CHARLOTTE, N.C. — He called it a “ReviVille” and head coach Pat Kelsey is being honored for reviving the University of Louisville men’s basketball program. The Atlantic Coast Conference named Kelsey the ACC Coach of the Year.

What You Need To Know

  • Louisville men's basketball coach Pat Kelsey named ACC Coach of the Year

  • Chucky Hepburn named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and All-ACC First Team
  • Terrence Edwards Jr. named to All-ACC Third Team

  • Louisville begins ACC Tournament play on Thursday, March 13 in the quarterfinals

He is the first Louisville coach to be named a conference Coach of the Year since Rick Pitino was named Conference USA Coach of the Year for the 2004-2005 season.

In the past two seasons, Louisville had only won 12 games. Kelsey led the Cardinals to a 25-6 record in the regular season and a two-seed at the ACC Tournament beginning on Thursday, March 13. At the start of the season, UofL was selected ninth in the ACC Preseason Poll.

The Cincinnati, Ohio, native has charted the largest improvement of any Division I team this season, turning the Cards around from a previous eight-win season, improving by 17 victories thus far. UofL is also one of the most improved teams in the country according to the 2023-24 end of the year NET to now. Kelsey is also on the Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year Watch List.

But Kelsey wasn’t the only Cardinal singled out for honors. Senior point guard Chucky Hepburn was named Defensive Player of the Year and named to the All-ACC First Team. Hepburn is the first Cardinal to earn the Defensive POY Award since Gorgui Dieng earned it in the Big East in 2012-2013.

Hepburn leads the ACC in steals per game at 2.43. He is third in the conference in assists per game, notching 5.87 on average, all while scoring 16.3 points per game.

Senior guard/forward Terrence Edwards Jr. made the All-ACC Third Team. He averaged 15.8 points, 2.65 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. In league play alone, he increased on all of those marks, leading the Cardinals in scoring average at 16.9 points while adding in 3.05 assists and 4.4 boards per game. The Atlanta native scored 16 points or more in nine of Louisville’s final 11 games, scoring a career-high 35 against California on March 5.

Hepburn and Edwards Jr. become the seventh and eighth All-ACC selections in Louisville history. They join the likes of Carlik Jones (First Team, 2020-21), Jordan Nwora (Third Team, 2018-19; First Team; 2019-20), Donovan Mitchell (First Team, 2016-17); Damion Lee (Second Team, 2015-16); Terry Rozier (Second Team, 2014-15) and Montrezl Harrell (Second Team, 2014-15). 

Louisville will play in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 13. The Cardinals will face either Virginia Tech, California or Stanford.

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