:Mike Pope

{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1942)}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Mike Pope

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| current_team =

| position =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1942|3|15|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Monroe, North Carolina, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| high_school = East Mecklenburg
(Charlotte, North Carolina)

| college = Lenoir–Rhyne

| pastcoaching =

Lenoir HS (NC) (1964–1965)
Head coach
Olympic HS (NC) (1966)
Backfield coach
Samuel W. Wolfson HS (FL) (1967–1968)
Backfield coach
Lake Wales HS (FL) (1969)
Head coach
Florida State (1970)
Graduate assistant
Florida State (1971–1974)
Assistant coach
Texas Tech (1975–1977)
Assistant coach
Ole Miss (1978–1982)
Assistant coach
New York Giants ({{nfly|1983}}–{{nfly|1991}})
Tight ends coach
Cincinnati Bengals ({{nfly|1992}})
Tight ends coach
Cincinnati Bengals ({{nfly|1993}})
Offensive coordinator
New England Patriots ({{nfly|1994}})
Running backs coach
New England Patriots ({{nfly|1995}}–{{nfly|1996}})
Tight ends coach
Washington Redskins ({{nfly|1997}}–{{nfly|1999}})
Tight ends coach
New York Giants ({{nfly|2000}}–{{nfly|2013}})
Tight ends coach
Dallas Cowboys ({{nfly|2014}}–{{nfly|2016}})
Tight ends coach

| highlights =

4× Super Bowl champion (XXI, XXV, XLII, XLVI)

| pfrcoach = PopeMi0

}}

Michael L. Pope (born March 14, 1942)Dallas Cowboys 2014 Media Guide is an American former coach in the National Football League (NFL). He is best known as the tight ends coach for the New York Giants, serving on all four of their Super Bowl championship teams.

Early life

Pope attended Lenoir–Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina and played college football for the Lenoir–Rhyne Bears as a fullback from 1960 to 1963. In 1960, Pope's freshman year, Lenoir–Rhyne won the NAIA Football National Championship. As a senior in 1963, Pope was the team's captain.

Coaching career

=High school and college coaching=

After graduating from Lenoir–Rhyne in 1964, Pope began his coaching career that fall as athletic director and head football coach at Lenoir High School in Lenoir. He moved to Olympic High School in Charlotte in 1966 and then to Samuel W. Wolfson High School in Jacksonville, Florida, serving as backfield coach at both schools. In 1969, Pope was hired as athletic director and head football coach at Lake Wales High School in Lake Wales, Florida.

Pope moved to the college level in 1970 as a graduate assistant at Florida State University. In February 1971, he was appointed director of high school relations for the Florida State Seminoles by newly hired head coach Larry Jones. Bill Parcells and Steve Sloan were also members of Jones's staff.{{cite news |author= |title=Jones Adds Mike Pope To Staff |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/65191933/pensacola-news-journal/ |newspaper=Pensacola News Journal |location=Pensacola, Florida |date=February 14, 1971 |page=32 |access-date=December 13, 2020 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

=New York Giants (1983–1991)=

Pope coached for the New York Giants for 23 years, the longest of any coach in franchise history.Pope's Cowboys biography During his first stint in New York, he coached Mark Bavaro to two Pro Bowl appearances. Pope was on the Giants coaching staff for both Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXV.

=Cincinnati Bengals (1992–1993)=

==Tight ends coach (1992)==

Pope was hired by the Bengals prior to the 1992 season and spent one year as the tight ends coach.

==Offensive coordinator (1993)==

Pope was promoted to offensive coordinator on January 8, 1993.{{cite web |title=SPORTS PEOPLE: FOOTBALL; Bengals Make Ken Anderson a Coach |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/08/sports/sports-people-football-bengals-make-ken-anderson-a-coach.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=24 August 2019}} The 1993 Bengals finished with a 3–13 record, including losing all eight road games and starting the season 0–10. The team finished with the 28th (last) ranked offense in the league.{{cite web |title=1993 NFL Standings & Team Stats |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1993/index.htm |website=pro-football-reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference, LLC |access-date=24 August 2019}}

=New England Patriots (1994–1996)=

Pope was hired by the New England Patriots prior to the 1994 season to serve as running backs coach for the Patriots. After one season, he was moved to tight ends coach, where he served for the next two years.

=Washington Redskins (1997–1999)=

Pope was hired by the Washington Redskins prior to the 1997 season.{{cite web |title=1997 Coaching Staff |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/redskins/longterm/1997/roster/roster.htm |website=washingtonpost.com |publisher=WP Company, LLC |access-date=24 August 2019}} On February 10, 2000, he left the Redskins and returned to the New York Giants.{{cite web |title=Redskins may be top bidder for Galloway |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2000/feb/11/20000211-010904-1359r/ |website=washingtontimes.com |publisher=The Washington Times, LLC |access-date=24 August 2019}}

=Second stint with the Giants (2000–2013)=

Pope was hired by the Giants prior to the 2000 season. He spent the next 14 years as the team's tight ends coach, where he was instrumental in the development of players such as Jeremy Shockey, Jake Ballard, and Kevin Boss. Pope was the lone holdover from Jim Fassel's staff who coached with Tom Coughlin. During this time, he won Super Bowl rings when the Giants defeated the New England Patriots in both Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI. On January 15, 2014, it was announced that Pope would be let go by the Giants.{{cite web |last1=Graziano |first1=Dan |title=Giants won't retain Mike Pope |url=https://www.espn.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/10297098/mike-pope-long-tight-end-coach-retained-new-york-giants |website=espn.com |publisher=ESPN, Inc. |access-date=24 August 2019}}

=Dallas Cowboys (2014–2016)=

Pope was hired by the Dallas Cowboys on January 22, 2014.[http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/article-NickEatman/Cowboys-Hire-Pope-To-Replace-Phillips-As-Tight-Ends-Coach/146cd2b7-3bb4-412c-ac00-1e3c6b8e9451 Cowboys Hire Pope To Replace Phillips As Tight Ends Coach] After the Cowboys defeated the Giants on October 19, 2014, Pope was given a game ball.{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Randy |title=Giants castaway Mike Pope gets game ball for coaching Cowboys tight ends to big day |url=https://www.nj.com/giants/2014/10/giants_castaway_mike_pope_gets_game_ball_for_coaching_cowboys_tight_ends_to_big_day.html |website=nj.com |publisher=New Jersey On-Line LLC |access-date=24 August 2019}} Pope retired on March 1, 2017, bringing an end to a 47-year coaching career, including 34 years in the NFL.{{cite web |last1=Machota |first1=Jon |title=Cowboys TEs coach Mike Pope retiring, will be replaced by Steve Loney |url=https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2017/03/01/source-cowboys-tes-coach-mike-pope-retiring-will-replaced-steve-loney |website=dallasnews.com |publisher=The Dallas Morning News, Inc. |access-date=24 August 2019}}

Personal life

Pope is married to Lee with two sons, Travus and Daron, and four grandchildren. Pope's personal connection to the Giants can be seen in the choice of name for one of his grandsons, Wellington, named for Giants' late owner Wellington Mara. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in January 2003.{{Cite web |date=August 12, 2003 |title=Giants tight ends coach Mike Pope deals with Shockey, cancer |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story?id=1594825&src=desktop&rand=ref~%7B%22ref%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F%22%7D |access-date=24 August 2019 |website=ESPN.com}}