LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- For the first time since the Louisville men's basketball program introduced Pat Kelsey as its new head coach on March 28, WDRB Sports Director Tyler Greever sat down with the new leader of the Cardinals.

The two covered a wide range of topics over about 20 minutes, including but not limited to: the hectic nature of his first 70 days on the job, building a brand new roster, doing it in a different age of college athletics, what to expect for the future of college athletics and embracing the high expectations for Louisville men's basketball.

Below is Q&A transcript of the entire interview, which you can watch at the bottom of the page. This has been lightly edited for clarity.

Tyler Greever: "Pat, I really appreciate your time, sir. Seventy days on the job for you. You've been busy. You got to get moved in with a family. And then, you got to rebuild an entire roster. So, how would you describe what this process has been like for you, because now it feels like it's more accelerated than ever?"

Pat Kelsey: "Hectic. A whirlwind last 70 days. We've been a bit crazy. But here this week, with all the players arriving for the first time, it's settled down a little bit. You're able to take a deep breath and focus on what you'd like to think you do best and what you love the most. And that's coach guys up, put your team together. So, it's been awesome. We feel really, really good, after the dust is all settled, about the roster that we've been able to assemble."

Greever: "Now, you've released some statements regarding each guy, kind of describing your evaluation of them. But there's of course a difference between watching a guy on film, and recruiting him in this day and age, then seeing them in person in the environment that you create. What stands out about this group and those first impression moments when they're coming in, and you get to really meet them face to face for the first time?"

Kelsey: "I think a hallmark of this team, and part of its true identity, is the maturity. We have a bunch of old heads, guys that have logged a ton of minutes at a high level of college basketball. And not only have logged a bunch of minutes, but they come from winning programs. I think in today's day and age of college basketball, it's important to try to get old and stay old, as they like to say. But these guys are about what we're about. It's a painstaking process. We're very, very thorough in our evaluation, not only from an X's and O's, schematic and analytic standpoint as to who fits in our system, but also who fits on the things that you can't measure. You can measure height, you can measure quickness, you can measure shooting ability and things like that. But the guys that are about the things that we want our program to be about, that's what these guys are all about, what we want Louisville Cardinals to be about."

Greever: "So, you get past that initial whirlwind of, 'Okay, I got a press conference where I got to knock this out of the park for this fan base. I immediately have to start recruiting as soon as I know I have the job.' When you're looking at your roster outlook, that debate you just mentioned, it feels like it's kind of raging now in college basketball: Do I want younger talent, maybe players with a higher potential ceiling or do I want a more immediate, proven option who's shown me that they've competed at a high level, and you've coached in some of those leagues as well, is that more important than ever now? Is having, I don't want to say a certainty because nothing is a certainty, but you have more evidence to work with from a scouting perspective?"

Kelsey: "I would say I think it's important for your roster to have balance. We came in early in the spring, but we started off at essentially zero and had to build a roster from zero up to a complete college basketball roster. But I think as you move forward, it's good to have balance on your roster. You have a portion of guys that are younger, that you're going to be able to build with for a couple of years, and we have that. We have two guys that are redshirting that we're crazy high on. Khani Rooths is obviously a very, very talented freshman. Koren Johnson is a young man that transferred after two years, so he has two more years here. And then we added several fourth-year transfers, older guys. So, we like to think we have a good core that we're going to build with here over the next couple of years and we added some older, veteran, proven guys, I think we have a really good balance right now."

Greever: "And Aly Khalifa is going to redshirt, is that right?"

Kelsey: "Correct."

Greever: "Is the redshirt conversation a little different than maybe it's ever been in college athletics before?"

Kelsey: "Well, the two that we're redshirting right now is Kobe Rogers and Aly Khalifa. And those guys are having medical redshirts. They both have injuries they're recovering from. But every situation, every player is different in those types of decisions, in terms of redshirts. It all depends on individual scenarios and situations. But in their case, yeah, both medical redshirts."

Greever: "Okay. I just wanted to clear that up to make sure. For you, I'm sure, the first 70 days...70 days is a long time. But it probably felt like a blur. Have you allowed yourself or taken a moment to kind of step back and get that, I don't know, the view from up top of what you said is the pinnacle of your career? You've had 70 days to experience what having a job of this magnitude is like. Do you have a different perspective on it now than even when you first came in and you got a million things to do?"

Kelsey: "What's the old saying that the days are long and the years go quick? There were times over this past 70 days where those days were long grinds. But then, when you look back on it, it looks like it went in like a snap. But it is interesting, and I said this to somebody else earlier on another interview: I met Luke Hancock two days ago. He came into the gym, obviously, MOP of the Final Four, national champion, beloved figure."

Greever: "He's pretty good on camera, too. Not going to lie. He's not bad at it."

Kelsey: "Unbelievably talented guy. He has way better hair than I do."

Greever: "You can work on that. That's all you."

