LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The University of Louisville has named Pat Kelsey, former head coach at the College of Charleston, as the new head coach of the men’s basketball program.
The University Board of Trustees and the University of Louisville Athletic Association met Thursday to confirm Kelsey as a replacement for Kenny Payne.
Louisville announced Kelsey’s hiring in a press release after conducting a nationwide search. Kelsey comes from the College of Charleston in South Carolina, where he has been the head coach since March 25, 2021.
"I am humbled and honored to be named the head coach at the University of Louisville," Kelsey said in a social media post. "It is my charge to help this great program return to its righful place as one of college basketball's best."
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Pat Kelsey as our new men’s basketball coach,” director of athletics Josh Heird said. “Pat has proven his ability to build multiple programs to an elite level. He garners great respect as a coach, manager, communicator and motivator who will build strong bonds with his student-athletes, coaches and our fan base. Pat understands the expectations of this storied program and will attack this opportunity with unmatched enthusiasm and work ethic. We’re looking forward to having him, his wife Lisa and their children become part of the best community in college athletics.”
Kelsey led a turnaround of the College of Charleston to finish with two winning seasons capped off by two straight NCAA Tournament appearances and back-to-back Coastal Athletic Association championships. The Cougars finished this season 27-8, 15-3 CAA, after falling to Alabama 109-96 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 48-year-old coach had a record-setting second season in 2022-23 with the program. He led the Cougars to the program’s first CAA title since 2018 that year. They won 20 straight games on their way to a bid to the NCAA Tournament. They also spent four weeks ranked in the AP Top 25 poll, peaking at No. 18. Kelsey was named Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
His overall record is 261-122 as a head coach at Charleston and Winthrop.
Before becoming a head coach, Kelsey had stints at Xavier — his alma mater, where he served as an associate head coach under Chris Mack — and as an assistant coach at Wake Forest. Mack was Louisville’s head coach for just over three years, from 2018 to 2022.
The hiring of Kelsey ends Heird’s search for a replacement for Kenny Payne. Payne was fired on March 13 after two seasons with the Cardinals. Heird targeted Baylor’s Scott Drew, who is staying in Waco and then Florida Atlantic’s Dusty May, who is leaving to become the head coach of Michigan.
Kelsey began his collegiate playing career at the University of Wyoming before transferring to Xavier, where he played for three seasons from 1995 to 1998. He is originally from Cincinnati, and he and his wife, Lisa, have three children: Ruthie, Caroline and Johnny.