Mark Pope explains why Kentucky doesn't have a traditional General Manager

For the third day in a row, Mark Pope is answering Kentucky fans’ questions. Today, he tackled one of the biggest critiques of the program right now: why Kentucky doesn’t have a general manager.

Pope said that instead of going with a traditional general manager, he’s built a front office team comprised of four individuals: Keegan Brown, who was hired as the team’s Director of Roster Management in March; Nick Robinson, who was already on staff as the director of men’s basketball operations; Kevin Sergent, UK’s associate athletic director of compliance; and Kim Shelton, a JMI Sports executive who works with UK on NIL.

“In this ever-changing, dynamic college basketball environment, everybody is trying a different solution,” Pope said. “For us, instead of hiring a singular GM, we’ve gone with a more comprehensive general management team approach.

“We have four members of the team. Keegan Brown is a data analysis and roster construction expert that’s worked in both college and in the NBA. Nick Robinson is our salary cap strategy and management specialist. Kevin Sergent is our compliance officer, and he deals with all of our contracts and legal language. And Kim Shelton is our JMI liaison, and she does all of our NIL contracts and dealing with corporate sponsorships. That’s our four-person general management team.”

Based on that answer, it sounds like Pope is happy with his front office team and may not be adding any more members. On UK’s job site, there are still job listings for an assistant basketball coach and an associate director of player development.

What a week Big Blue Nation!
What else do you want to know? pic.twitter.com/3w0WXwjeeU

— Mark Pope (@CoachMarkPope) May 8, 2026

Also in today’s update, Pope was asked why there was so much secrecy surrounding the program right now. He explained that because of NCAA rules, he’s not allowed to discuss recruiting, and that sometimes, players and their families request that they keep things on the down low. When asked why it’s important that a team has a star, he pointed to Otega Oweh’s last-second shot to force overtime vs. Santa Clara in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He also shared his excitement for Braydon Hawthrone, calling the redshirt freshman’s ceiling “limitless,” and congratulated a fan who just became a girl dad this week.

Pope wrapped up part three with a question about his favorite hype song. Instead of sharing the name, he gets up and leaves as 50 Cent’s “Many Men” plays him out.

“Many men wish death upon me
Blood in my eye, dog, and I can’t see
I’m tryin’ to be what I’m destined to be
And guys trying to take my life away”

Transcript

Q: @the_gov15: Listen, love the program and all, but why the secrecy? And not letting the fan base know exactly what’s up. 

A: So, I don’t think of it as secrecy, but some things have to be done in private. It’s really important, especially in recruiting. It’s impermissible, actually, for us to talk publicly about any recruiting. And sometimes, for example, the parents or player want us to keep conversations and interactions private, and we need to keep their trust.

Q: There’s a second part to this question. Why have you and the staff not hired an actual GM? 

A: In this ever-changing, dynamic college basketball environment, everybody is trying a different solution. For us, instead of hiring a singular GM, we’ve gone with a more comprehensive general management team approach. We have four members of the team. Keegan Brown is a data analysis and roster construction expert that’s worked in both college and in the NBA. Nick Robinson is our salary cap strategy and management specialist. Kevin Sargent is our compliance officer, and he deals with all of our contracts and legal language. And Kim Shelton is our JMI liaison, and she does all of our NIL contracts and dealing with corporate sponsorships. That’s our four-person general management team.

Q: Instagram question from @WaltAskew. First-time girl dad, born May 4th. Any advice on how to be a good girl dad? 

A: First, congratulations. Second, I don’t have great advice for you. Only this: you are the luckiest person in the world to have a daughter. Enjoy it. 

Q: @HunterEdboy, Coach, what are your thoughts on everyone’s obsession with having a guy, AKA a star? Do you believe in having a star doing the heavy lifting or a team effort leading the way? Where is that balance? 

A: Well, I think it always starts with a team effort, but having stars is important. If you remember our first round NCAA tournament game, we relied on Otega Oweh again out of a timeout, ran a flare play for him to get downhill and score a game-tying basket. And then 15 seconds later, he’s raced down the court, and the only play call was shoot it, Otega. And he bangs a shot to take us to overtime. That’s the value of having a star player.

Q: Next question, @MattSeybert, what kind of production are you and your staff expecting to see out of Braydon Hawthorne next season?

A: Every member of BBN knows that I am a massive Braydon Hawthorne fan. I think his ceiling is limitless. He’s worked so hard and sacrificed so much. He’s a 7’3″ wingspan kid that can do everything on the floor. He’s got a great feel for the game. He is going to make big-time plays for us this season.

Q: @Nolan.Thomas10: What’s your favorite hype song?

A: [Pope walks out as “Many Men” plays]

If you missed it, check out Part 1 and Part 2 of Mark Pope’s Q&A. It looks like another installment is coming next week.