The University of Louisville has found its new head basketball coach. Xavier’s Chris Mack has reportedly agreed to a 7-year contract with the school worth around $4 mil per year, according to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman. Mack leaves Xavier after being at the helm for 9 successful seasons. He continued Xavier’s ascend into a national power and constant NCAA tournament contender reaching the Big Dance eight of his nine seasons. In this most recent NCAA tournament, the Musketeers were a number 1 seed but the season ended in disappointment at the hands of the Florida State Seminoles in the round of 32.
Mack issued a thank you to Xavier.
Who will Chris Mack be replacing?
The Louisville basketball program was rocked by a scandal involving legendary coach Rick Pitino. The still ongoing FBI probe into college basketball linked Pitino and the program to fraud and corruption. Pitino resigned in October of 2017, and assistant coach David Padgett led the Cardinals for the 2017-2018 season. Under Padgett, Louisville went 22-14 and was left out of the NCAA tournament.
Who is Chris Mack?
Chris Mack played basketball in college for the University of Evansville before transferring to Xavier University for the final 2 years of his eligibility.
Directly after his playing days came to an end, Mack became a High School basketball coach from 1993-1999. Mack then hired as an assistant coach at his alma mater Xavier under coach Skip Prosser. He would then follow Prosser to Wake Forest University until 2004.
Mack would then return to Xavier as the top assistant under Sean Miller. After Miller left to become the head coach at the University of Arizona, Mack became the head coach. Xavier continued its winning ways under Chris Mack, reaching the Sweet 16 three times and one Elite Eight appearance.
Chris Mack joins Skip Prosser, Thad Matta, and Sean Miller to use Xavier as a stepping stone school. Prosser moved onto Wake Forest, Miller to Arizona, and Matta to Ohio St.