This is based on an analysis by��Inside Higher Ed, which has released its ��ranking NCAA teams based on academic performance. Using the most recent data available, the NCAA’s 2022-2023 along with student-athlete graduation success rate and overall institution graduation rates, the assessment placed UofL in the championship game against Clemson University.

The excitement of March Madness may capture the nation’s attention for a few weeks, but at UofL there’s something special about being a Cardinal on and off the court. The university’s commitment to is year-round.

UofL’s robust plays a key role in this success. From tutoring to priority registration to academic counseling, these resources ensure that Cardinals are equipped with the tools they need to thrive both in their sport and in the classroom.

Each year, the NCAA recognizes teams with multiyear academic progress rates in the top 10 percent of their sport, and . Additionally, UofL student-athletes collectively earned a 3.311 GPA for the 2024 spring semester, marking the 27th consecutive semester with a department-wide GPA of 3.0 or better.

While the actual tournament has just begun, one thing remains certain—it’s always a great time to be a Cardinal.

Kelsey’s contract with the Cardinals will be for five years, extending through the 2028-29 season. The University of Louisville Athletic Association Board of Directors approved the terms of his contract Thursday afternoon.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Pat Kelsey as our new men’s basketball coach,” 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 has been a dominant winner across his 12 seasons as a head coach, including the last three at College of Charleston and the previous nine at Winthrop. He boasts an impressive 261-122 record (68.1%) across his head coaching career with 11 total conference championships and four NCAA Tournament bids.

The Cincinnati native Kelsey will be the 24^th��head coach in Louisville’s 110-year history, and the 10th in the past 79 years.

“I am humbled and honored to be named the head coach at the University of Louisville,” Kelsey said. “I would like to thank Josh Heird, President Schatzel, the Board of Trustees and ULAA Board, former UofL players and all of Card Nation for entrusting me to lead one of the great programs in all of college basketball. Coaching giants that I have tremendous respect and reverence for led Cardinal basketball to national prominence during their era. It is my charge to help this great program return to its rightful place as one of college basketball’s best.”

This season, College of Charleston finished 27-8, claimed the Colonial Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles, and earned a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament before falling to fourth-seeded Alabama.

The Cougars became the first team in seven years to win back-to-back Colonial titles. Kelsey was named the league’s Coach of the Year, in addition to three All-CAA player honors and a Sixth Man of the Year award for Bryce Butler.

College of Charleston ranks in the top 25 nationally this season in 3-point attempts per game (3rd, 30.6), made 3-pointers per game (8th, 10.5), bench points per game (11th, 30.1), winning percentage (18th, 77.1), rebounds per game (20th, 39.8), assist-to-turnover ratio (22nd, 1.5) and offensive rebounds per game (23rd, 13.1).

During his second season at the helm in Charleston, the Cougars set numerous records with a 31-4 mark and the program’s first CAA title since 2008. They won 20 straight games, claimed the 2022 Charleston Classic and spent four weeks in the AP Top 25, peaking at No. 18. Kelsey was named the USBWA and NABC District Coach of the Year, and was on the Naismith Coach of the Year Watch List.

Kelsey arrives in Charleston from Winthrop, where he became the fifth all-time winningest coach in the history of the Big South Conference. He averaged 20.7 wins per game in nine seasons in Rock Hill, S.C., compiling more overall wins and conference wins than any other team in the league.

In his final season at Winthrop, Kelsey guided the Eagles to a 23-2 campaign, a school-record 21-game win streak, a Big South tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament where they fell to Villanova. Kelsey was named 2021 Big South Coach of the Year.

Kelsey also led Winthrop to NCAA Tournament berths in 2020 (canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic) and 2017.

A two-time finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award and finalist for the 2021 Jim Phelan Coach of the Year Award, Kelsey compiled a 186-95 (.662) overall record and an impressive 110-46 (.705) mark in conference play at Winthrop. The Eagles also won the Big South regular-season title four times in 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2021.

In all, 16 Winthrop players were selected all-conference, while three were tabbed Big South Player of the Year, one Big South Freshman of the Year and two Big South Tournament Most Valuable Player honors.

Prior to Winthrop, Kelsey served as associate head coach at his alma mater Xavier from 2009-11. Before that, he worked at Wake Forest as assistant coach (2004-09) and director of basketball operations (2001-04). He began his coaching career at Elder High School in Cincinnati as an assistant from 1998-2001.

