Roof Repair in Downtown Charleston, SC

The Louisville Cardinals have gone through several transitions in the past years, including the departures of Kenny Payne in March and Chris Mack in 2022.

Kenny Payne was fired as the head coach of the men’s basketball team on March 13, with Charleston’s Pat Kelsey named the new leader for the program Thursday.

Chris Mack left the Cardinals on Jan. 27, 2022, and two years later, is ready for the next step in his coaching career.

Late Friday, Jeff Goodman reported that Mack is expected to be hired by Charleston.

BREAKING: Charleston is expected to hire former Xavier and Louisville head coach Chris Mack, source told @thefieldof68. Mack was the primary target of Charleston AD Matt Roberts from the time Pat Kelsey left. Mack went to the NCAA tourney 8 times in 9 seasons at Xavier, his…

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 30, 2024

As part of his U of L agreement, Mack would receive a $4.8 million severance package from the school to be paid out in $133,333.33 monthly increments until Jan. 31, 2025.

More: Louisville basketball is 'the pinnacle.' Pat Kelsey's vision is to lead it there again

Here is what to know about Chris Mack since his departure from UofL:

Who is Chris Mack?

Chris Mack was with the UofL men’s basketball team for less than four years after being named as the head coach on March 28, 2018.

Mack was the coach of Xavier, his alma mater, for nine years and led the Musketeers to four Sweet 16 appearances.

His time was not met without controversy including his former assistant coach Dino Gaudio being charged in federal court just months after being fired and Mack getting suspended to six games in 2021.

Louisville said he “failed to follow University guidelines, policies and procedures,” in his firing Gaudio, The Courier Journal previously reported.

Background: The good, the bad, the ugly: A timeline of Chris Mack's tenure with Louisville basketball

Was Chris Mack fired?

Although the team’s bad performance was not a selling point for his stay, the former coach was not fired.

The school stated that the parties “mutually agreed to part ways effective immediately,” The Courier Journal previously reported.

Where is Chris Mack now?

Although he said in March 2023 that he was not ready to return to coaching, Mack said in February he would explore his options to get back in the game.

“I've learned a lot over the two head coaching jobs that I was fortunate enough to be a part of, so, you know, we'll see,” said in the WXIX-TV interview.

“I miss it. There's some things I really miss about the game, about being a part of the team day in and day out. So I've really enjoyed the time away. I think I've learned a whole lot, studied a lot of basketball. And so, again, we'll see. It may not happen, but we'll see."

In the interview, Mack said his two daughters "are out of the house" and he wants to do more than work out and be with his son.

"And not that I don't love my wife, but you know, I need a purpose," he said.

Reporters Brooks Holton, Hayes Gardner, Dave Clark and Brett Dawson contributed to this story.

More: Pat Kelsey Louisville contract: What to know about new basketball coach's salary, buyout

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Where is Chris Mack? Where the former UofL coach is today

After a two-year hiatus, Chris Mack is back in college basketball.

Mack, who spent nine seasons as the head coach at Xavier from 2009-2018, is expected to be named the next head coach at Charleston, according to a report Friday night from Jeff Goodman of Field of 68.

In a full-circle moment, Mack will replace Elder High School graduate and his former Xavier assistant Pat Kelsey, who spent the last three seasons as the head coach at Charleston, leading the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two years.

On Thursday, Kelsey was officially introduced as the next head coach at Louisville, the same school that fired Mack 14 games into his fourth season as head coach of the Cardinals in 2022.

Mack, 54, said in March 2023 that he wasn't ready to return to the sidelines, though schools had reached out to the St. Xavier High School graduate. In February, while at Cintas Center to honor former Xavier players Trevon Bluiett and J.P. Macura for their induction into the school's Hall-of-Fame, Mack told FOX 19 that he would explore his options to return to the sidelines.

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA tournament brackets, scores, schedules, teams and more.

Mack brings a solid track record to Charleston, which is trying to build off its 58-12 mark over the past two seasons under Kelsey. In nine seasons at Xavier, Mack won more games than any coach in school history (215) and led the Musketeers to the NCAA Tournament eight times, including four Sweet 16 trips and an Elite Eight appearance in 2017.

After guiding Xavier to a No. 1 seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, Mack left the Musketeers for Louisville. He led Louisville to the NCAA Tournament in his first season, then had the Cardinals (24-7) in position for a March Madness bid in 2020 before the season was canceled by the pandemic.

Well, this is weird. The guy who coached under the old guy at Xavier is the new guy at Louisville and the old guy at Louisville is replacing the new guy at Louisville as the new guy at Charleston. Did I get that right? I think so. Let me explain.

Chris Mack is back in the coaching ranks, replacing Pat Kelsey at Charleston after the 48-year-old took the head job at Louisville this week. Kelsey served as the associate head coach on Mack’s staff at Xavier from 2009-11 before getting his first head coaching gig at Winthrop (2012-21), then taking over the Cougars in 2021. Meanwhile, Mack coached the Musketeers to a 215-97 record from 2013-18 before replacing Rick Pitino with the Cardinals from 2018-22, fired midway through the ’21-22 season after the school said he violated guidelines amid assistant coach Dino Gaudio’s alleged extortion attempts. He closed out his time at UofL with a 63-36 overall record.

Now, the College of Charleston is sticking with the Mack coaching tree by hiring Mack himself, The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman reported late Friday. The former Louisville coach had been a podcast co-host for The Field of 68 since becoming a free agent in Jan. ’22.

