the video here:

Pretty neat to see where Coach Pope immediately went after one of the biggest wins of his head coaching career.

It’s been beyond refreshing to hear the team so often referred to as something that belongs to everyone collectively, not a coach, player, or administrator.

I believe fans would love Mark Pope even if the Cats were struggling on the court during his first year, but when you take into consideration that UK is cruising with 12-2 record, and it’s easy to see why Pope is adored to the level he is.

The atmosphere inside Rupp Arena on Saturday was elite and difficult to replicate. ESPN’s Dan Shulman posted some jaw-dropping praise for the crowd on Twitter after the game ended.

“I’ve been doing this 30 years. I can count on one hand where both the game and the environment were as good as they were today at Rupp for Kentucky-Florida. College basketball at its best,” he said.

The Mark Pope effect continues to take college basketball by storm.