Kelsey graduated cum laude in 1998 from Xavier University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing. He began his collegiate playing career at the University of Wyoming, before transferring and playing three seasons at point guard for the Musketeers from 1995-98.

Kelsey and his wife, Lisa, have three children: Ruthie, Caroline and Johnny.

Read more on the .

UofL was found to have committed one violation, the IARP concluding that a former assistant coach was knowingly involved in funneling cash to the trainer of a potential student athlete.

The university received several penalties, including a $5,000 fine, two years probation and several recruiting restrictions.

The university issued a statement that read in part, “…For our University, the Louisville community, our men’s basketball program and our passionate fans, today marks the beginning of a new chapter and we are only looking forward.”

For more information on the decision and the university’s response, go to: .

Payne’s six-year contract with the Cardinals extends through the 2027-28 season. The University of Louisville Athletic Association Board of Directors approved the terms of his contract this morning.
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“As I stated when we began this process in early February, the University of Louisville is a destination job and the strength of our candidate pool proved this out,” Heird said. “After a thorough national search during which we sat down with a number of expectational coaches, it was clear that Kenny Payne was what we need. His basketball knowledge, his passion for his student-athletes, his vision for our program and his understanding of what Louisville Basketball means to our city and to our institution, are evident. I am thrilled to welcome Kenny and Michelle, and their children, Alexis and Zan, to the University of Louisville.”
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Payne has 17 years of coaching experience, most recently serving as an assistant coach with the NBA’s New York Knicks after 15 years as a college assistant or associate head coach with both the University of Oregon and the University of Kentucky.

He will be just the sixth head coach to guide the Cardinals in the last 48 years, following Denny Crum (1971-2001), Rick Pitino (2001-17), David Padgett (2017-18, interim), Chris Mack (2018-22) and Mike Pegues��(2021-22, interim). Payne is the 23rd head coach in Louisville’s 108-year history and the ninth in the past 77 years (fourth since 1971, excluding interim coaches).
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“I want to thank President (Lori) Gonzalez and Josh Heird��for this incredible opportunity to return to a place that means so much to me to lead our storied basketball program,”�� Payne said. “While there are challenges, I see opportunities, and if we are united and aligned, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish. Our fans and community deserve a championship basketball program fueled by exceptional and high-character student-athletes, and it is my responsibility to deliver on that vision. I cannot wait to get started.” ��
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The Knicks posted a 41-31 record in 2020-21, finishing fourth in the NBA’s Eastern Conference and are currently 29-40 this season.�� While at Oregon and Kentucky, Payne was part of four Final Four teams, 10 NCAA Tournaments and won six conference titles. Payne was honored in the��A STEP UP��Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame Class of 2020 for his track record of success and contributions to the game, as well as his high character, integrity and respect among colleagues. He has been nationally recognized for his player development, helping dozens of players achieve their dreams of playing in the NBA.
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As a student-athlete at UofL, Payne scored 1,083 points in his career (1985-86), connecting on 40.1% of his career three-point attempts (85-of-212, fourth-highest in UofL history). He was a member of Louisville’s 1986 NCAA Championship team as a freshman and throughout his collegiate career, Louisville participated in three NCAA Sweet Sixteens, won three Metro Conference championships and three Metro tournament titles. As a senior playing under Hall of Fame Coach Denny Crum, Payne averaged 14.5 points and 5.7 rebounds and was named to the All-Metro Conference Second Team.
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Payne was selected in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft as the 19^th��overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers, where he played four seasons (1989-93). He continued to play professional basketball abroad and in the Continental Basketball Association until 2000, with stops at the CBA Tri-Cities (Washington) and with teams in Italy, Japan, Brazil, the Philippines, Cypress, China, Argentina and Australia.
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Payne earned a Bachelor of Science degree in sport administration from the University of Louisville in 2003.
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He and his wife, Michelle, have two children: Alexis and Alexander (Zan), who currently plays on the Kentucky men’s basketball team.
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Kenny Payne Coaching Career
2022, Head Coach, University of Louisville
2020-22, Assistant coach, New York Knicks
2014-20, Associate Head Coach, University of Kentucky
2010-14, Assistant Coach, University of Kentucky
2004-09, Assistant Coach, University of Oregon
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“Louisville Live,” the University of Louisville’s annual preseason basketball event featuring the Cardinals’ men’s and women’s teams, will be staged at legendary Churchill Downs Racetrack on Saturday, Sept. 18 during an evening of thoroughbred horse racing.
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Gates open at 5 p.m. for��Downs After Dark: Horses and Hoops, a partnership between UofL and Churchill Downs presented by Budweiser.�� The first race starts at 6 p.m. with Louisville Live launching at 7:15 p.m.�� A portable court will be placed outdoor on the Plaza inside Gate 1 of Churchill Downs with multiple team activities planned.
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General admission and first floor seating tickets for the evening of racing and Louisville Live start at $12 and may be purchased��.�� The event is free for UofL students, with additional information on claiming those tickets to be provided later.
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UofL’s 1986 NCAA Championship men’s basketball team will participate in Louisville Live, signing autographs at the event before the current Cardinals take the court. ��The 1986 team will also be honored on the previous night at the Cardinals’ Sept. 17 football game against UCF in Cardinal Stadium.
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UofL’s 1985-86 team posted a 32-7 record, winning its last 17 games to earn the NCAA title.�� The ’86 Champs were guided by then future Hall of Fame Coach Denny Crum and featured four starters that currently rank among the top 11 scorers all-time at UofL:�� Pervis Ellison (2,143 career points), Milt Wagner (1,836), Herbert Crook (1,723) and Billy Thompson (1,685); and starting guard Jeff Hall was also a career 1,000-point scorer (1,294).�� Louisville defeated Duke 72-69 in the 1986 title game (3-31-86) in Dallas, Texas, as Ellison became the second freshman in NCAA history to be named the Most Outstanding Player after producing 25 points and 11 rebounds against the Blue Devils.
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The 2020-21 season marked the 35th anniversary of UofL’s 1986 NCAA Championship, the Cardinals’ second NCAA title.�� The pandemic did not allow for gatherings or on-court presentations during the past basketball season, so the team planned to gather for a reunion at a later date.

