What ACC coaches said about Pat Kelsey

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Whether Pat Kelsey can revitalize the Louisville men’s basketball program in his first season as the Cardinals’ head coach will be one of the most intriguing storylines in the ACC.

“There are a lot of reasons why Louisville basketball has to be good,” Kelsey said Thursday during the conference’s opening meeting for the 2024-25 season at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown. “You might say, ‘Well, Pat, that’s a lot of pressure; That puts a lot on your shoulders.’ This is what you fucking signed up for.

Over the past two seasons, U of L has been the doormat of the ACC, posting a 5-35 record against league opponents under former coach Kenny Payne. Everyone knew who Commissioner Jim Phillips was talking about Wednesday when he laid out how the conference can get more NCAA Tournament bids, saying, “We had some resistance down there.”

“Due to rebuilds, new coaching situations or the transfer portal, we’ve had some teams that have had really difficult seasons,” he added. “I really believe that the bottom team in our league may not be as bad and in as difficult a position as they have been in recent years.”

Kelsey hopes to put an end to that kind of talk with a completely revamped roster made up mostly of veterans he acquired through the NCAA transfer portal. It’s a tall order, but the 49-year-old Cincinnati native exudes confidence in his ability to handle it.

“There’s a lot of evidence that these guys are very, very productive players,” he said. “They are bought into the system, into our culture; and I am truly blessed and fortunate to be able to coach them and am looking forward to the season.”

Some of his colleagues at the conference also share this opinion. Here’s what seven other ACC coaches had to say about Kelsey entering the league and the rebuild he faces in Louisville:

Syracuse coach Adrian 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 laugh because Pat was obviously reshaping his roster at the meetings back then,” Autry said. “He was probably the guy who was in and out of meetings all the time; and every time he came back into a meeting or when we finished a meeting, he had an obligation.

“I didn’t get a chance to really sit down and spend time with him. During these meetings people are still working – so there’s a lot of ‘sorry, I’ll be right back’ and stuff like that.” But of course I had the opportunity to watch him, watch his teams from afar. (He’s) a guy that’s energetic and passionate and can succeed anywhere, so I expect him to do the same in Louisville.

U of L visits Syracuse for a clue at 7 p.m. on Jan. 14.

Kelsey is 1-0 against Clemson coach Brad Brownell. That victory came back in 2014 when Winthrop defeated the Tigers on their home court.

“I haven’t practiced against him too often,” Brownell said, “but I’ve seen his teams. He is a great young coach. His guys play really hard and they play fast. He has a great job in Louisville.”

“There is no doubt in my mind – he will turn the whole thing around; and he will recruit good recruits; and he will train them well; and they will be a real factor. I wouldn’t be shocked, looking at their squad he will be a good addition for sure.

Louisville hosts Clemson on Jan. 7 at 7 p.m.

Jeff Capel’s Pittsburgh teams handed Louisville some of the most lopsided defeats of the Payne era. He believes the series will become more competitive with Kelsey taking over the cards.

“First and foremost, he’s a really good coach,” Capel said. “Look at his track record, what he’s done in previous outings and he’s been very, very successful. He brings a lot of energy.”

“Obviously Louisville is one of the bigger brands in college basketball, so he has that behind him – a fan base that really wants to win. He has succeeded in attracting talent to this year’s team and we look to him to once again make this program one of the better programs in college basketball.

Louisville will play Pitt twice in 2024-25 – first on the road on Jan. 11, then on March 1 at the KFC Yum! Center.

Kelsey has close ties to Wake Forest, having worked there as an assistant under his mentor, the late Skip Prosser, from 2004 to 2009. He is 0-2 against coach Steve Forbes; They competed against each other twice, when the former played at Winthrop and the latter at East Tennessee State.

“Pat’s teams play really hard; they are well trained; they’re playing well,” Forbes said. “I think he’s a guy who maximizes the talent of his players. He gets the best out of them. He’s probably a bit like me; He probably has more Burger King All-Americans than McDonald’s All-Americans, but he makes them play.

“(Louisville) made a great addition. He’s a wake guy. He has many fond memories of Coach Prosser, and I think he and Chris Mack were instrumental in the founding of Tie Dye Nation. We’re trying to maintain that – we’ve really reignited our home audience – and I’m sure it doesn’t take much to grab them. You just have to have a reason, and we’ve done just that.

“He will work; he will hurry; he will recruit. I know his employees. It’s just going to be a much more difficult game.”

Louisville is called Wake Forest in the Yum! welcome! Center for a tip at 7 p.m. on January 28th.

Kevin Keatts knows firsthand what it’s like when Louisville is firing on all cylinders. From 2011 to 2014, he was an assistant on Rick Pitino’s staff; During that time, the Cards reached the Final Four twice and won a national championship.

“Pat Kelsey has been doing this for a long time. I have no advice. I’m sure he’ll figure it out because he’s a good coach,” said Keatts, whose fairytale Final Four run with the Wolfpack began with a win over U of L in the ACC Tournament last spring.

“I would tell you; and I know Louisville has a great reputation and rich tradition in basketball, but I would say it’s pretty hard to compare the three years I was there and grateful to be a part of it to them. “ All the following teams. My first year was a Final Four, and the next year we won the whole thing. We didn’t lose many games.

“I think now, moving forward, (Louisville) needs to get its own identity and just figure it out; and I think Pat will do a good job of getting his own identity and putting his stamp on the program.”

The Cards visit NC State for a tipoff at 7 p.m. on Feb. 12.

Notre Dame coach Micah Shrewsberry, who grew up in Jeffersonville, Indiana, reveres Louisville’s 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 an energetic guy. You can see that,” Shrewsberry said. “Growing up down there, I know how passionate the (Louisville) fan base is and what they want to do. He’s kind of the right man to do it – to revitalize that fan base.”

“When I was (assistant) at Butler, we had the Yum! Center opened. This was the first game at Yum! Center, and it’s one of the toughest places in college basketball when Louisville is rolling. I think he’s going to get it back to that level, and I’m happy about that – because that’s going to help our league.”

The Cards visit the Fighting Irish on February 16 at 8 p.m.

Kelsey struggled against Mike Young’s 2012-13 and 2013-14 teams at Wofford in his first two seasons as a Division I coach at Winthrop. He lost both games, but gained 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 hands down,” said Young, remembering the first duels. “He’s a hell of a coach and he beat me hands down in Charleston two years ago.”

“I think highly of Pat and am happy for him that he is in Louisville,” he later added. “I know he will do a great job there; He’s good.”

U of L travels to Virginia Tech on Feb. 25 at 9 p.m.

Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.

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