In an effort to turn their struggling men's basketball program around, the Louisville Cardinals are reportedly on the verge of hiring Pat Kelsey, the current head coach at Charleston. Multiple reports indicate that Kelsey, who has enjoyed success at both Charleston and Winthrop, is set to take over the reins at Louisville.

This potential hire comes at a critical time for the Cardinals, who have only managed to win a combined 12 games over the past two seasons. Louisville has also failed to finish above .500 since their 13-7 performance in the abbreviated 2020-21 season.

Kelsey brings a wealth of experience to the table, having served as the head coach at Charleston for the past three seasons following a successful nine-year tenure at Winthrop. During his time at Charleston, Kelsey propelled the team to two consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, capturing both the CAA regular season and tournament titles. Although they were a No. 13 seed, Charleston put up a valiant effort in this year's tournament but eventually fell to No. 4 seed Alabama with a final score of 109-96.

Prior to his tenure at Charleston, Kelsey led Winthrop to two NCAA tournament appearances and secured four Big South regular season titles. With a proven track record of success, Kelsey will now look to replicate that at Louisville.

Kelsey's main objective at Louisville will be to guide the team back to the NCAA tournament. The Cardinals' most recent tournament appearance was back in 2019, where they entered as a No. 7 seed. Unfortunately, their prospects of securing a high seed in the 2020 tournament were dashed due to its cancellation.

The decision to bring in Kelsey comes after Richard Pitino, current head coach of New Mexico and the son of former Louisville coach Rick Pitino, was mentioned as a finalist for the job. Additionally, former West Virginia coach Bob Huggins publicly expressed his interest in the position, stating that he believed Louisville would be a "perfect" fit. However, it is unclear whether Huggins has had any discussions with Louisville officials regarding the coaching vacancy.

The move to hire Kelsey signals a fresh start for the Cardinals and a renewed focus on returning to their former glory. Under Rick Pitino's leadership, Louisville reached back-to-back Final Fours and clinched the coveted national title in 2013. Despite this success, Pitino was later fired in 2017 due to an NCAA investigation into improper benefits provided to players, resulting in the vacation of wins from 2010 to 2014, including the 2013 championship.

As the Cardinals prepare for a new chapter under Pat Kelsey's guidance, fans and stakeholders alike will be eager to see if he can revive the program and propel Louisville back to its winning ways.