Louisville fired head coach Kenny Payne a few weeks ago. As head coaching positions continue to be filled, things have been oddly quiet for the Cardinals. There have been plenty of names rumored to be the next Louisville head coach, but no one seemed to be gaining traction. There had been some recent speculation that Seton Hall’s Shaheen Holloway or Indiana State’s Josh Schertz may take the role. But, Pat Kelsey, the head coach of Charleston, has picked up steam and is now the leading candidate to be the next Louisville head coach.
One Name Emerging As Favorite In Louisville Head Coach Discussion
Kelsey’s Background
Kelsey has had a successful tenure at Charleston. He has won the CAA the past two seasons which allowed his team to play in March Madness. He also made the NCAA tournament three times at Winthrop, which was his first stop as a head coach. In 2023, the Cougars had over 30 wins. Kelsey’s specialty is offense, the Cougars have the 54th most efficient offense this season according to Kenpom. Kelsey is also a Cincinnati native. He both played and coached at Xavier, so he is familiar with the area. Despite its recent struggles, Louisville is still one of the premium jobs in college basketball. They are in a great area for recruiting, they have a strong fanbase, a great NIL situation, and one of the best arenas in the country. If he gets the job, Kelsey will be set up to make Louisville a powerhouse again.
Fit With Louisville
Despite Kelsey’s accomplishments at Winthrop and Charleston, this is a move that would likely be unpopular with the fanbase. The last two years at Louisville have been abysmal and fans want a quick rebuild. The fans also had their sites set high on the next coach. Names like Scott Drew, Nate Oats, and Mick Cronin were all thrown around for the position. Kelsey is definitely a step down in terms of name recognition. He has also never coached at a high-major level, so his experience in running the program would likely be questioned.
One reason for the lack of interest in this opening could be due to Louisville’s situation in the ACC. While the conference is still stable for now, both Florida State and Clemson are planning on suing the conference. If enough schools plan on leaving, this could cause a breakup of the ACC. It is unknown where Louisville might end up if this were to happen and other coaches may not want to leave the stability of the Big Ten or SEC.
The Last Word
With names continuing to enter the transfer portal, Louisville will have to decide quickly on who its next coach will be. While Kelsey is not yet a done deal, he appears to be the leading candidate. Either way, I would expect the announcement of the next Louisville head coach to be within the next few weeks. If they don’t make a decision soon expect the Cardinals to be in for another rough season this fall.
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