LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — John Andrzejek arrives at Louisville with a clear assignment: elevate the defense.
Pat Kelsey officially announced Monday the hiring of John Andrzejek as associate head coach and defensive coordinator, adding a coach whose work at Florida helped produce the 2025 national championship, and who will now be tasked with pushing the Cardinals’ defense to another level.
"We are excited to welcome John to our program," Kelsey said. "Coming here from a head coaching position speaks to the power of the Louisville brand and his belief in the trajectory of our program."
Kelsey said Andrzejek’s track record on the defensive end made him a priority target.
Louisville | Kentucky | Indiana | Eric Crawford
"One of his former colleagues described John as ‘an animal’ and Card Nation knows how much that fires me up," he said. "He is an outstanding teacher, tactician and innovator."
Serving as defensive coordinator under Todd Golden at Florida Gators men's basketball, Andrzejek helped transform the Gators’ defense from 94th nationally in efficiency to sixth, a jump that fueled a 36-4 season and the program’s 2025 national championship. Golden credited Andrzejek’s "ownership" of the defense as central to that run.
Andrzejek spent the 2025-26 season as head coach at Campbell University men's basketball, leading the Camels to 16 wins — the most ever by a first-year coach in the program’s Division I era — including an upset of top-seeded UNC Wilmington in the CAA Tournament.
Before Florida and Campbell, Andrzejek spent four seasons at Washington State Cougars men's basketball under Kyle Smith, helping the Cougars secure multiple top-10 wins and develop All-Pac-12 talent. He was named to ESPN’s "40 Under 40" list in 2020.
A former student manager at Columbia University men's basketball, Andrzejek earned two degrees in two-and-a-half years before moving into coaching roles at Columbia, San Francisco, Dartmouth and Johns Hopkins.
Andrzejek said the opportunity matched his ambitions.
"I could not be more excited to join one of the truly elite and prestigious programs in college basketball," he said. "The greatest joy you can have in this profession is to compete for championships and watch your student-athletes live out their dreams."
Kelsey pointed to a "relentless and singular focus" on building one of the nation’s best defensive units as central to Andrzejek’s role.
The timing matters.
The hire is Kelsey’s first public addition of the offseason, coming as Louisville enters Year 3 of his tenure with expectations rising and the roster still taking shape.
Andrzejek didn’t shy away from the stakes.
"Louisville is a place where we not only can dream big," he said, "but are expected to do so. I can’t wait to get to work hunting down a championship."
Copyright 2026 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
