I’m not surprised he’s had some bumps in the road over twenty years of work- and people-related interactions. I do believe that people can grow. And many of my best employees have had to grow and mature a lot to become successful.
I assume Brian is the voice of accountability in the AD office for the basketball program, so I can imagine why Pope would be frustrated with him a few times over the last three or four years. Hopefully the relationship stays stronger. This year was especially great from Pope and his assistants.