Louisville hires Chris Mack

[PeteRasche]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... chris-mack

Another blow in the "haves and have-nots" category. Despite all the issues, despite all the scandal, despite the "death penalty!" calls, they still have enough money and influence to draw away a guy who is currently being given everything he could possibly want, coaching in his hometown, at his alma mater, at a school that doesn't have football and focuses every cent on basketball. Xavier has top-notch facilities that match anyone (on campus, too), flies private to every away game, and has a virtually unlimited recruiting budget (Mack got whatever he wanted). But still, Louisville throws out the ACC name, the P5 money, and the history, and off he goes.

His wife is from Louisville. Hard to believe that's the determining factor (though it's obviously a factor). Louisville is about a 90 minute drive away from Cincinnati, so he's not that far.

Chris was my high school teammate. I had always thought the only place he'd leave for would be Wake Forest (where he really got his start, under Skip Prosser). Some acquaintances who are high-up boosters at XU believed he was honestly waiting his chance to succeed Coach K. But I guess being in the ACC, 90 minutes from his home and in his wife's hometown, and the surely-ridiculous money, is enough to make him overlook the possible sanctions that could be heading their way.

Meanwhile, the Cincinnati fans in town are torn: on one hand they are happy to see their rival lose its coach, but on the other hand, they wanted Cronin to get hired away from UC because they don't like him and never have. Cronin got his "real" start at Louisville under Pitino after being a low assistant for Huggins, and many figured he'd happily go there if offered, even though he's a local guy too.

[Ray]

Tough to swallow, no doubt.

[windywave]

The sanctions mean he will be looking for a job within a quarter score.

[doncecco]

I suspect there's the lure of being a winner at a program where the sport is revered as it is in Louisville. If you can win there, you're golden and the zeros at the end your income grow (although gotta wonder now on endorsements and such). But you have to try to beat a gauntlet - UNC, Duke, UVA, Clemson - those programs aren't sliding backward anytime soon. So are you better off competing for the Big East title against the likes of Nova and Butler every year or trying to steal one in the ACC where you're not going to walk into the Conference finals every year? What's better for your career in the long term?

And are sanctions going to hurt him for 3-4 years?

Dunno.

[tjtlja]

He got a seven year deal. Louisville is a blue blood program and is the #1 college basketball TV market in the country. He will eventually succeed because he is obviously a great coach and it is Louisville.

[sr]

Just $4MM per year.

[Baywave1]

not quite yet.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaabk ... spartanntp

[windywave]

That's evil ... Give him the contract have him announce it ... deny it... he's poisoned at the closest big competitor not named Kentucky... Machiavellian

[ml wave]

The sanctions mean he will be looking for a job within a quarter score.

That's why he got 7 years