Louisville and Stanford are the only two schools from Power Five conferences that have earned the APR recognition in at least seven of the last eight years. The men’s basketball team has attained a collective 3.0 grade point average for 22 of the last 24 semesters, including a 3.160 cumulative team mark for the Spring 2020 semester under head coach��.��



It is the third-straight year that the Cardinals’ women’s basketball team has received public recognition through the NCAA Academic Performance Program. Four team members earned their degrees this semester, including����(M.S. in Sport Administration),����(B.S. in Criminal Justice),����(B.S. in Criminal Justice with a minor in Communication), and����(B.A. in Communication with a minor in Sociology). ��The team achieved a 3.688 grade point average for the 2020 Spring semester GPA, highest in the Coach����era over the last 13 years, and its 2019-20 academic year GPA of 3.415 was the second-highest.

The Cardinals have earned a GPA above 3.0 for the last 12 straight semesters and 11 of 16 team members made the Dean’s List for the Spring semester (3.5+ GPA). ��and����were both named to the All-ACC Academic Team.



This marks the fourth consecutive year that the women’s cross country team is earning the honor. Under head coach��, the team earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors this fall with a team GPA of 3.30. Three members of the team, Bailey Beery, Brittney Hansen and Lauren Radenhausen, earned their undergraduate degrees this semester. Two-time All-American Dorcas Wasike was named the ACC Women’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year while also being named to the 2018 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team.



The women’s golf program is receiving the recognition for the 10th consecutive year. The team has produced 19 semesters in a row with a GPA of 3.4 and eight with a 3.5 or higher. Coached by��, the Cardinals achieved a 2020 Spring GPA of 3.58. ��Last summer, four golfers were named Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholars, including Olivia Cason, Lauren Hartlage, Delaney Shah and Lauren Thibodeau.



UofL’s volleyball team, which reached its first-ever NCAA Elite Eight in 2019, posted an impressive 3.845 GPA for the 2020 Spring semester, with all 15 student-athletes achieving above a 3.0. In addition, 11 of coach��‘s student-athletes made Red and Black Scholars List with cumulative GPAs above 3.25. Six volleyball players made the Dean’s Scholar List with a perfect 4.0 GPA and a total of seven students made Dean’s List with a 3.5 GPA or better. ��,��,��,��,����and����were named to the All-ACC Academic list with McHenry being awarded the ACC Postgraduate Scholarship for Volleyball.