Kelsey replaces Kenny Payne with the Cardinals after he led the program to historic lows, finishing with a 12-52 record in two seasons under his watch.

After taking some time away, Mack recently made it clear he was interested in returning to coaching if a ‘good fit’ presented itself.

“For the first time since the whole Louisville time, I’m gonna sort of look at the options and see what’s out there and see if it’s a good fit,” Mack said, via Joe Danneman of FOX 19. “And if it is, then it’s probably something that I’ll end up jumping back into. But it has to be the right fit. I’ve learned a lot over the two head coaching jobs that I was fortunate enough to be a part of. So, you know, we’ll see.”

“… I need a purpose. … I miss it. There’s some things I really miss about the game, about being a part of the team day in and day out.”

It won’t be for Kentucky’s arch nemesis, but Chris Mack is back as a head coach.

Comments have moved.

Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.

Looking to play tourist here in our home city? Look no further. The Emeline and Casual Crabbing With Tia have partnered to offer locals and visitors the chance to learn the art of crabbing.

Tia Clark, a Charleston native, started Casual Crabbing with Tia in 2017. Tickets start at $125, and the excursion lasts ~2.5 hours. Pro tip: If you don’t have a valid SC fishing license, make sure you purchase one before your experience.

Guests will meet Tia dockside in the Charleston Harbor to learn crabbing tips. Tia will help everyone master the delicate art of throwing a cast net and can even help set bait and fish.

“The experience is very hands-on as Tia shows everyone the ropes of how to cast nets, how to check crab traps, how to cast a fishing line, and how to measure any crabs that are caught,” said Adam Jimenez, General Manager of food and beverage at Emeline. Jimenez adds, “Crabbing with Tia combines two of the things we celebrate at Emeline: Charleston’s beautiful outdoors and its culinary traditions. We hope guests will be able to broaden their experiences, step outside the box of a traditional visit, and learn from a Charleston native.”

Emeline guests can take any crabs caught during the excursion to one of its dining options, Frannie & The Fox (this applies to soft shell season). Chef Paolo Rossin has shared the restaurant prepares the soft-shell crabs with an Italian twist.

Frannie & The Fox soft-shell crab preparation

Ingredients

Coating:

Instructions Mix flour, salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning. Start by dusting each soft-shell crab in the coating mixture and fry them in a separate pan with olive oil until golden brown, remove from pan and set aside.

For the sauce: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-low. Add the garlic, shallot, and Fresno peppers and toast to release the flavors, but be careful not to brown the garlic, otherwise, it will turn bitter.

Add the white wine, cook down till the alcohol evaporates, and then add your diced butter, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste.

Add to the sauce the fried crabs, drizzle with lemon juice and zest, as well as your fresh chopped herbs, and toss to coat all the crabs in the sauce.

Place the crabs in a large serving bowl, pour over the cooking liquid, and garnish with additional sliced scallions, parsley, and lemon wedges.

NJIT swept visiting Charleston (WV), 3-0, on Senior Day to earn the Highlanders first EIVA Conference win of the season inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center Saturday afternoon.

In pregame ceremonies, NJIT recognized two graduating seniors – Griffin Fieseler and Will Migdal who will be recognized in pregame ceremonies. NJIT also honored its two graduate students Julian Meissner and Carson Williams.

Photo Gallery

With the win, NJIT snaps a five-match skid, moving to 9-13 overall and 1-6 in the EIVA while Charleston moves to 11-12 overall, 2-4 in the EIVA.

NJIT's Alessandro Negri led all players with 13 kills, hitting .346 for the match followed by Josh Gregg (8) and Carson Williams (8). Williams finished the match with a .636 hitting percentage on 11 swings with just one error. Andrew Fedmasu added six kills in the win.

Setter Griffin Fieseler paced the match with 26 assists while adding five digs. Libero Ron Tidhar paced shared match-high honors with six digs.

In front of the net, Williams recorded a career-best 10 block assists (in a three-set match), previously combining for seven blocks in four sets against Ball State in 2022.

NJIT held an advantage in the service ace category, 6-2, led by Fedmasu and Gregg with a pair of aces in victory.

The first frame seesawed back and forth with NJIT taking a three-point lead, 10-6, after three consecutive points. The Golden Eagles responded, scoring four straight to knot the set at 10-all. WIth Charleston leading by one, 19-18, NJIT scored the next four out of five points for a 22-20 lead and used a quick 3-2 run to close out the first frame with a 25-23 victory.

In the second set, NJIT took control early, 8-3, and extended its lead to 16-8, behind four straight points. Charleston pulled within as many as two, 22-19, but the Highlanders scored the final two points of the frame, securing a 25-19 win, going up 2-0.

The Highlanders hit .308 in the third frame, as neither team led by more than three until the mid-teens, as NJIT scored four straight for a 21-16 advantage. The Golden Eagles again trimmed the Highlander lead to as many as two late in the set, 22-20 but NJIT scored the final three out of four points to record the home sweep on Senior Day with a 25-21 victory.

Charleston's Garret Schnitker combined for 10 kills, six digs and two block assists.

NJIT will return to action April 5 when the Highlanders visit No. 15 Princeton. First spike slated for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.

Earlier this season, the Tigers defeated NJIT 3-1 in Newark by tight scores.