Coaches' Heart vs. Mind: Sendek vs. Pope

0:00On March 19, Kentucky faces Santa Clara and college basketball on Friday, bringing together two coaches who walked away from surefire careers. Mark Pope left medical school just one year shy of becoming a doctor, while Herb Sendeck passed on a top engineering degree from Carnegie Mellon to Chase Coaching. Sendeck grew up in Pittsburgh, Jim's thanks to his dad being a coach, skipping sandboxes for basketball courts from the start. He jumped straight into high school coaching after graduation. Pope balanced NBA play with Med School in New York before dropping it all to start as a low level assistant at Georgia. Both men chose passion over security, saying coaching grab hold early and wouldn't let go. Sendeck calls it following your heart, praising Pope's smarts and care. They credit mentors and upbringings that pulled them toward the game. A big link between them is Rick Patino. Sendeck assisted him at Providence in Kentucky in the late 80s and early 90s. Pope played under Patino at Kentucky after transferring there in 1993.

1:02These coaches shared deep respect from their paths crossing years ago, setting up an intriguing clash where old ties meet new challenges on the court.