Chris Mack in trouble...

[skyhops]

I don’t know your cousin

[Anti-Homer]

My buddy is an AD at a prominent basketball HS in Cincy and he was at a dinner where three big time college coaches (I won't post names on here) were saying he was over his head in game time adjustments and was lucky to get the job. They said the program has taken a few steps back under him. I do hope that he turns things around and we make the tourney, but watching the offense stall with Scruggs and lack of ball movement and knock down shooters will probably put us back to NIT.

This is disturbing to hear, especially since many X Twitter fans opine similar sentiments.

[Anti-Homer]

Mack wasn't a good coach and he and Travis have very similar styles. Mack did improve over the years and recruited very well. He had some talent that pulled him up. His style of letting the players do whatever they wished as long as they were the top players worked when those players were able to carry the team.

Had he been a good coach, X would have done better at least 4 years during his tenure. There was 1 season where X did better than expected. Usually the top couple players developed under Mack while most failed to achieve their potential. Bigs were often underutilized. Shot selection was poor and ball security was not top priority. Defense was also mediocre.

Perhaps you may not agree with his coaching philosophy, but I think his record was pretty damn good here. I concede the two elite teams he had dropped like a led zeppelin. The first time they lost to a JP like three at the buzzer by Wisconsin. The 2nd time was largely due, imo, to the fact that Mack was texting recruits to come to Louisville during the game.

[Anti-Homer]

I remember many on this board questioning much more than Mack's character, though perhaps their impression of his character biased their opinion of his coaching, especially around the time of "zip 'em up". He was criticized for many of the same things as Travis, especially as pertains to controlling his players on the court (e.g., Lyons and Crawford).

There was no indication whatsoever that his career was headed down this path before he left X. On the contrary, his path seemed to be leading to a Final Four or more. There is little doubt in my mind that the culture at Louisville is at least 50% at fault... He left for the money (and perhaps a bit for his wife). And when the money is the biggest draw, you cannot cry when your benefactors get tired of you.

Anyways, I am beginning to think that leaving X comes with serious risks. You can earn a handsome living at a program that doesn't cut corners as it tries to slowly, but continuously, raise its ceiling. Or you can move on to a higher-risk, higher-reward blue-blood program funded and supported by a fanbase chasing some fleeting high from past glory. Prosser died prematurely of a heart attack at least partly due to the stress he was under trying to compete in the ACC. Matta seemed to be quickly headed to an NC and a hall-of-fame career at OSU, but his body couldn't keep up with the demands of recruiting and coaching and his last four years were freefalling. Miller may have dodged a legal bullet looking the other way on some sketchy recruiting tactics at Arizona. And now Mack may be headed back to coaching middle school girls for a few years as he parts Louisville in disgrace.

Agreed that many on this board questioned his character on occasion. For me, though, his stunningly poor management of the last two minutes of the Crosstown Blowout just showed horrible judgement, just necessarily a flawed character. UC stupidly started it with typical juvenile comments by Cronin and some of their "scholar" athletes, but there was tension throughout, and why he didn't pull them with three minutes left and a 25 point lead is mind boggling. Then, he doubled down by letting them go to the podium afterwards.

I do believe he gave players like Lyons too long of a leash, and recruited the typical UC recruit like Eyikor who predictably was kicked out of X soon after.

Lastly, the way he handled the Kelsey-Holloway situation will live in Xavier infamy, unfortunately.

[tacitus]

I remember many on this board questioning much more than Mack's character, though perhaps their impression of his character biased their opinion of his coaching, especially around the time of "zip 'em up". He was criticized for many of the same things as Travis, especially as pertains to controlling his players on the court (e.g., Lyons and Crawford).

There was no indication whatsoever that his career was headed down this path before he left X. On the contrary, his path seemed to be leading to a Final Four or more. There is little doubt in my mind that the culture at Louisville is at least 50% at fault... He left for the money (and perhaps a bit for his wife). And when the money is the biggest draw, you cannot cry when your benefactors get tired of you.

Anyways, I am beginning to think that leaving X comes with serious risks. You can earn a handsome living at a program that doesn't cut corners as it tries to slowly, but continuously, raise its ceiling. Or you can move on to a higher-risk, higher-reward blue-blood program funded and supported by a fanbase chasing some fleeting high from past glory. Prosser died prematurely of a heart attack at least partly due to the stress he was under trying to compete in the ACC. Matta seemed to be quickly headed to an NC and a hall-of-fame career at OSU, but his body couldn't keep up with the demands of recruiting and coaching and his last four years were freefalling. Miller may have dodged a legal bullet looking the other way on some sketchy recruiting tactics at Arizona. And now Mack may be headed back to coaching middle school girls for a few years as he parts Louisville in disgrace.

Agreed that many on this board questioned his character on occasion. For me, though, his stunningly poor management of the last two minutes of the Crosstown Blowout just showed horrible judgement, just necessarily a flawed character. UC stupidly started it with typical juvenile comments by Cronin and some of their "scholar" athletes, but there was tension throughout, and why he didn't pull them with three minutes left and a 25 point lead is mind boggling. Then, he doubled down by letting them go to the podium afterwards.

I do believe he gave players like Lyons too long of a leash, and recruited the typical UC recruit like Eyikor who predictably was kicked out of X soon after.

Lastly, the way he handled the Kelsey-Holloway situation will live in Xavier infamy, unfortunately.

A couple have question more than Mack's character just in this thread...

The brawl was mismanaged. And he generally struggled with Miller's recruits his first couple years. It is no secret that he was the player's pick to replace Miller because of how friendly he was with the players. It seemed to take about three years for him to recruit his own team and establish himself as a proper authority figure, instead of a buddy. But after Lyons, Crawford and Holloway were gone, I cannot remember any such instance. Performance on the court was certainly all upward, despite the move to a much more competitive league. Cannot remember the Kelsey-Holloway incident.

Maybe he really was a DB, as skyhoops maintains. (Although, perhaps he should watch some Cobra Kai to help him understand that the villains from your youth were not as bad as they seemed. ) At least he readily admits that the vast majority of successful (and unsuccessful) CBB coaches are.

You are not calling for Steele's head (yet) like others. But imagine if Mack had been fired at the end of the brawl season. May have done a lot for UofL, but would have set X back a lot.

[Alpalpa]

What was the Kelsey - Holloway situation?

[Anti-Homer]

What was the Kelsey - Holloway situation?

Mman is the moral authority on the board. MMan, can you please enlighten our loyal masses? Me thinks he may adopt the "Don't ask don't tell" policy. It may be in the board if he does. He truly is the Winston Churchill of the sport's board moderating world.

[longliveskip]

not sure we really need to get into it on here as no one on here really knows if it's 100% true (althought some posters on here claim they know for sure) but i'd say Kels is the one who really had to deal with that after the fact. i'll let Mman figure that out.