Kelsey: "Luke asked me a question. He goes, 'PK, what's the best thing you've experienced? Like, give me one thing since you became the head coach here. And I thought for a second. I just said, 'Man, it's that almost daily moment where you can just get above the trees for a second, look around and go, 'I'm the head coach at the University of Louisville.' How stinking cool is that? The hair stands up on your arms. Goosebumps. Because it doesn't fall lightly on my shoulders. And I have a very, very, very good understanding of the significance of this position. I've said many times this place drips with mystique and tradition, one of the most storied programs in the history of college basketball with a group of former players, alumni that are special and do so much to make the Louisville name one of the most respected in all of college basketball. Holy cow does that drive me and motivate me to make those guys proud."

Greever: "The former players are a group who are vocal about this program and how much they care about it. They're going to tell you what they like. They're going to tell you what they don't like because they helped build this into what it currently is and the tradition that so many fans expect. I don't know how many of them you've gotten to meet with from the various eras of Louisville basketball. But in those meetings, what do you take away from them if they offer even a crumb of like, 'Hey, this is kind of what has been missing from the program. This is what I want to see from it.'"

Kelsey: "It's hard to meet every one of them."

Greever: "Of course."

Kelsey: "Sure, it's day one, month one, month two. But one thing of significance I think we did that's going to be very beneficial moving forward, and being a conduit or bridging between me and those former players, is Peyton Siva. Peyton is one of the hires that we made on the staff and gosh, is he a special, special person. Obviously, he's one of the most beloved figures."

Greever: "He's got some playing to do this summer. TBT is here."

Kelsey: "Is he playing in it?"

Tyler Greever: "Yeah, he's playing."

Kelsey: "No wonder he was in the weight room yesterday. I saw him and said, 'I didn't know you worked out.' But Peyton is an infectious personality, right? Great heart. He's got great energy. He's respected by all the former players. He has so many relationships, not only with the basketball alumni, but in the city of Louisville as well. And people say all the time, 'Did you hire him because of that bridge and that connection?' I said, 'I mean, that's a byproduct.' But the biggest reason I hired him was he blew me away when I interviewed him. He's just smart."

Greever: "What in that interview really impressed you because clearly, the playing credentials speak for themselves. He's beloved here, but when you get him one on one and you're looking like, 'Okay, you want to be a coach,' what jumps out?"

Kelsey: "He is wicked smart. He's got great character and a dynamic personality. He is a great communicator, phenomenal with relationships, principled and hardworking. Yeah, he is all the things that you want in a high-level staff member."

Greever: "And you're a former point guard. He's a former point guard. I'm not accusing bias here, but I feel like former point guards kind of look out for each other a little bit or they see eye to eye well."

Kelsey: "I think combined, we scored like 2,800 career points."

Greever: "How many were you?"

Kelsey: "I think I was 170. Point guards kind of have that, I don't know what the word is, telepathy, right? You have that bond."

Greever: "Because you're a coach on the floor, right?"

Kelsey: "Your quarterback."

Greever: "Yep. All the clichés."

Kelsey: "Chucky Hepburn, who's a young man coming from Wisconsin, is a great example that I use. I use the analogy all the time: Give him the ball at two in the afternoon, he gets it back to you safe and sound at four."

Greever: "So, you have an entire new team. I think if we tried to break down each guy, it's impossible to do all that. Is there a couple of guys that coming in, you have to lean on for early leadership? I look at Reyne Smith. He is a guy who's played for you. He knows your system, he knows the culture. I would imagine he will probably be an early leader for you to help bring guys along. He told me that that he views a role like that for himself. The rest of these guys are brand new, but clearly, they've played a lot of ball elsewhere. Do you have higher expectations for anyone in particular?"

Kelsey: "That's a great question. But as I told you earlier, when you asked me one of those early questions, the hallmark of this team is the maturity. All of these guys that have come from the programs they were at were leaders where they were at, right? Even though on day one, walking in, you don't know exactly the protocol. You don't know exactly the terminology. But carrying yourself, acting and working like a pro is a universal language. Absolutely. These guys have just come in, gotten after it and been sponges, right? They've been vulnerable. They've been open. It's been great, these first few days."

Greever: "You mentioned the phrase training like a pro. Everybody talks about this now as we try to figure out what the landscape of college athletics is going to look like. And I think there is a group who would argue that it's professionalizing in a way, particularly with what was just passed with the NCAA. How do you feel about some of the recent developments, since we haven't gotten to talk to you since that decision came down, for revenue sharing? What was your first reaction or view of that when you saw it?"

Kelsey: "I just think college sports continue to change and evolve at a rocket's pace. We keep using the term 'seismic shift.' This is one of the most seismic shifts in the history of our industry. Change is inevitable in every industry. And when change happens, no matter the industry, no matter the business you're in, you better be ready and willing to adjust. I think that's the focus in our program. It's being quick on our feet and being able to adjust and adapt because change is common. And change is coming really, really fast. It's embracing it. It's running toward it. And it's being able to operate, be successful, win and operate in this changing landscape."

