LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Wednesday night will be the last University of Louisville basketball game that Chris Mack will coach until the Cardinals visit Michigan State Dec. 1 in the always entertaining Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Mack will run the show against West Georgia in Louisville’s final exhibition game at the KFC Yum! Center, direct practices through next Monday and then separate himself from the program for the team’s first six regular-season games.
His six-game suspension was directed U of L president Dr. Neeli Bendapudi after Mack allegedly violated at least two NCAA rules.
Sit six games. Lose about $221,000 in salary.
Have no contact with the players or the coaching staff until the suspension ends.
Assistant coach Mike Pegues will run the show in Mack’s absence. Do not be surprised if you see Pegues directing the Cards at times against West Georgia, a Division II program that finished 14-8 last season.
“I don't want to be a dominant voice in the two exhibition games and then it's strange for them not to have that guy on the sidelines,” Mack said.
“So I sat a lot against Kentucky State, and that was sort of planned, and probably will do the same thing (vs. West Georgia). But Mike has been in a thousand huddles; maybe not in front of the public, and certainly there's a greater spotlight when games are played with you guys and the fans and stuff.
“But he knows how to coach players, he knows how to organize a team and he'll have great messages when he's both in front of people and in the practice facility.”
Mack declined to share his thoughts about the fairness of the suspension beyond what he said last month at ACC Media Day in Charlotte, N.C.
What will Mack do on the six nights when the Cardinals are playing games, starting with the season opener here against Southern University next Tuesday?
Even Mack is not certain.
“It will be very difficult,” Mack said. “I've never been through it, so I don't know. I think, if I was just sort of spitballin', I'd probably be sitting on the couch watching the game and then after five minutes it's anyone's guess.
“I don't know how I'll act. I won't have a notebook, I can always just rewind and watch it that way, but in live play I won't have a notebook.”
West Georgia should not beat Louisville. Mack said that the Wolves return all five starters from a team that won a game in the 2021 NCAA Division II Tournament against Valdosta State before they were eliminated by Flagler College, a No. 1 seed. According to the team’s website, West Georgia has not played an exhibition game this season.
This should be a more challenging and interesting test than Kentucky State, a team that U of L defeated, 94-45, last Friday. Mack was asked if there were several items that he wanted to achieve with his team, considering the time crunch created by his looming suspension.
“Good question,” Mack said. “Every year we sort of lay out a master calendar between when we start officially in the fall and when our first game is played.
“So you need to have an idea of what all you need to get in when you feel comfortable in game one, and we've stuck to that. Now, there's gonna be some things between the time I leave, which will be after practice Nov. 8 and that suspension will start Nov. 9. So then til through the 27th, they'll be in good hands with Mike.
“He and I have talked about that time, but there's gonna have to be some decisions they make on their own. You can't just plan for the unexpected.
“You can certainly have Plan A and Plan B, but things are gonna come up in a 2 1/2-week period of time; they always do, no matter what part of the season you're in. The good thing is Mike has 10-plus years experience with me and our system.
“(Assistant coach) Ross (McMains) is a magician on the offensive end, and all three of those guys (including Kahil Fennell) have terrific relationships with our players. So we've prepared as much as we can, and part of it is just, you got to do it.”
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