A total of 83 teams from Atlantic Coast Conference member schools were honored with APR Public Recognition Awards, second-most among Power 5 conferences. The ACC is one of two Power 5 conferences to have at least two teams recognized from each of its member schools. ��The ACC has led all Power 5 conferences in 14 of the 15 years since the NCAA began APR public recognition of Division I teams. ��A total of 525 ACC teams have earned APR Public Recognition Awards over the past six years, which leads all Power 5 conferences.

Louisville’s five teams are among nearly 1,400 teams from 326 Division I universities that were recognized for academic excellence for ranking among the top 10 percent of their sports in the most recent APR.����Multiyear APRs for the most-recent single-year figures from 2018-19 for all Division I sports teams will be released on May 19.����The process for determining an Academic Progress Rate score is included at��.

“It’s important to remember these are allegations, not facts, and we will diligently prepare a comprehensive response and submit it within the prescribed 90-day period,” said UofL President Neeli Bendapudi. “For any allegations that are proven to be factual, we will take responsibility, as accountability is one of our core Cardinal Principles. However, we will not hesitate to push back where the evidence does not support the NCAA’s interpretations or allegations of charges.

“Over the last 2.5 years, we are proud of how the UofL has worked hard to transform itself into a model of compliance and ethical conduct and has not shied away from difficult decisions, going well-beyond reforms at��any��other involved institution.��We will always be guided by our Cardinal Principles and we must keep them front and center when confronting challenges. We will not allow others to define us, as those of us who are a part of this amazing institution know the greatness of the University of Louisville.”

The allegations include:

• A Level I allegation that boosters, as purportedly identified and defined by the NCAA, some of whom had no traditional connections to the university beyond their affiliation with Adidas or professional athlete management entities, provided impermissible benefits to prospective student athletes
• A Level II allegation that two former men’s basketball staff members provided impermissible benefits to – and had impermissible contact with – the family of an incoming student athlete
• A Level II allegation that the institution failed to adequately monitor the recruitment of an incoming high-profile student athlete
• A Level I allegation that the former head men’s basketball coach did not satisfy his head coach responsibility when he failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance; also included is a Level II failure to cooperate allegation against the former head coach.

There are also lower-level violations, including those self-identified and promptly reported by the institution, included within the larger context of the four key allegations.

For more information, go to uofl.edu/ncaa.

“No other Louisville logo elicits more affinity across all generations of our fan base than our Dunking Cardinal,” said Athletics Director Vince Tyra. “After a lot of thought and consideration, we determined that showcasing that was something that would really resonate with our fan base. We are excited about both the men’s and women’s upcoming seasons and can’t wait for our fans to see their new court.”

Louisville athletics worked in conjunction with adidas Basketball on the timely new court design, which required an update once the NCAA Rules Committee ruled to move the Division I men’s 3-point arc back to match the international distance of 22 feet, 1¾ inches.

The updated floor design seeks to honor the storied legacy of Louisville Basketball in a modern way while setting the stage for the next chapter for both the men’s and women’s basketball programs.

Great care was taken to slightly update the Dunking Cardinal mark for clear brand recognition on broadcast television, while retaining the vintage appeal. Fans may notice that the facial feathers, eyes and beak were refined to more closely align with Louisville’s primary brand mark, the Bird Head. Additionally, this version of the Dunking Cardinal features adidas basketball shoes.

The baseline “Louisville” font pays homage to the iconic scorer’s table signage at Freedom Hall, while the tone-on-tone fleur de lis that appear in the corners of each baseline pay tribute to Louisville’s city flag.

Work will begin on the new floor in mid-August and will be completed prior to the start of the men’s and women’s 2019-20 seasons.

Denny Crum Court in the KFC Yum! Center has served as the home for both Louisville men’s and women’s basketball since the 2010-11 season.��

On Wednesday, the board approved the hiring of Chris Mack as head coach of the UofL men’s basketball team.��

Vince Tyra��

The UofL board approved a five-year agreement with Tyra (pronounced TIE-ray) at a special meeting March 26 following recommendations from a university-wide search committee and the UofL Athletics Association Board of Directors.

Tyra has served as interim athletics director since Oct. 3, 2017.

A Louisville native with strong business and athletics credentials, Tyra has been highly active since assuming his interim position, using his business acumen, passion for Cardinal Athletics and background in athletics to lead UofL during a period of transition.��

“We are convinced that Vince Tyra is the right fit to lead the UofL athletics program,” said UofL’s Interim President Greg Postel, MD. “He has provided strong leadership while continuing to move the Cardinals forward in all sports, building upon the legacy of previous athletics successes and taking the time to personally reach out to the UofL fan base and donors as much as possible. The feedback we received from donors, community members, employees, athletes, the ACC and colleagues throughout the country has been extremely positive.”

