16. Pat Kelsey (Louisville)
The last several years at Louisville have been a tough pill to swallow for fans of the Cardinals. Moving on from Pitino in 2017 and vacating the national championship from 2013 were hard enough, but the team just hasn’t been competitive under interim coach David Padgett and subsequently Chris Mack and Kenny Payne. Things really bottomed out under Payne’s leadership, but the administration brought Kelsey to town and he immediately is proving to be the right hire to save Louisville basketball.
A native of Cincinnati and former Xavier point guard, Kelsey’s coaching roots initiated from Skip Prosser, his former college coach. He was an assistant under him at Wake Forest before later returning to Xavier’s staff. As a head coach, Kelsey won a number of games and league titles at both Winthrop and Charleston, including a 31-win season with those Cougars. Last offseason, Kelsey arrived in Louisville and went to work, building a program that would have a massive turnaround, winning 27 games and returning to the Big Dance.
Understand the total mess that Kelsey inherited: he more than doubled Payne’s total number of wins in just one season alone. He’s been a hot name in mid-major circles in recent years but now his success is out there for all to see. Could Kelsey accomplish what Pitino accomplished years ago, but this time without having to vacate the success? He’s just 49 years old and has made great strides as a coach, recruiter, and program builder; there’s every reason to think Kelsey could one day bring a title back to Louisville.