Tag: Austin Pope

Kentucky basketball adding another Pope to the coaching staff

Former Chaminade guard Austin Pope joins Kentucky basketball as a graduate assistant.

When Mark Pope became the new head coach of Kentucky basketball, he had to not only build a roster from scratch, but he had to hire a coaching staff as well. He wound up putting together a terrific one.

On Sunday, he added one more member with a familiar name. Austin Pope will be joining the team as a graduate assistant, as posted by him on the social platform X where his profile now says “graduate assistant @kentuckymbb.”

Related: Malachi Moreno commits to Kentucky basketball

Pope played college basketball for Chaminade, where he was a point guard. In his final season there, in 2017-18, he was All-Pacific West, and averaged 14.8 points and 4.5 assists per game.

After college, Pope played internationally, but ultimately entered the coaching ranks. He has been a high school coach and also the coach of BTI Basketball Club on the AAU circuit.

Kentucky will be his first college experience, but he is highly regarded. By all appearances, it’s another solid move by the other Wildcat Pope in Lexington.

Austin Pope ends career at Tennessee

Austin Pope ends career at Tennessee.

Redshirt senior tight end Austin Pope has ended his career at the University of Tennessee.

Pope announced his decision ahead of fall training camp.

The 6-foot-4, 243-pound tight end appeared in 33 games for the Vols since 2017, totaling seven receptions for 85 yards.

He did not play during the 2020 season due to back surgery, addressing a herniated disc in his lower back.

Pope is from Christian Academy of Knoxville in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Tennessee will kick off the 2021 season against Bowling Green on Sept. 2 at Neyland Stadium under first-year head coach Josh Heupel. Kick off is slated for 8 p.m. EDT. SEC Network will televise the matchup.

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Josh Heupel details Tennessee’s skill players stepping up this spring

Josh Heupel details Tennessee’s skill players stepping up this spring.

Tennessee practiced for the 11th time this spring on Saturday.

Saturday’s practice took place at Neyland Stadium and was Tennessee’s second scrimmage this spring.

First-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel met with media following the Vols’ scrimmage. He discussed which skill players that have stepped up during Tennessee’s two spring scrimmages.

“I don’t know that it’s been the same guys,” Heupel said. “I think you see guys periodically throughout practice or throughout the scrimmage make some plays. I think at the running back position, Jabari Small has done a fantastic job. He understands how we want to play. He understands what we’re doing. He’s been good without the ball in his hands and not just with the ball in his hands at the running back position. I feel like he’s in a really good spot, and he does some really good things. Dee Beckwith has had some flashes at the running back position, as well. He’s starting to understand how to play that position. A unique guy in that he’s played multiple positions in a short amount of time coming out of high school, having played some quarterback as well. He’s grown into a guy that is understating the running back position, learning how to play with pad leverage. His size is a positive, but he’s also got to learn how to get pad under pad, and he’s starting to do that.

“The tight ends, that group have all made plays. (Austin) Pope coming back off of injury, he’s done some really good things, obviously, he’s the most mature guy in the room or has the most experience. Princeton Fant has made plays. (Jacob) Warren has made plays. That’s a group that has great depth and a lot of consistency in it. They are able to play in the box and outside. At the wide receiver position, I’ve talked about those guys before, but I like that group as far as their understanding and competitive nature. Velus Jones Jr., (Cedric) Tillman have made some plays. Jalin Hyatt has made some plays, getting back on the practice field here and done a really good job.”

Tennessee will conclude spring practices with its annual Chevrolet Orange & White Game on April 24 at Neyland Stadium.

Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. EDT.

Tennessee senior enters transfer portal

Tennessee tight end enters the NCAA transfer portal.

University of Tennessee football player Austin Pope has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Pope, a redshirt senior tight end, missed the entire 2020 season due to injury. He underwent surgery for a herniated disc.

He entered the NCAA transfer portal on Monday.

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

His entrance to the portal does not bind him in transferring. It does, however, give him the ability to contact other coaches and programs.

Pope was a star player at Christian Academy of Knoxville during his high school career.

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end totaled seven receptions for 85 yards in 33 games during his career with the Vols. He started 14 contests at Tennessee.

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Austin Pope updates his injury status

Tennessee’s Austin Pope updates his injury status.

Tennessee redshirt senior tight end Austin Pope underwent back surgery on July 16.

Ahead of the 2020 season opener Sept. 26, Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt discussed Pope’s injury.

“Austin Pope is not going to be ready to play and probably won’t play this year,” Pruitt said. “He’s still rehabbing and we’ll see where that goes beyond this year.”

Pope updated his injury status Tuesday on Twitter.

“Graduated 2 days ago and was cleared by my physical therapist today,” Pope said. “It’s been a great week! Ready to get back to work!”

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end has totaled seven receptions for 85 yards in 33 games during his career at Tennessee.

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

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Austin Pope ‘probably won’t play this year’ for Vols

Austin Pope ‘probably won’t play this year’ for Vols.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee redshirt senior tight end Austin Pope underwent back surgery on July 16.

Third-year Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt addressed Pope’s status in playing this season during his weekly radio appearance on “Vol Calls.”

“Austin Pope is not going to be ready to play and probably won’t play this year,” Pruitt said on “Vol Calls.” “He’s still rehabbing and we’ll see where that goes beyond this year.”

