In his lone season with the Cerritos College men's basketball team (2013-14), Austin Pope helped the team to within one game of advancing to the state tournament, as well as a share of the South Coast Conference South Division title. Pope has since embarked on a playing and coach career that has taken him all over the world. His next stop returns him to his Southern California roots, as he was named as the South Bay Lakers head video coordinator. The Lakers are the professional NBA G League affiliate of the parent team.
"The role itself is something I'm very excited about because I have a lot of on-court playing experience and so many things I know from playing the game," Pope told Lakers Nation. "And then going to Kentucky and working with a lot of the best coaches in the country and their film work and learning film, I really got a grasp for it there. And then now to kind of take it up another notch being here with South Bay and the Lakers under their system and all the knowledge that I'll gain, I'm very excited about the video coordinator position because I just feel like it's something that can help me in my career and help me continue to grow."
After his time with the Falcons, Pope transfered to North Idaho College and then to Chaminade University. His playing career continued overseas, where he played in Lithuania (B.C Silute LKL), Denmark (Vaerlose BBK) and Serbia (OKK Novi Pazar). He even earned a spot at the Stockton Kings G League minicamp in 2022. Pope jumped into coaching with club team BTI, then moved on to Viewpoint High and eventually took over at Burroughs High in his hometown of Burbank. Most recently, he joined Mark Pope's Kentucky staff as a grad assistant, helping guide them to the Sweet 16.
During his playing time at Cerritos, Pope helped the #8-seeded Falcons upset #1-seeded Antelope Valley College before a tough 68-66 loss to Chaffey College ended their season with a 19-11 record. Pope concluded the season averaging 7.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He scored in double figures 11 times, which included a 14-point game against Southwestern College, and pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds in both games against Los Angeles Southwest College.
While at North Idaho College, he earned NJCAA All-Region 18 1st Team honors and a spot on the Region 18 All-Tournament Team and received Pacific West Conference Newcomer of the Year and All-PacWest 3rd Team honors as a junior at Chaminade. He followed it up with an All-PacWest 1st Team nod his senior year.
"It means everything," Pope said of this opportunity. "I was born a Laker. People say that all the time with their fandom and things, but it's just unreal. I feel super grateful. My mom, when I was a baby in her stomach, I used to go to games at The Forum and as a young kid I would go to church at The Forum and go to games, followed Magic, Byron Scott and Michael Cooper. So for me, it's a full-circle moment to work in the organization."
Now, Pope will be joining the Lakers organization in what he hopes to be the next stepping stone in his coaching career.
"As far as my end goal, I think it just sets myself up to be the best head coach I can possibly be in the near future," added Pope. "I know I have a long way to go, but just being able to learn under great coaches and be a sponge and a servant to the program and do everything that I'm asked is all I can ask for."
