Louisville, Chris Mack officially part ways after nearly 4 seasons

Louisville has officially parted ways with head basketball coach Chris Mack after nearly four seasons at the helm.

The decision comes just days after Louisville moved to 5-5 in ACC play this season. The Cardinals have lost back-to-back games to Virginia and Notre Dame.

Mack confirmed the news when speaking with reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

“It’s a hard place,” Mack said, referring to Louisville’s high expectations. “You’ve got to win games.”

Here’s part of Mack’s meeting with reporters, courtesy of the Courier-Journal’s Matt Stone:

Mack finishes his Louisville tenure with a record of 68-37. However, most of those wins were front-loaded into his first two seasons. The Cardinals are just 24-16 since the beginning of the 2020-21 season.

Things spiraled quickly for Mack this season due to a number of unexpected losses. The Cardinals have lost 5 games to teams who are currently outside the top 75 in KenPom’s live rankings. Perhaps more importantly, they have just two wins vs. teams inside the KenPom top-40: Wake Forest and Mississippi State.

Louisville assistant Mike Pegues is expected to be named interim head coach. Mack told reporters that he will wish him well for the rest of the season.

Louisville is expected to begin a national search for a new head coach in the coming days.