The University of Louisville and men’s basketball coach Chris Mack have parted ways.
The university’s Board of Trustees met with representatives of Louisville’s Athletic Association last week to finalize the decision.
The 52-year-old Mack was hired by the Cardinals in 2018 after he left his alma mater, Xavier, following a nine-year run during which he won 69% of his games, made the NCAA Tournament eight times, and got the Musketeers into the Big East from the Atlantic 10. His Xavier tenure culminated with the program’s first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2018.
Mack’s Louisville career began well but got had some issues since the start of the pandemic. The Cardinals were out in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament, then owned a stellar 24-7 record and were headed toward a good seed in 2020 before Covid-19 ixnayed the tourney. Louisville went 13-7 last year due to Covid complications and was snubbed from the 2021 dance.
He leaves campus with a 68-37 record, including an 11-9 mark this season.
Mack’s contract dictates he’s owed more than $12 million if fired, though there is a clause in the contract that nulls his buyout if a Level I or II violation occurs on his watch.
In the fall, the NCAA updated a pre-existing Notice of Allegations against Louisville to include alleged/prohibited actions such as on-court activities and illegal recruiting videos. Because of these allegations, which were brought to light by former assistant Dino Gaudio’s extortion of Mack, Mack could also be held accountable as the head coach.
If proven, these would be Level II violations and could affect Mack’s buyout. The NCAA asserts Mack failed to properly promote compliance within his program.
