When Chris Mack was hired less than four years ago to clean up the mess Rick Pitino left behind at Louisville, he was widely lauded in college basketball circles as a guy who could bring stability and another Final Four run back to campus. After all, the Midwestern coach had a solid track record at Xavier, leading the Musketeers to eight NCAA tournament bids over nine seasons and two Big East championships.
But things haven’t worked out as planned in the Blue Grass State, with a rocky 2021-21 season that was canceled with the onset of COVID-19 followed by a disappointing start to the current year. That’s led to staff changes and a six-game suspension that has the University of Louisville looking for its next men’s basketball coach.
The good news for the Cards is that they’re not starting from scratch as they look to replace Mack, with former Cincinnati Bearcats and UCLA head coach Mick Cronin viewed as a potential candidate to take over for the Cardinals. Other names that are bubbling up in the press include former Oklahoma State and Nebraska head coaches Bob Stoops and Bill Snyder, as well as Alabama’s Steve Sarkisian, who is considered a frontrunner to become the school’s new leader. That’s in addition to Mike Pegues, who is serving as the interim head coach for this season’s Louisville squad. Click through the slideshow below to find out what each of those coaches is up to now.
