Details emerge on Louisville plans for basketball head coaching search

The Louisville Cardinals made a rare mid-season decision regarding a head coach, firing Chris Mack. A mixture of problems brewing from within the team and poor results on the court led to the decision as Louisville now looks for a new leader of the program.

As the coaching search gets going, the Cardinals will be using outside help for aid, the school announced. Louisville has “engaged the services” of DHR to help them find a new basketball head coach.

Interim Athletic Director Josh Heird released a statement on Monday regarding the situation. He said the goal is to hire the correct coach to lead the Cardinals back to glory.

“Identifying the right coach to lead our premier college basketball program is my focus,” said Heird. “With the assistance of DHR, which has extensive experience in the athletics search space, we will conduct a comprehensive, inclusive and expeditious search for the next head coach to lead our storied program.”

Glenn Sugiyama, Managing Partner, Global Sports Practice for DHR, will be the lead for DHR in the search. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Chicago Bulls and coached Division I basketball as well.

“I am honored to help Josh and the University of Louisville in their search for a new head men’s basketball coach,” said Sugiyama. “The University has a rich tradition of athletics’ excellence and a storied basketball program, and I respect the importance of this search for the program, students and alumni.”

Louisville Cardinals forward serving suspension

Louisville basketball big man Malik Williams will serve an indefinite suspension, Cardinals interim coach Mike Pegues said on his radio show. Pegues claimed that Williams “hasn’t met the Louisville’s standard” at multiple times throughout the year.

“Now that I’m the interim head coach, I feel like it’s my duty and responsibility to maintain the character and the integrity in our locker room,” Pegues said. “When and if Malik decides he wants to partake in that, he will be welcomed back with open arms.”

A fifth-year senior, Williams has started 19 of the 20 games he has played in this season at center. He leads Louisville in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 10 points and 8.7 boards per contest.

It has been a rough past week for the Cardinals, who parted ways with coach Chris Mack on Wednesday. Mack, 52, said several times over the past month that he was having trouble getting through to his team, at one point saying that “this team has been impossible for us to figure out.”