While in his interim capacity, Tyra has taken steps to stabilize the future of the Cardinals by extending the contracts for key UofL coaches and making moves to efficiently restructure the administrative and support staff, with an emphasis on enhancing the student-athlete experience.�� He has monitored UofL’s ongoing capital projects, including the Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium expansion to be completed in late summer and outfitting of a broadcast center on campus in advance of the launch of the ACC Network in August 2019.

Tyra is just the third athletics director for the Cardinals in the last 38 years, following Tom Jurich (1997-2017) and Bill Olsen (1980-1997).

“It’s an honor to take the reins of such an outstanding athletics program with its rich tradition of success,” Tyra said. “I look forward to continuing to work with our coaches and staff to put an outstanding product on the field while ensuring the success of our student athletes and representing UofL in a manner that will make the entire university family proud.”

Jed Hughes, vice chairman of Korn Ferry, the Los Angeles-based search firm selected to lead the search for UofL’s permanent AD, said Vince Tyra is perfectly suited to step into the

“I have recruited a lot of executives, and Vince Tyra is at the top of the food chain among executives in college or pro sports. His experiences transfer well to the athletic director’s role. He’s an elite business builder, he understands the value of his stakeholders, he truly values the university, he has a passion for supporting student athletes, and he has shown a unique ability to change and improve cultures. In two or three years, he’s going to be one of the best athletic directors in America,” Hughes said.��

“When we began this search, we interviewed him and thought ‘Wow, the bar is high.’ We knew it was going to be tough to find candidates with his qualities. When we talked to representatives within the conference and at the NCAA, we found they felt the same way.”

Oliver Luck, EVP for Regulatory Affairs at the NCAA, called announcement “great news.”

“Vince has done an absolutely remarkable job in the most difficult of circumstances. He’s a former student-athlete with exceptional business experience,” Luck said. “I think the athletic department is in great hands with Vince.”��

Chris Mack��

Chris Mack, whose teams have participated in the NCAA Tournament in eight of his nine seasons as a head coach, has been selected as the head coach of the University of Louisville men’s basketball team.

In nine seasons as the head coach at Xavier, Mack guided the Musketeers to a 215-97 record and eight NCAA Tournament appearances (the last five straight years), including reaching the Sweet 16 on four occasions and the Elite Eight in 2017. His teams won or shared three conference regular season championships while compiling a 105-49 league record over nine seasons in the Big East and Atlantic 10.��

Among active coaches, Mack’s .689 winning percentage as a head coach ranks him 19th in the nation and his 215 victories are tied for the 11th most amassed by a coach in their first nine seasons.

His most recent 2017-18 squad achieved a 29-6 record, won Xavier’s first Big East Conference regular season championship and earned the school’s first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.�� Mack was honored as the 2018 Big East Coach of the Year, NABC District 5 Coach of the Year, and he became the all-time coaching wins leader with the Musketeers.�� Xavier finished third in the final Associated Press poll – its highest ever ranking — and this year’s team was one short of the school record for victories.

Mack’s contract with the Cardinals will be for seven years, extending through the 2024-25 season. He will be just the fourth head coach to guide the Cardinals in the last 48 years, following Denny Crum (1971-2001), Rick Pitino (2001-17) and David Padgett (2017-18).�� Mack is the 21st head coach in Louisville’s 104-year history and the seventh in the past 73 years.

Mack, 48, received the 2016 Henry Iba Award as the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) National Coach of the Year while also earning the CBS Sports and Basketball Times magazine National Coach of the Year awards that season.�� He led Xavier to a 28-6 record in 2015-16 and achieved a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a No. 5 ranking in the final AP poll, which at the time was the school’s highest seed and ranking in school history.

His 2016-17 Xavier team made an NCAA Tournament run to the Elite Eight after entering the event as a No. 11 seed. His teams have reached the NCAA Sweet 16 on four occasions, in 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2017.�� As a player, assistant and head coach, Mack has been a part of 19 NCAA Tournament appearances.

