Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats will have to look elsewhere for a new assistant coach. While speaking with KSR this week, the former Michigan star and 3-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year said that he has officially turned down the job.
Despite insisting that he still wants to be a coach in the future, Crawford cited timing and a prior commitment to NBC when explaining his decision to back away to KSR. Crawford is currently under contract with NBC as a lead game analyst for NBA on NBC coverage, which started this past season. In addition, Crawford serves as an assistant coach at his high school alma mater, Rainier Beach high school in Seattle.
Here’s what Crawford had to say to KSR:
“If this were a different time, there’s no doubt. There’s zero doubt,” Crawford said. “I have such respect for Coach Pope, Coach Mo (Williams), but just with everything I’m doing right now, and I’m under contract with NBC, and seeing that through, I think that takes precedent… I can’t do it right now. I just can’t, not with everything I’m doing. But I have no doubt I will be a coach in the future. Zero.”
After a long courtship by Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats, Jamal Crawford has officially turned down the assistant coaching job in Lexington, he told KSR"If this were a different time, there’s no doubt. There’s zero doubt."STORY: t.co/NKr1NGKa1Y pic.twitter.com/8VIbVX4fa5
— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) July 16, 2026Crawford was complimentary of Pope and Kentucky basketball, insisting he gave serious thought to the offer from Pope. He also insisted that the Wildcats are in great hands with Pope at the helm of the program.
“Coach Pope’s a man of honor. He’s a man of respect,” Crawford said. “His staff is being built out the right way with the people he has around him. You have new transfers in Zoom (Diallo), different guys coming. It’s an exciting time. And it’s Kentucky. Kentucky’s one of the gold standards of college basketball… They’re one of the standards, and they’ll always be able to recruit themselves, and they’ll always have one of the best fanbases in the world, period.”
Prediction Markets 2027 College Basketball Champion Learn more about Prediction Markets Kalshi Duke 12% Illinois 7% UConn 7% Michigan 5% Tennessee 5% Arkansas 3% Alabama 2% St. John's 2% Villanova 1% PredictJamal Crawford turns down Kentucky assistant job, cites timing: ‘I can’t do it right now’ Saturday Down South.
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