‘Coaches say the darndest things’ during NCAA press conferences

• The NCAA tournament has been filled with moments both on the court and off. Star coaches are taking center stage with some of their press conference comments.
• Kentucky’s Mark Pope, in his first season in charge, has endeared himself to Big Blue Nation.
• Others like UConn’s Dan Hurley and Auburn’s Bruce Pearl have touched on more serious subjects.

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It was an interesting first week of the NCAA tournament, and now a lucky group of teams are preparing for the Sweet 16. There’s been action on the court but also some drama in the press room.

How did Mark Pope fire up the Big Blue Nation?

Some coaches have made headlines for their comments and behavior, good, bad, political and, in some cases, all of the above. Kentucky’s Mark Pope, in his first year at the helm of the Wildcats, playfully called out the “Big Blue Nation” on his weekly radio show before the team’s first-round game in Milwaukee.

“I’m gonna say something I’m gonna regret, but it’s only a 7-hour drive; if anyone is having any trouble with gas money, hit me up. Let’s go; let’s get all BBN out there. I’m not gonna tell you how to hit me up because I’m nervous about how many people are about to hit me up,” Pope said.

It turns out he was right to be nervous. Quite a few folks found a way to “hit him up” and got $100 gas cards to make the trip. All they had to do was show proof of their age and have tickets for the games in Milwaukee. On Thursday, March 20, Pope responded to a question about how much he spent on gas for fans.

“Well, I’m, I’m, on purpose not keeping count because I want to reduce my stress level before tournament play. But, yeah, that was not the smartest thing I’ve ever done,” Pope said.

What was Dan Hurley’s reaction after losing to Florida?

Things were more serious for UConn head coach Dan Hurley, who was caught on camera cursing the officials while walking into the tunnel after his team’s loss to Florida. The loss ended the Huskies’ 13-game tournament winning streak, which included back-to-back national championships. Through tears, Hurley said the last two seasons were draining.

“You lose perspective, you know, you struggle with the ego at times because you’ve, you know, you’ve been on this incredible run, so it’ll be nice to get to a normal off-season and just get back to, you know, myself as a coach,” Hurley said.

Why did Auburn’s Bruce Pearl get political?

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl is feeling the opposite of Hurley after two wins as a number one seed. He began his press conference Saturday, March 22, by thanking God for beating Creighton. Pearl said it allowed him a chance to deliver a political message.

“To give me an opportunity just start this press conference really briefly and remind the world that Eden Alexander is still held hostage in Gaza right now, an American held hostage, and there aren’t enough people in this country that know his name,” Pearl said.

What keeps Tom Izzo going?

Never one to shy away from the microphone, Pearl could be facing a coaching legend over the weekend. Tom Izzo is in the Sweet 16 for the 16th time in 27 years at Michigan State. When asked how he’s approaching the next round, Izzo relayed a conversation he had with his freshman guard, Jeremy Fears.

“I told him the greatest thing that happens in these games is when the last game of the weekend, you know, you try to win the weekend when the last game of the weekend’s over if you still get to practice. That’s a good thing, and first thing Jeremy said, ‘Hey coach, we get to practice Monday.’ I said, ‘You’re damn right,'” Izzo said.

There’s news on the coaching job front as well. Since Sunday, March 23, there have been four head coaching moves. Texas fired Rodney Terry and hired Xavier’s Sean Miller. Colorado State’s Niko Medved is heading to Minnesota. Drake’s Ben McCollum is on his way to Iowa and VCU’s Ryan Odom is heading just an hour away to coach the Virginia Cavaliers.