One of Mark Pope’s first hires as the new head coach of Kentucky men’s basketball, Jason Hart, has officially signed his contract with the university. Announced as an assistant coach on April 22, Hart signed a two-year deal last week, according to UK records. He will earn $500,000 for the 2024-25 season and $525,000 for the 2025-26 season, matching the salary terms of fellow assistant coach Cody Fueger, who also joined Pope’s staff on April 22 and signed his contract the following month.
Hart and Fueger are the first two additions to Pope’s team and will serve as two of the primary off-campus recruiters, along with Associate Head Coach Alvin Brooks III. Brooks’ contract details have not yet been confirmed. The coaching staff also includes Mark Fox, a longtime college head coach, and assistant coach Mikhail McLean, both of whom can recruit off-campus as needed. Fox has a one-year deal worth $200,000.
Hart, 46, recently coached the NBA’s G League Ignite program for three seasons until it was discontinued due to NIL reforms at the NCAA level. He previously served as an assistant at Southern Cal for eight seasons and was associate head coach for the Trojans’ 2021 Elite Eight team. Interestingly, Hart was an assistant under Andy Enfield at Southern Cal, whose departure to SMU led Arkansas coach Eric Musselman to take the Trojans job, and John Calipari moved to Arkansas, prompting UK’s hire of Pope in April. Hart, a former standout at Syracuse, played as an NBA point guard for a decade before starting his coaching career. During his rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Pope was one of his teammates.
Pope, Hart, and Fueger were on the recruiting trail together at an Adidas event on Thursday, the start of the first of three July evaluation periods. The new UK assistant coaches can earn bonuses based on the team’s performance, including $20,000 for a Sweet 16 appearance, $30,000 for an Elite Eight appearance, $50,000 for a Final Four appearance, or $100,000 for a national championship. They can also earn $30,000 for an SEC regular-season title and $20,000 for an SEC Tournament win. Pope has agreed to a five-year deal worth $27.5 million, with additional bonuses and incentives based on the Wildcats’ success.
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