Kentucky coach Mark Pope fined by SEC for postgame comments
The SEC has fined Kentucky coach Mark Pope $25,000 for his “post-game conduct and comments” following his crew’s 75-74 loss at Auburn on Saturday, the league introduced.
Auburn received the sport on Elyjah Freeman‘s tip-in with 1.1 seconds to go. That play adopted a controversial offensive foul name towards Collin Chandler that arrange Auburn’s sport winner.
“Mitch, if those mother F’ers try to fine me, screw ’em because I didn’t say a word about how they cheated us,” Pope mentioned to Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart as he left the postgame podium.
The league mentioned Pope violated SEC guidelines after the sport.
“University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope has been issued a public reprimand and fined $25,000 by the Southeastern Conference for post-game conduct and comments related to officiating following the Wildcats’ game at Auburn University on February 21,” the SEC mentioned in its assertion on Tuesday. “The comments regarding violated SEC Bylaw 10.5.3 (Sportsmanship) and the SEC Commissioner’s Regulation Public Criticism of Officials, which prohibit coaches, student-athletes and institutional staff from publicly criticizing officials or disclosing officiating-related communications.”
Saturday’s sport was the third consecutive loss for Kentucky, which reportedly spent greater than $20 million on its present roster, and the crew’s fourth loss in seven video games simply weeks earlier than Selection Sunday. Late in Saturday’s sport, Chandler was whistled for pushing off an Auburn participant on the inbounds with almost 14 seconds to go within the sport. On the subsequent possession, Auburn sealed the win on Freeman’s putback.
After the sport, Pope mentioned his crew needed to keep centered even when issues have been “personal.”
“We refuse to give control to people who are outside of our program. Refuse,” Pope mentioned after the loss. “Regardless of how personal it might get or how bad it might get, we refuse to give control to fans, to give control to anyone else associated with this game. Regardless of how blatantly people are trying to make this not happen, we refuse to give them our power. … We don’t make excuses. We don’t do that. Regardless of what is happening. Regardless of how disgraceful things are, we don’t give away our power. Regardless of how embarrassing, personal, awful, unacceptable things are, we refuse to give away our power.”
