The Cardinals are in the midst of their worse season since… maybe ever? The last time a Louisville basketball team lost 7 straight basketball games the price of gas was 19 cents a gallon and Germany was invading the rest of Europe. 1940. No Cardinals team has been as bad as this one SINCE 1940!! Head coach Chris Mack was let go and assistant Mike Pegues has taken over as interim head coach. The coaching search has begun, but first let’s look at what led to this point.
What led to Chris Mack’s Firing
Going way back to 2016-2017, Louisville basketball had just been hit hard by the NCAA. Rick Pitino was fired. AD Tom Jurich was fired at the same time. Recruits were decommitting. The program was in shambles. In March of 2018, Louisville announced they had hired former Xavier coach Chris Mack. A true ‘homerun hire.’ Coming from Xavier with multiple years of huge success in the Big East and some deep March runs. He was the guy to put things back together.
2018 – 2019 Season: Promising Beginning
With all the issues surrounding the program nobody had high expectations in Mack’s first year. A trip to the tournament, but not much more than that. It was an exciting year with some big wins. Beating the hell out of UNC at the Dean Center, winning at then #11 VA Tech. Then Duke happened. Coming into a mid February matchup, winning the last 7 of 9, this was Mack’s chance to announce his arrival in the ‘Ville. A chance to take down a top 5 opponent. Up by 23 with 10 min left to play, the roof was about to come off the Yum Center. Everything failed from that point on. Cam Reddish could not miss and Louisville couldn’t stop turning the ball over. Duke would come back to win by 2. The Cards won just 2 of their last 6, leading to a first round tournament exit.
#DukeOnThisDay 2019 | The Louisville Larceny!
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) February 12, 2020
Which finish was more shocking?????
? Duke at L’Ville 2019
? Duke at UNC 2020
Thoughts? ???? pic.twitter.com/kvmzj1hciE
2019 – 2020 Season: What Could Have Been
Expectations were higher. The fans saw what the team was capable of and wanted more. Bringing back guys like Nwora, Malik, McMahon, Sutton. Adding a great recruiting class with guys like Johnson and Williamson. They lived up to those expectations early. Beating #1 Michigan easily at the Yum Center to be ranked #1 the following week. Beating Duke at Cameron in January in an awesome close game. FINALLY beating Virginia. Mack had led his team to a 15-5 ACC record, good for 2nd in the regular season standings. The Cardinals were poised to make a run at the ACC championship. Poised to make a run deep into March. Then Covid happened. No ACC tourney. No March Madness. All of the work Mack and the players had put in to bring Louisville basketball back, was all for naught. To think what could have been…
2020 – 2021 Season: Short and Disappointing
A very weird college basketball season for everybody. Minimal crowds and a short season. The highlight was beating UK in an almost empty Yum Center. Other than that a disappointing season. The Cardinals finished 7th in the ACC, lost their first ACC tourney game to Duke, ultimately leading to no invitation to the big dance. Which, given the previous year and the prestige of Louisville basketball just is not acceptable. Not okay to be missing out on March Madness. Which leads us all the way back to the 2021 – 2022 season. Just as disappointing. Now, Mack is gone and the university is without an AD. Sound familiar? The Cardinals find themselves, again, searching for a head coach and a permanent AD.
The Knowns of the Head Coach Search
Here is what is known right now:
- The University of Louisville hired DHR Global to assist in the head coach search.
- There is a ‘search team’ to help find the new AD.
That Griff & Bridge duo is filthy ? https://t.co/SOyEfrDBbA
— Russdiculous ? Russ Smith (@Specter_Smit) February 15, 2022
- Josh Heird is pushing for a coach not too far past the conclusion of the season.
Interim Louisville AD Josh Heird to @jeffgreer: “We continue this thing through April and next thing you know we’re not gonna have any student-athletes to compete on our basketball team … In an ideal world, it wouldn’t be too much past the conclusion of [Louisville’s] season.” https://t.co/Pmck66inWc
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) February 17, 2022
- The search has been very private and nothing has really been leaked. (This is a good thing)
- The Louisville basketball head coach position is top 10 in college basketball.
Possible Head Coach Candidates
1. Kenny Payne
Payne is a former Cardinal and a national champion via the 1986 team. The leading candidate, according to Louisville twitter. His ties to Louisville and his success as an assistant are what make people excited for Payne. His most prominent coaching experience comes from his 10 years spent at UK (unfortunately.) He knows the importance of college basketball in the commonwealth of Kentucky. He knows the rivalry. More importantly he is well known for his player development skills. He is also a great recruiter. Payne helped Calipari (yuck) recruit the big named Kentucky players. The only hold up is the lack of HEAD coaching experience. Payne is now an assistant for the New York Knicks. So, the risk is taking the chance on a guy who has never been a head coach.
2. Everybody Else
As of now that is where the list ends for me. Other guys have been brought up like Chris Holtmann or Nate Oats. Ohio St. has been decent recently, but got bounced first game of March Madness last year. Alabama is terribly inconsistent and play almost no defense. Ed Cooley has done a great job at Providence, but is only 1 – 5 in March Madness. I want a guy who has been apart of great success in March. A guy who knows how to get the most from his players day in and day out. Kenny Payne, right now, is the guy for me who is ready to do that in Louisville. Maybe a coach can make a run late in the season and prove that they are THE GUY for the job. The guy for a city that breathes Louisville Cardinal basketball. Dickie V approves!
.@LouisvilleMBB belongs with the elite not buried in MEDIOCRITY. (Not Coach Pegues fault) has fab fan base -gr8 facility-$$$ to compete with the best .The guy that can bring back the Cards where they belong is KENNY PAYNE @nyknicks ! He has big time contacts for recruiting !
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) February 24, 2022
What’s Next?
The 2022 season will come to an end, thankfully. A bunch more interviews will take place once the season is completely over for everybody and we’ll go from there. Whoever the next head coach is will be responsible for bringing Louisville back to blue blood status.
Be on the lookout for updates to the Louisville basketball head coach search by following me on Twitter. As always, for the best sports coverage and content be sure to check out Belly Up Sports!