Greever: "So, Josh Heird talked to our Eric Crawford recently about this topic. And I loved one quote he had, saying it's basically like trying to fly an airplane while you're building it. The way things are changing, I mean, me and you sitting here right now, there could have been something that just changed and we don't even know about it yet. We can check our phones for a sec, but I'd rather not. When you're the head coach at Louisville, and you've spoken to this, you have a huge impact on the athletic department. This program has a huge impact on the athletics department. So, if you're trying to help him or tell him, 'Maybe we should fly this way,' or, 'Hey, here's a part to help figure this out,' what is that for you?"

Kelsey: "What do you mean?"

Greever: "In terms of when you look at what is coming down the line, if he leaned on you for advice or asked you, 'Hey, this is a way we need to try and go,' what do you think that would be?"

Kelsey: "Well, first of all, I'm lucky to work for an athletic director like Josh. He is extremely forward thinking. Very, very innovative. Extremely adaptable. He was made for these changing times. He's smart as heck. Like I said, forward thinking and unbelievably supportive. And like me, ready to adapt, running toward change. So, I couldn't work for a better leader. Dr. Schatzel, man, she's awesome. I've been in higher education for a long time. And I've never met a president like Dr. Schatzel."

Greever: "What about her stands out to you?"

Kelsey: "I love the fact that she's an entrepreneur. She has a business background. She kind of looks at things from a business perspective. But she's fiery. She's an unbelievable leader. She hits you between the eyes with truth, with honesty. She's busy as heck, but she's taking time out of her schedule to meet with a couple of recruits. And I nicknamed her the closer. You know how the manager in baseball taps his arm and walks out?"

Greever: "Do you have a song you play?"

Kelsey: "We might have to get her an entrance song."

Greever: "Enter Sandman is taken."

Kelsey: "But the leadership here is remarkable. And obviously, my direct report is to my athletics director, the guy in the trenches with me every day. But then, to have the caliber of leadership we have from President Schatzel is elite and special as well, especially in these changing times. She talked about the business industry and the things that she was a part of in the auto parts industry. How you're able to adapt quickly and position yourself to be able to take advantage is very, very important."

Greever: "You mentioned that forward thinking approach. And during the interview process, I'm sure every athletic director has a list of things they're looking to hear and you're looking for things that you have to emphasize in your preparation. How quickly were you trying to formulate an NIL attack plan, if you will, to recruit guys? Where was that when you're talking to Josh for that first time, like, 'Hey, this is what I think we should do?'"

Kelsey: "Well yeah, I mean obviously, the interview process in today's day and age, that's going to be an important part of it. I think what Josh did was he did his homework and his due diligence for a different level, the mid-major level. What we were able to do to implement a very, very effective and ideal strategy at a school like Charleston, and I think we positioned ourselves to be one of the best in the country at the mid major level: We ran toward it there when the shift was happening and the change was happening. So, I think he knew and saw the type of coach that was going to embrace it. There's been a lot of coaches that have been around for years and years and years and years. And when all this happened, 'This isn't what I signed up for.' I'm going in the other direction. I got too much time left, man. I got to feed my kids. I'm going to be in this business for a couple more decades."

Greever: "You and me both."

Kelsey: "Unless you try to get rid of me before that."

Greever: "No, man, no, not at all. Not at all. Going off of that...first of all, I have no say in stuff like that. But the results here are ultimately what matter. And what I like about the interviews you have done is that you have embraced that from the jump, really from the news conference, where it's like, 'I know fans here and I know how much they care, what they want.' And that basketball means something different here. The expectation of that, what does that mean to you to be held to that standard?"

Kelsey: "The way I always say it is look man, I can put myself in the shoes of Louisville basketball fans. Because you know why? Because I'm a fan of the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals. And I am completely irrational."

Greever: "I hate to tell you this, but I've been a Ravens fan since I was four years old."

Kelsey: "I'm sorry to hear that."

Greever: "You're going to have to talk to Lamar (Jackson) at some point, I would imagine."

Kelsey: "There's something on social media. He like, added me after we did that football thing. Like hold on: Lamar Jackson actually added me? I was starstruck. But no, I get it. You want to be somewhere where it truly, truly matters. You want to be somewhere where there isn't apathy. And you just feel it, man. When you go out into this community, you feel the passion that people have for Louisville basketball. I think I do a pretty good job as a leader. It's just my approach of obviously being connected via social media by tweeting and marketing my program and things like that. I'm not reading your comments. I'm just not. Because when things are really good, you're going to have some great comments. When things are bad, they're not going to be as great. That's part of being a fan, man. And I'm not saying I put stuff about Zac Taylor or David Bell for the rants we get to kind of have a little bit. There's an honor among thieves with coaches in that we understand what we all go through and things like that. But man, it is such a passionate fan base and knowledgeable fan base. I say it all the time: I have over one million assistant coaches out there. Just so you know, I'm not going to take a lot of their counsel but I get it. I embrace it, man. You just feel it when you go out in the community. Whether I'm pumping gas or I'm at a restaurant, you get a high five. 'Coach, man, we're so excited.' And you get a suggestion or two about guarding the pick and roll. That's part of the deal."

Greever: "All right, well, we'll save some Ravens-Bengals trash talk for another time when it comes around. But I appreciate your time today."

Kelsey: "Who Dey."

Greever: "You're not giving me all that."

Full interview:

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