Chris Mack had plenty of opportunities to get back into coaching in the two-plus years he’d been out of the business.
Several schools, some from Power 5 conferences, reached out to gauge Mack’s interest in returning to the bench.
Mack, 54, would politely decline. He wanted to stay at his Florida home, reconnecting with his wife, Christi, and his three children. Mack was happy being a "volleyball" dad, following his daughters Lainee and Hailee from match to match.
Supporters greet College of Charleston’s new men’s basketball coach Chris Mack during an announcement at the Cistern in Charleston, Tuesday, April 2, 2024.
Even after his abrupt departure from Louisville in January 2022, Mack’s 278 career wins and his nine NCAA Tournament appearances at Xavier and with the Cardinals made him a hot commodity on the coaching carousel.
“There were a lot offers that first year, but I wasn’t ready,” Mack said. “The first year-and-a-half I just wanted to get away and spend time with my family. You lose so much of that when you are coaching. It was a great break for me just to be a dad and a husband again.”
It wasn’t until College of Charleston athletic director Matt Roberts reached out to Mack late last week that the former Xavier standout found the "right fit" for his return to college basketball.
Mack and the downtown school have agreed to a five-year deal that will pay him $1.1 million a season to become College of Charleston’s men’s basketball coach.
“I wanted to be at a place that had heart and a commitment to basketball,” Mack said. “It was the right fit. It wasn’t about a brand name or being at the highest level. I wanted to be at a place that was invested in winning and a place where I could raise my family and that’s why I’m here. This is a special place.”
Mack replaces Pat Kelsey, who led the Cougars to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and left last week to become the head coach at Louisville.
Kelsey was an assistant coach under Mack for three seasons at Xavier.
“Obviously, I’ve watched a lot of College of Charleston games over the past couple of years because I’m a fan of Pat’s,” Mack said. “He did a great job here and we’re going to build on that foundation.”
Fans, students and supporters gather at the Cistern at the College of Charleston for the announcement of Chris Mack as the new men’s basketball coach, Tuesday, April 2, 2024.
Roberts said the coaching vacancy attracted several "prominent" coaches to apply for the position, but that he and the search committee quickly focused on Mack.
“The administration has made a commitment to our basketball program,” Roberts said. “It has put our program in a different echelon when it comes to the mid-major space. It attracts a different level of coach. Timing and luck is everything. Having someone of Chris’ stature that would take the phone call and listen was crucial.”
Mack has already started to hire his coaching staff and make recruiting calls. Replenishing a depleted roster will be Mack’s top priority in the coming days and weeks.
The Cougars have had seven players that could have returned next season enter the transfer portal, including leading scorer Reyne Smith and 6-11 freshman James Scott, who followed Kelsey to Louisville.
“I’ve been on the phone, making calls, trying to find players,” Mack said. “It’s going to be a daunting task. It’s the nature of the business in 2024; trying to put together a roster that will be competitive. You have to be very careful about who you are bringing into your program, but we’re not the only school in that boat.
“There are plenty of schools around the country that are in the same boat we are. Other teams in our league, even the best teams in the country, will have guys leaving.”
One CofC player who said he will remain at the school is point guard CJ Fulton, who was among the nation’s leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio.
“I met with the team (Monday) and we’ll meet with everyone individually over the last few days,” Mack said. “I’ll feel like we will be able to keep a few guys that will want to remain Cougars.”
Ante Brzovic, a first team All-CAA performer this past season, entered the transfer portal after the Cougars’ loss to Alabama in the NCAA Tournament. The 6-10 Croatian was at Mack’s introductory press conference but said he has not decided on his future.
Mack coached at Xavier and Louisville and led his teams to nine NCAA Tournament berths in 13 seasons. He has a career record of 278-133, including 215-97 in nine seasons at Xavier and 63-36 in four seasons at Louisville, where left midway through the 2022 season.
Mack reached the NCAA tournament in nine of his first 10 seasons as a head coach and compiled 10 20-win seasons. He led Xavier to five straight NCAA Tournaments and earned eight NCAA bids in nine years at the Cincinnati, Ohio school.
Mack’s history of taking teams to the NCAA tournament does not include his 2019-20 team at Louisville. The Cardinals were ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll at one point, and were projected as a No. 4 seed that year when the NCAA tournament was canceled due to COVID.
