While Kentucky was busy earning its way into the Sweet 16, head coach Mark Pope was adding another year onto his Wildcats contract, as well as earning a hefty bonus at the same time.
Pope has turned his first season at Kentucky into a successful one by advancing to the second week of the NCAA Tournament following an 84-75 victory over Illinois on Sunday.
Hired to replace John Calipari on a five-year, $27.5-million contract, the Wildcats’ Sweet 16 spot has earned Pope a sixth season on the deal worth $5.25 million that will keep in him Lexington, Ky., through the 2029-30 season, according to Sportico.
He also earned a $50,000 bonus after the team won its first two games of this NCAA Tournament.
No. 3 seed Kentucky will now face No. 2 seed Tennessee on Friday at Indianapolis.
Pope is in line to earn a $100,000 bonus with a victory over Tennessee, a $250,000 bonus for a spot in the Final Four, and an additional $500,000 for winning the national championship.
The former Utah Valley and BYU coach has guided Kentucky to a 24-11 record this season.
The Wildcats were ranked as high as No. 4 in this season’s Associated Press Top 25 poll, finished tied for sixth in the SEC regular-season standings and advanced to the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament.
