CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Let it be Pat Kelsey can restart the Louisville men’s basketball program during his first season as head coach of the Cardinals will be one of the most intriguing storylines to follow in the ACC.
“There are a lot of reasons why Louisville basketball has to be good,” Kelsey said Thursday during the press conference. the 2024-25 conference season announcement event at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown. “You might say, ‘Well, Pat, that’s a lot of pressure; that’s a lot on your shoulders.’ That’s what you signed up for.”
Over the past two seasons, the University of Los Angeles has been the doormat of the ACC – compiling a 5-35 record against league opponents under its former coach. Kenny Payne. Everyone knew who the commissioner was Jim Phillips was talking about Wednesday, when, in describing how the conference can earn more NCAA Tournament bids, he said, “We had a drag at the bottom.”
“Due to rebuilds, new coaching situations or the transfer portal, some teams have had really tough seasons,” he added. “I really believe that the bottom of our league may not be as bad and in as difficult a situation as it has been in recent years.”
Kelsey hopes to end those kinds of discussions with a completely revamped roster made up primarily of veterans he acquired through the NCAA Transfer Portal. It’s a daunting task, but the 49-year-old Cincinnati native exudes confidence in his ability to pull it off.
“There’s plenty of evidence that these guys are very, very productive players,” he said. “They’re built into the system, into our culture; and I’m really lucky and blessed to coach them and I’m excited about the season.”
Some of his colleagues at the conference also share this sentiment. Here’s what seven other ACC coaches had to say about Kelsey’s arrival in the league and the rebuild he’s facing in Louisville:
Adrian Autry of Syracuse
Syracuse coach Adrien Autry ” laughed when asked about Kelsey on Thursday. The question took him back a few months, to the ACC spring meetings in Amelia Island, Florida.
“I laughed because, in the meetings, Pat at that point was obviously rebuilding his roster,” Autry said. “He was probably the guy who was in and out of meetings all the time; and every time he came back to a meeting, or when we finished a meeting, he had a commitment.
“I haven’t had a chance to really sit down and spend time with him. During these meetings, people are still working – so there’s a lot of ‘Excuse me, I’ll be right back’ and stuff like that But obviously, I had the chance to watch him, watch his teams from afar (He’s) an energetic guy, passionate and able to bring success wherever he went, so I. ‘Expect him to do the same in Louisville.’
The University of Los Angeles travels to Syracuse for a 7 p.m. tipoff on January 14.
Clemson’s Brad Brownell
Kelsey is 1-0 against Clemson coach Brad Brownell. That victory came again in 2014, when Winthrop beat the Tigers on their home field.
“I haven’t coached against him too much,” Brownell said, “but I’ve seen his teams. He’s a great young coach. His guys play really hard and they play fast. He’s got a great job at Louisville .
“There’s no doubt in my mind: He’s going to make a difference; and he’s going to recruit well; and he’s going to coach them well; and they’re going to be a real factor. I wouldn’t be shocked, looking at their roster , if it’s this year, he’ll be a good addition, that’s for sure.”
Louisville hosts Clemson for a 7 p.m. tip-off on January 7.
Jeff Capel of Pittsburgh
Jeff CapelPittsburgh teams handed Louisville some of its most lopsided losses of the Payne era. He thinks the series will become more competitive with Kelsey taking over the Cards.
“First and foremost, he’s a very good coach,” Capel said. “You look at his track record, what he’s done in previous stages, and he’s had a lot of success. He brings great energy.
“Obviously, Louisville is one of the biggest brands in college basketball, so he’s got that behind him: a fan base that really wants to win. He’s been able to go out and find talent (to) this year’s team, and we look forward to restoring this program to one of the best programs in college basketball.
Louisville plays Pitt twice in 2024-25 – first on the road on January 11, then on March 1 at KFC Yum! Center.
Steve Forbes of Wake Forest
Kelsey has deep ties to Wake Forest, where he worked as an assistant from 2004-2009 under his mentor, the late Skip Prosser. He’s 0-2 all-time against Coach Steve Forbes; they played each other twice when the former was at Winthrop and the latter was at East Tennessee State.
“Pat’s teams play very hard; they are well coached; they do good things,” Forbes said. “I think he’s a guy who maximizes the talent in his players. He gets the most out of them. He’s probably a lot like me; he probably has more Burger King All-Americans than McDonald’s All-Americans, but he gets them to play.
“(Louisville) made a great hire. He’s a Wake guy. He has a lot of great memories of Coach Prosser, and I think he and Chris Mack were instrumental in creating Tie Dye Nation. We’re trying to keep that going – we’ve really revived our audience – and I’m sure the Yum!, it won’t take much to prepare them. They just have to have a reason. , and that’s kind of what we did.
“He’s going to work, he’s going to hustle, he’s going to recruit. I know his team. It’s just going to be a much tougher game.”
Louisville welcomes Wake Forest to the Yum! Center for information at 7 p.m. on January 28.
NC State’s Kevin Keatts
Kevin Keatts knows what it’s like when Louisville is firing on all cylinders. He was an assistant on Rick Pitino’s staff from 2011 to 2014; period during which the Cards reached the Final Four twice and won a national championship.
“Pat Kelsey has been doing this a long time. I don’t have any advice; I’m sure he’ll understand it, because he’s a good coach,” said Keatts, whose Final Four storybook with the Wolfpack has started last spring. with a victory against U of L in the ACC tournament.
“I will tell you this; and I know Louisville has a huge reputation and a rich tradition in basketball, but I will say it’s pretty hard to compare the three years that I’ve been a part of and that I’m grateful for to be a part of, to all the teams after that My first year was a Final Four. The next year we came back and won it all, then my senior year was a Sweet 16. We didn’t lose a lot of games. .
“I think now, going forward, (Louisville) has to get its own identity and figure it out; and I think Pat will do a good job of getting its own identity and putting his mark on the program.”
The Cards visit NC State for a 7 p.m. tip-off on February 12.
Notre Dame’s Micah Shrewsberry
Growing up in Jeffersonville, Indiana, coach of Notre Dame Micah Shrewsberry reveres Louisville tradition and looks forward to Kelsey getting the program back on track.
“I’ve known Pat for a long time, and the one thing you always know about him is that he’s a very energetic guy. You can see that,” Shrewsberry said. “Having grown up there, I know how passionate (Louisville) fans are and what they want to do. He’s kind of the perfect person for that – to energize that fan base again.
“When I was (an assistant) at Butler, we opened the Yum! Center. That was the first game at the Yum! Center, and it’s one of the toughest places to play college basketball when Louisville is rolling. I think it’s going to get it back to that level and I’m excited about it – because it’s going to help our league.”
The Cards visit the Fighting Irish for a tip-off at 8 p.m. on February 16.
Mike Young of Virginia Tech
Kelsey fought Mike YoungThe 2012-13 and 2013-14 teams at Wofford during his first two seasons as Division I coach at Winthrop. He lost both of those games, but got revenge on November 20, 2022, when Charleston defeated Virginia Tech in the championship game of the ESPN Shriners Children’s Charleston Classic.
“We beat them,” Young said, reflecting on those early clashes. “He’s a very good coach; and he beat me two years ago in Charleston.
“I think about Pat a lot and (I’m) happy for him that he’s in Louisville,” he later added. “I know he’ll do a hell of a job there; he’s good.”
The University of Los Angeles travels to Virginia Tech for a 9 p.m. tipoff on February 25.
Contact Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
This article was originally published in the Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Basketball: What ACC Coaches Said About Pat Kelsey
