The current head coach of the Louisville Cardinals officially said, “We are the back.”

The current head coach of the Louisville Cardinals officially said, “We are the back.”

The current head coach of the Louisville Cardinals officially stated, “We are the back.” Pat Kelsey has accepted the position of new men’s basketball coach at the University of Louisville.

After nine years at Winthrop, Kelsey spent the last three seasons at Charleston, where he led the club to two NCAA Tournament appearances. But what about Kelsey, who is 48 years old and not now coaching?

1. A Cincinnati native: Kelsey was born and reared in Cincinnati, where he attended Roger Bacon before transferring to Elder High for his final year. Kelsey was a key member of Elder’s 1993 Division I state championship team.

2. Played for two colleges: Kelsey began his college career at Wyoming before transferring to Xavier, where he spent three seasons. Kelsey appeared in 83 games over his career, including 28 in the 1993–94 season at Wyoming. He averaged 2.3 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 23.4 minutes per game for the Cowboys that season. He appeared in 55 games over three years at Xavier, but averaged just 5.4 minutes per game. Throughout his career, he scored 122 points and assisted 131 times.

3. Belongs to a large family: Mike and Linda Kelsey welcomed Kelsey into the world on May 15, 1975. His father, known as ‘Big Mike,’ was a Marine, teacher, and high school basketball coach before entering the car industry. Linda Kelsey stayed at home to raise their five children: Sally, Pat, Katie, Walt (sometimes known as Mike), and Mary. There are 23 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren in the family.

4. The Hall of Famers: Kelsey’s two siblings and brother-in-law are in the Northern Kentucky Hall of Fame for their basketball achievements. Walt Kelsey scored 50 points against Indianapolis in 2004 and is the seventh-leading scorer in school history; Kelsey’s sister, Katie, is the all-time assists leader at Northern Kentucky; and her husband, Paul Cluxton, has over 1,400 career points, is the No. 2 all-time free-throw percentage shooter in NCAA Division II history, and made 94 of 94 free throws in 1997.

5. Wife and children: Kelsey and Lisa have three children: Ruthie, Caroline, and Johnny (11).