Louisville Appears Set To Part Ways With Coach Chris Mack

The University of Louisville Athletic Association has called a special meeting of the board of directors for 4 p.m. on Wednesday “to discuss proposed or pending litigation and personnel matters” and it appears Chris Mack may have coached his final game with the men’s basketball program.

Louisville is set to host No. 9 Duke on Saturday in its next game.

Multiple reports — including one from ESPN.com — indicate Louisville is preparing to part ways with Mack, who would be owed a $12 million buyout that could be negotiated to a lower number.

Longtime Louisville reporter Rick Bozich reports there is a meeting set for Wednesday morning involving Mack, his players and interim AD Josh Heird. The University is also operating with an interim President, Lori Stewart Gonzalez, after Neeli Bendapudi left last month to become the President at Penn State.

Things have gone from bad to worse for Mack, 52, ever since he left Xavier for Louisville in 2018.

This season began with Mack serving a 6-game suspension without pay after the University concluded that while Mack was a victim of an extortion attempt by former assistant coach Dino Gaudio, Mack failed to follow University guidelines, policies, and procedures in handling the matter, the University said. The University noted at the time that the suspension was “unrelated to the extortion attempt itself’ and the ongoing NCAA investigation into Louisville triggered by the FBI investigation into bribery in college basketball.

Louisville (11-9, 5-5 ACC) has lost two straight and 5-of-6 and Mack appears to have lost the locker room. Fifth-year big man Malik Williams was asked Saturday after the team’s loss to Notre Dame if Mack still had command of the locker room or if players had tuned him out.

“I don’t have a comment for that,” he said.

Mack was asked after that game about being booed by fans.

“I’m frustrated too,” he said. “I appreciate everybody coming tonight, they care deeply. They care deeply. They want Louisville to win, we want Louisville to win. Trust me, we’re trying to do everything we can to get better and to improve.”

At halftime of that game, former Louisville coach Rick Pitino — who was fired in 2017 in the wake of the FBI investigation — made a surprise video appearance to honor Russ Smith, whose No. 2 jersey was retired by the school, and received loud applause. Under Pitino, Iona is 17-3, 9-0 in the MAAC after winning the MAAC Tournament title and making the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

Mack has yet to win an NCAA Tournament game in three-plus seasons at Louisville after he guided Xavier to a Final Four, an Elite Eight and three Sweet 16s in nine seasons.