CRAWFORD | Louisville's Pat Kelsey voted ACC Coach of the Year

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville men's basketball coach Pat Kelsey was voted ACC Coach of the Year in balloting by league media.

The first-year Cardinals coach took a team that won only eight games last season and four the year before to a No. 13 AP ranking and a record of 25-6 heading into the postseason.

It is the third time the Cincinnati native has won a conference coach of the year award and the third different conference. He was Colonial Athletic Association coach of the year at Charleston in 2024 and the Big South Conference coach of the year in 2021.

He's the first U of L men's coach to win such an honor since Rick Pitino was voted Conference USA Coach of the Year in the 2004-05 season.

Kelsey, who will earn a $25,000 contract bonus for winning the award, is also on the watch list for National Coach of the Year honors. Asked about that several weeks ago, Kelsey credited his team.

"That's power of the unit," Kelsey said. "We're really good, and obviously I'm the guy that sits up at the podium that you guys want to talk to, and they put me on some list or something like that. It's the power of the unit. It's 25 strong."