Is Pat Kelsey to Louisville an imminent move? Charleston HC gets mired in coaching rumors

According to college basketball insider Jeff Goodman, Louisville men's basketball is close to hiring College of Charleston's Pat Kelsey as its next head coach. He will succeed Kenny Payne, who was sacked after only 12 wins in three seasons with the program.

Goodman reports that the deal is expected to be sealed, barring a last-minute breakdown in negotiations between both parties. Kelsey will become the 24th head coach of the Cardinals and will take on the responsibility of elevating the struggling program back to the top.

Pat Kelsey had a successful tenure at Charleston in the last two years. He enters the fray at Louisville following his second consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, having led Charleston to consecutive CAA regular-season and tournament championships.

Pat Kelsey started his coaching career in the college basketball landscape as an assistant at Wake Forest in 2004. This comes after he served as the director of operations for the Demon Deacons for three years, taking over the administrative role at the program in 2001.

In 2009, he became the associate head coach at Xavier. Kelsey played college basketball for the Musketeers as a point guard from 1995 to 1998, so the move was like going home for him. He completed two seasons with the program before leaving in 2011.

Kelsey got his first head coaching job at Winthrop in 2012. He revitalized the Eagles’ winning tradition and cemented his status as one of the most successful coaches in the history of the Big South Conference. With 110 wins, he ranked second all-time in the league.

In his nine seasons at Winthrop, the program reached an impressive four consecutive Big South Conference tournament title games from 2014 to 2017, ultimately securing the championship in 2017, 2020 and 2021.

In 2021, the coach's next destination was Charleston, where he continued his successful career. Although he faced some challenges in his first season with the Cougars, he managed to lead them to several significant achievements in the following years.

The team won regular season and tournament titles and also made appearances in the March Madness tournament.

Is Pat Kelsey the right fit for Louisville?

Pat Kelsey has been one of the top mid-major coaches in college basketball over the past decade. His effort at Winthrop was noteworthy, and his coaching prowess shone even brighter in his last two seasons at Charleston.

With a career record of 261-122 over 12 seasons as a head coach at Charleston and Winthrop, his track record speaks volumes about his coaching prowess and success on the court. He is obviously a good fit at a time when the Cardinals are looking to get back on their feet.