Mike Pegues Reflects on Season, Unsure of Post-Louisville Future

The assistant coach for the Cardinals served as both the acting and the interim head coach this past season.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - One of the most tumultuous seasons in the 108-year history of the Louisville men's basketball program is finally in the books.

On Wednesday night, the Cardinals walked off the court for the final time after suffering a 51-50 loss to Virginia in the ACC Tournament. The loss sent them to an overall record of 13-19 for their first losing season since 2000-01, when the Cardinals went 12-19 in Denny Crum's final year.

The losses, while plentiful, were only one part of the equation for a rollercoaster year. Head coach Chris Mack was suspended for the first six games of the year, got reinstated, and then was gone roughly two months later. Mack and the university mutually agreed to part ways back on Jan. 26, two days removed from an uninspiring 64-52 loss at, you guessed it, Virginia.

Louisville's troubles were only just beginning. Mack's final game was only the second leg of a seven-game losing streak for the Cardinals - their longest since World War II. After starting the season at 10-4, they would go on to lose 14 of their next 16 games heading into the ACC Tournament.

The second half of the season was marked by listless energy, poor shooting, an inability to close out, questions regarding coachablity, and not one, but two suspensions of their three-time co-captain.

But through all the bumps and bruises that Louisville suffered, Mike Pegues was still proud of the way that his guys fought in the face of incredible adversity. He also credited them for helping him navigate an unbelievably tough situation.

"Quite honestly these guys picked me up throughout the whole season when I wasn't always sure how to help them," he said. "We had some rocky times, no doubt, but I won't remember that as much as I'll remember these guys standing tall and fighting and persevering in one of the toughest seasons -- not just basketball, one of the toughest seasons in life that they've had and may ever have."

Pegues came to Louisville as an assistant coach when Mack was hired in 2018. Pegues served as acting head coach during Mack's six-game suspension to start this season, and he then went on to become the interim head coach once Mack was gone for good.

Louisville went 5-1 in Pegues' first stint as the head man in charge, with the lone blemish being a home loss to Furman in overtime. The Cardinals went 3-10 in his second stint, but Louisville had already lost five of their last six before that. They went 6-8 overall in Mack-coached games this season.

With the season firmly in the rear view mirror, Pegues had his first chance to reflect on the season that was in the postgame press conference followed the loss to Virginia. Admittedly, he didn't know how quite to put it together into words, but was appreciative for the opportunity to be a head coach for the first time in his career.

"As an assistant coach, even you understand the responsibility of supporting your student-athletes and your young men, and helping them get something out of every day," he said. Giving them everything that you have, that you've learned throughout the course of your playing career and coaching career, and giving them as many assets as you possibly can.

"I had to step up and do that in the role of a head coach, and I know I wasn't always perfect but I gave it my all, and I'm just grateful to the guys that they hung with me and the staff. I've learned so much from our players and our staff and I can only hope to be an even better coach going forward because of that transition and this season.

As far as what lies ahead, Pegues is completely unsure. He said that while the season was ongoing, he had "no ambition whatsoever to dive into anything other than steadying the ship," and that he was solely focused on helping his players "finish this season the right way."

Now that the future is here, he hopes that the players finish strong academically, and can put themselves in great position to advance their lives. He also hopes that they various staff members who will be moving on, ranging from assistant coaches to support staff, can safely land on their feet and keep doing what they all love.

"It's going to be hard to turn the page. It's going to be really hard, but I have to. We all have to," he said.

(Photo of Mike Pegues: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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