LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Derby Festival's annual kickoff luncheon will feature one of the most prominent faces in Louisville sports.
Pat Kelsey, University of Louisville head men's basketball coach, will be the featured speaker at the Derby Festival's They're Off! Luncheon Friday, April 11 at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville.
Fresh off being crowned ACC Coach of the Year, Kelsey guided the Cardinals to their first-ever ACC Championship and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019. After an 8-24 season in 2023-24, the Cardinals finished 27-7 in 2024-25 under his leadership, including an 18-2 record in conference play. He's also a semifinalist for the Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year.
“We’ve scored one of Louisville’s most recognizable names to help us kick off the Derby Festival,” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival president and CEO. “Pat Kelsey has one of the most inspiring storylines in college basketball this season. We can already see L’s up in the crowd!"
Kelsey, who was previously head coach at the College of Charleston for three seasons, replaced Kenny Payne in March 2024. He also coached at Winthrop University for nine seasons. Kelsey is the 24th head coach in the 110 years of Louisville Men's Basketball.
The Derby Festival's annual kickoff event, the They're Off! Luncheon was first held in 1957 and is the second-oldest event on the festival schedule. This year's luncheon begins at 11 a.m. and will feature the presentation of the Volunteer of the Year Award and the Silver Horseshoe Award for service to the community. The Derby Festival added Louisville Tourism will also present a new community award.
Tickets are $130 each or $1,040 for a table of eight and can be purchased at KDF.org or by calling (502) 584-FEST.
Sports figures who have spoken in years past include the late Denny Crum, Rick Pitino, Magic Johnson, Terry Bradshaw, Archie Manning, Sugar Ray Leonard, "Dr. J" Julius Erving, Boomer Esiason, Dick Vitale, Terrell Davis and the late Howard Schnellenberger.
One day after the luncheon is Thunder Over Louisville on Saturday, April 12. The 2025 Derby Festival will feature more than 70 events leading up to Kentucky Derby 151 on Saturday, May 3.
Connor Smith - Digital Producer
Connor Smith is a digital producer for Spectrum News 1 in Louisville, Kentucky. He joined the team in November 2023 and hails from the Chicago area. In summer 2023, he received his Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern's Medill School in Chicago, where he covered Super Bowl LVII, the Chicago Marathon and other stories around the city.