Vince Tyra’s resume��

Prior to his appointment at UofL, Tyra served as an operating partner since 2007 for Southfield Capital, a Greenwich, Connecticut-based private equity firm that invests in lower-middle market companies.�� In his role there, Tyra served as chairman of the board of many investments, including Hallcon Corp, RCR International, Total Fleet Solutions, Dealer Financial Services, and BioPharm Communications.�� Tyra most recently served as chairman of the board and interim Chief Executive Officer of Elite Medical, a company based in Clearwater, Florida.

Tyra operated as a corporate advisor from 2013-16 for ISCO Industries, a privately held piping supply company based in Louisville. He also formerly served as the president of Retail and Activewear for Fruit of the Loom in Bowling Green, Kentucky.��

Tyra has served as a member of the University of Louisville Foundation Board of Directors and chaired the organization’s Finance Committee. He joined the board in February 2017, but stepped down from the position after his appointment with Cardinal Athletics. He has served on the board of Industrial Services of America, a Louisville-based scrap metal recycling company.

A standout athlete, Tyra graduated from Trinity High School in Louisville in 1984 as the state’s top baseball prospect and was inducted into the school’s hall of fame. He was a four-year baseball letterman (1985-88) and two-time team captain at the University of Kentucky, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in health administration in 1988.�� He started 37 career games as a pitcher, tied for 14^th all time at UK.

A long-time supporter of UofL Athletics, Tyra is the son of Charlie Tyra, a consensus All-America at UofL who led the Cardinals to the 1956 National Invitation Tournament Championship. Charlie Tyra is one of four players, along with Wes Unseld, Darrell Griffith and Pervis Ellison, whose jersey numbers have been retired at UofL.��

Tyra and his wife Lori have five children: Sydney, Audrey, Olivia, Spencer and Cooper.

Chris Mack’s resume��

Born Dec. 30, 1969 in Cleveland, Ohio, Mack was the 2010-11 Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year in his second year as a head coach. In addition, he was the recipient of the 2011 Skip Prosser Man of the Year award, which was established in 2008 to honor those who not only achieve success on the basketball court but who display moral integrity off the court as well.

He was the 2009-10 Basketball Times Rookie Coach of the Year when, in his initial year, he guided Xavier to a 26-9 record, shared the Atlantic 10 Championship and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16.

Mack served as a court coach for the 2016 USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team training camp in the summer of 2016 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Before rising to a head coaching position, Mack was a part of successful staffs throughout his career.�� He spent five seasons as an assistant on Sean Miller’s Xavier staff (2004-09) after serving on the staff of the late Skip Prosser at Xavier as director of basketball operations (1999-01) and as an assistant coach at Wake Forest (2001-04).

In 10 seasons as an assistant or operations director, he helped his teams produce a 229-96 record (.705), win four regular season titles and one conference tournament championship, and secure eight NCAA Tournament appearances, advancing to three Sweet 16s and one Elite Eight.�� Those teams won at least 20 games in nine of the 10 seasons.

Mack began his coaching career in 1993 as the junior varsity girls basketball coach at McAuley High School in Cincinnati.�� He was the varsity girls basketball coach at Mount Notre Dame High School in Reading, Ohio, for four years (1995-99), directing the team to four straight sectional titles and earning Cincinnati Post Coach of the Year honors in 1996.

A 1992 Xavier graduate with a degree in communication arts, Mack was a two-time team captain as a player at Xavier under then head coach Pete Gillen. He won the 1993 Midwestern City Conference (MCC) regular season championship (12-2 record) and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Mack was the 1987-88 Cincinnati Post Metro Player of the Year at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati before going on to start for two seasons at Evansville under Jim Crews, winning an MCC Regular Season Championship and a trip to the second round of the 1989 NCAA Tournament as a freshman at Evansville. He transferred to Xavier after his sophomore season.

Mack and his wife, Christi, have two daughters, Lainee (12) and Hailee (11), and a son, Brayden (3).�� A native of Louisville, the former Christi Hester was the runner-up for Kentucky Miss Basketball as a senior at Holy Cross High School.�� She played basketball at Dayton, where she scored 1,268 career points and was later inducted into the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014. She served as the Director of Basketball Operations for the Xavier women’s basketball team (2001-03) and more recently as the head girls basketball coach at Cincinnati’s Colerain High School Cardinals.

Mack and his wife created the Mack Family Foundation in 2016, a family-centered foundation whose mission is to serve, inspire and aid less fortunate children.

Watch excerpts from Monday’s press conference announcing Vince Tyra as AD below:��