Louisville Men's Basketball Head Coach Hot Board 2.0

Here's an updated look at some of the more likely candidates to replace Chris Mack as the head men's basketball coach of the Cardinals.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The 2021-22 season for the Louisville men's basketball program is now in the books. The Cardinals ended their year with a record of 13-19, their first losing season since 2000-01 when they went 12-19 in Denny Crum's final year.

Ever since the program and Chris Mack decided to mutually part ways in late January, interim athletic director Josh Heird has been dedicated to finding the next head coach. Now that the season is over, that search is being kicked into overdrive, and a new coach could be named very soon.

Below is an updated list of eight individuals that are very likely candidates to be the next head coach of the Cardinals. Candidates in alphabetical order by last name:

Ed Cooley

Providence head coach

Record at Providence: 219-139
Overall head coaching record: 311-208

Not only did Cooley just win Big East Coach of the Year, he's a very likely candidate for National Coach of the Year. Sporting a 25-4 record with a ranking No. 11 in the AP Poll, the Friars are in the midst of one of their best seasons in school history. Providence has had just one losing season since his arrival in 2011, and has consistently been one of the better teams in the Big East. Plus, Louisville has real pressure from alumni, fans and former players to hire a minority coach.

One major red flag is his lack of NCAA Tournament success. Out of his previous eleven prior seasons with Providence, Cooley has made just five trip to the Big Dance, with four of those trips resulting the Friars getting bounced in game one.

Mick Cronin

UCLA head coach

Record at UCLA: 64-28
Overall head coaching record: 429-199

Everywhere Cronin has gone, he has had success. Spanning from his early days at Murray State, to his alma mater of Cincinnati, and most recently at UCLA. Not only has he made multiple NCAA Tournament appearances at each stop, but has also been named conference Coach of the Year once with each program. Not to mention that he has Louisville ties, serving as an assistant under Rick Pitino for two seasons.

One caveat is that, while Cronin gets to the NCAA Tournament, he hasn't taken his team far. Out of his 12 trips to the Big Dance, he made it past the first weekend just twice - although his most recent trip in 2021 did end in the Final Four, and this season's Bruins look poised to make another deep run.

Scott Drew

Baylor head coach

Record at Baylor: 398-220
Overall head coaching record: 418-231

If anyone can help a program get out of the mud, it's Drew. He inherited a Baylor program that was rocked by one of the worst scandals in collegiate athletics history, and one that was historically one of the worst high-major programs in the sport, and turned them into a national champion. Not to mention that he has the Bears poised for yet another championship run. He is an elite recruiter who is also an elite coach.

While Drew would be an absolute home run hire for the Cardinals, and there have been reports saying he would listen if approached, it's hard to envision him leaving Baylor. Plus, he just signed an extension last offseason after winning the 2021 championship, and Louisville doesn't have a ton of cash on hand to pay an exorbitant buyout.

Chris Holtmann

Ohio State head coach

Record at Ohio State: 106-54
Overall head coaching record: 220-139

Holtmann might not be the most attractive option on this list, but he's one that absolutely warrants at least a phone call if you're Louisville. He's been named a conference Coach of the Year at each of his three stops as a head coach - Gardner-Webb, Butler, Ohio State - and has made six NCAA Tournaments in a row. Not to mention that he grew up in the state of Kentucky.

However, that last part might not sit well with a lot of fans, as he grew up in Lexington. In fact, he was Kentucky fan growing up as a kid, and his family is very much still UK fans. Also, out of those six NCAA Tournament trips, just one of them involved a trip out of the first weekend - his final year at Butler in 2017.

Matt McMahon

Murray State head coach

Record at Murray State: 153-66
Overall head coaching record: Same

It might sound like a bit of hyperbole, but McMahon is a rising star in the coaching ranks. After a couple so-so seasons with the Racers to start his tenure, Murray State has had an unprecedented run of success. Currently at 30-2 and ranked in the AP Poll, they are putting together arguably their best season in school history. Plus, McMahon turned Ja Morant from an unranked recruit with no offers into a No. 2 overall pick and one of the top players in the NBA.

The only real knock against McMahon is that he has just one NCAA Tournament win, although that looks like it won't be the case for much longer. If Louisville doesn't pick McMahon, someone else surely will soon. 

Eric Musselman

Arkansas head coach

Record at Arkansas: 59-24
Overall head coaching record: 169-58

Ranging from the college ranks to the NBA, Musselman has an extensive background in coaching the game of basketball. Prior to Arkansas, he was the head coach at Nevada, has been an assistant at LSU and Arizona State, as well as the head man at the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings.

In just his third year with the Razorbacks, he has already shown he is an elite college coach. He led Arkansas to the Elite Eight in 2021, and has signed two top-ten recruiting classes - including the No. 2 class of 2022 that includes McDonalds All-Americans Nick Smith Jr. and Jordan Walsh. Though he does have a bit of a reputation with assistants as being hard to work with.

Kenny Payne

New York Knicks assistant coach

Record at Knicks (as assistant): 69-69
Overall head coaching record: 0-0

Payne might be the most polarizing entry on this list, but he's also the frontrunner for the job. A member of the Cardinals' 1986 championship team, he is universally lauded amongst former players and alumni. He spent 10 years as an assistant to Kentucky head coach John Calipari, six as the associate head coach, and cut his teeth as an elite recruiter with the Wildcats.

But the reason Payne is so polarizing is because he has zero head coaching experience. He has been with the Knicks since 2020, and had a stint with Oregon as an assistant there before landing at Kentucky, but that's the extent of his coaching resume. It's a big gamble, but it could be what brings Louisville back to relevance.

Kevin Willard

Seton Hall head coach

Record at Seton Hall: 225-159
Overall head coaching record: 269-208

Willard certainly isn't lacking any ties to Louisville. He was an assistant with the Cardinals for seven years under Rick Pitino, and his father, Ralph, was a former associate head coach and director of operations. After a successful stint with Iona, he took over at Seton Hall in 2010, and the Pirates have had a decent amount of success since.

At a place that is notoriously hard to win at, he guided the Pirates to four-straight 20-win season, the first in program history to ever do so. He's also got the second-most win in Seton Hall history. One big drawback with Willard though, is that he has made just four trips to the NCAA Tournament in his head coaching career, and has just one win.

(Photo of Scott Drew: Raymond Carlin III - USA TODAY Sports)

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