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end has totaled seven receptions for 85 yards in 33 games during his career at Tennessee.

Tennessee will play at South Carolina Saturday. Kick off is slated for 7:30 p.m. EST and the contest will be televised by SEC Network.

Jeremy Pruitt addresses Vols’ tight end unit

Jeremy Pruitt addresses Vols’ tight end unit.

KNOXVILLE — Game week ahead of the Sept. 26 season opener is approaching for Tennessee.

Tennessee practiced for the 16th time Thursday during fall training camp. Following practice, Jeremy Pruitt addressed the Vols’ tight end unit. It is a unit that saw redshirt freshman Jackson Lowe enter the transfer portal this week.

“The tight end position we are working several guys there,” Pruitt said on a Zoom call with reporters. “It is a competitive spot. There’s not much difference in the guys. How they go about their business every day, how they practice, how they compete, what kind of habits they’ve created. They control it. We want to play the best players, and we’ve got some guys who are competing hard there to do that.”

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

The tight end group is coached by Joe Osovet this season. The unit consists of Austin Pope, Princeton Fant, Sean Brown, Jordan Allen and Jacob Warren.

Pope underwent back surgery in July. Pruitt mentioned that Pope “is not going to play right now.”

“We’re working Princeton Fant, Sean Brown, Jordan Allen, Jacob Warren, so we’ve got a lot of guys that are getting reps in there,” Pruitt said. “Most of those guys have played very little football for us, so they’ve got to work on their consistency, they’ve got to be able to block the C-area, they’ve got to play fast, they’ve got to be good communicators.

“That’s one position that you really need to be instinctive to have a feel because we ask the tight ends to do a lot. It’s a position where there’s lots of competition. I have confidence in all of those guys, but somebody’s got to separate themselves.”

KNOXVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 – Tight end Jacob Warren #87 of the Tennessee Volunteers during 2020 Fall Camp practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

Jim Chaney discusses Vols’ tight ends unit having ‘a lot of competition’

Jim Chaney discusses Vols’ tight ends unit having ‘a lot of competition’

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee’s tight ends unit is headlined by senior Austin Pope in 2020.

Pope announced he underwent back surgery on July 16. Following Tennessee’s third practice of fall training camp, third-year UT head coach Jeremy Pruitt mentioned that Pope has been practicing and “should be ready to play for the opener” at South Carolina on Sept. 26.

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney discussed the Vols’ tight ends unit on a Zoom call with reporters during there second week of fall training camp.

“Austin is that, he’s a stabilizing force,” Chaney said. “He’s a good kid, been around football a long time. We like what he brings to the table. He will always be that consistent kid that we like.

“Behind him, we have Princeton Fant, who is a young man who bounced around a lot early in his career. We feel real comfortable where we have him right now doing what he needs to be doing. Jacob Warren is doing a fine job. There is a lot of competition in the room. They all have a little different skill set it seems like, it’s interesting to me. Behind him you have Jordan Allen and you got Sean Brown. You got some other guys that are just mixing around. There’s a lot of competition there, waiting on someone to jump above the other ones and emerge as a solid football player. They’re just continually learning. You’re talking about guys that haven’t played a lot of football for us in those five. That is a position that we are trying to force feed real fast on development and we are doing it, hopefully, through competition.”

KNOXVILLE, TN – AUGUST 26, 2020 – Tight end Princeton Fant #88 of the Tennessee Volunteers during 2020 Fall Camp practice on Haslam Field in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Caleb Jones/Tennessee Athletics

Jeremy Pruitt issues update on Austin Pope

Jeremy Pruitt issues update on Austin Pope.

Vols’ offense will benefit when Austin Pope returns in multiple personnel groupings

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee redshirt senior tight end Austin Pope announced he underwent back surgery on July 16.

Following Tennessee’s third practice of fall training camp ahead of the 2020 season, third-year UT head coach Jeremy Pruitt issued an update on Pope.

“He’s been out there every day,” Pruitt said of Pope. “He continues to improve and if he continues to improve like he has the last five weeks, he should be ready to play for the opener.”

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end has totaled seven receptions for 85 yards in 33 games during his career at Tennessee.

Tennessee will play at South Carolina Sept. 26 to kick off the 2020 campaign.

Vols’ offense will benefit when Austin Pope returns in multiple personnel groupings

Vols’ offense will benefit when Austin Pope returns in multiple personnel groupings.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee redshirt senior tight end Austin Pope announced he underwent back surgery on July 16.

It is unclear how much time Pope will miss when fall training camp begins and the upcoming season kicks off Sept. 26. The postponement of the season and the severity of his injury could see Pope miss less contests in 2020.

Austin Pope
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

The redshirt senior is a key to Tennessee’s offense as it transforms in 2020 with additional incoming speed and different looks.

Pope provides an ability for Tennessee to run 10 personnel groupings to disguise 11 looks in more shotgun sets this season.

In 11 personnel looks, Pope can be a versatile player when he returns. The senior from Christian Academy Knoxville can pass and run block, go through the motions of a rub route check-down and can also be a situational factor in the ground game carrying the ball.

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end has totaled seven receptions for 85 yards in 33 games during his career at Tennessee.