Barring a last-minute hiccup, College of Charleston’s Pat Kelsey is expected to become the next basketball coach at Louisville, according to several reports.
Kelsey, who led College of Charleston to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, is reportedly finalizing a deal that will make him the Cardinals' new coach Wednesday or Thursday.
Kelsey and Louisville have agreed in principle to a five-year deal, according to ESPN. The school has announced a board of trustees meeting for 3 p.m. Thursday with a press conference to follow.
Louisville fired Kenny Payne earlier this month after the Cardinals posted just eight wins this year. Payne compiled a 12-52 overall record in two seasons.
In three seasons in Charleston, Kelsey, 48, guided the Cougars to a 74-27 overall record and 39-15 mark in the Coastal Athletic Association.
Kelsey’s best year with the Cougars came during the 2022-23 season. The Cougars went 31-4 — a program record for wins at the NCAA Division I level — and that included the nation’s longest winning streak at 20 games, and a month in The Associated Press' Top 25 poll.
College of Charleston’s head coach Pat Kelsey led the Cougars to 58 wins over the past two seasons and two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Last February, Kelsey signed a five-year contract extension that will pay him $1 million a year through the 2028 season making him the highest paid coach in the CAA. According to USA Today, he earned $180,000 on bonuses this year, and an automatic $50,000 pay increase for next year had he stayed.
The contract also includes a buyout for the school of $1 million if Kelsey decides to leave the Lowcountry and take another job before 2028.
Kelsey's pending departure apparently set off a transfer-portal exodus among his players. Three of the Cougars' top returners, guard Reyne Smith and forwards Ante Brzovic and Ben Burnham, entered the transfer portal this week.
Redshirt freshmen guards Jordan Crawford and Khalil London entered the transfer portal on Wednesday, along with reserve guard Evan Kilminster.Â
Few coaches have adapted to the ever-changing college athletic landscape better than Kelsey, who has embraced the transfer portal and name, image and likeness.
Kelsey will become the second CofC coach to move from the CAA to the ACC. Earl Grant spent seven seasons at CofC before being hired by Boston College in 2021. The Eagles are coming off their first 20-win season since 2010-11.
The Louisville job has been a revolving door for almost a decade. Five head coaches — including interims — have come and gone over the last eight years, which includes only one NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017.
Kelsey has had a change of heart in a similar situation before.Â
In 2017, he had signed a contract to coach at UMass. But 30 minutes before an introductory press conference, he asked to be released from that contract and returned to Winthrop, where he had been for the previous five years.Â
