Provo • Friday’s exhibition game against Texas-Tyler might be Mark Pope’s inaugural game as the BYU men’s basketball head coach, but it definitely won’t be his introduction to Cougar fans. Pope, who spent the last four years with the neighboring Utah Valley program as the Wolverines head coach, served as an assistant coach on the BYU staff 2011-2015.
However, it will serve as a glimpse of how the team is transitioning to the new leadership after the 14-year era of Dave Rose. It should also give fans a look at how the team will replace Yoeli Childs during the first nine games of the season for his NCAA suspension.