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Louisville Basketball: After 33 Years, Ray Ganong Will Retire a Cardinal

By Presley Meyer

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 19: Louisville Strength & Conditioning Coach Ray Ganong (R) cheers as the Louisville Cardinals take on the Michigan Wolverines in the second half during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 19: Louisville Strength & Conditioning Coach Ray Ganong (R) cheers as the Louisville Cardinals take on the Michigan Wolverines in the second half during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Ray Ganong, the Louisville basketball strength coach, and UofL employee for over three decades, will officially put down his chairs.

It is a bittersweet day for the University of Louisville basketball program. Long time Louisville Strength and Conditioning coach Ray Ganong will officially retire as a Cardinal.

Ganong, who was likely going to have to move on from the program after Chris Mack brought a good portion of his staff over from Xavier, will step down from the position that he held since the 90’s.

Prior to coaching on staff with Denny Crum, Ganong was hired for the same position under Howard Schnellenberger. When The Pipe left, Ganong filled a spot on Crum’s staff, and the rest is history.

Over his 33 years as a Cardinal, no one worked harder or was more beloved that Coach Ganong. Many players reported that it was impossible to beat him to the gym in the morning, as he would show up at 4 am, and greet players with a smile on his face.

It is rare that you will find a team where the fan base knows the strength coach by name. That could be a testament to the passion of Louisville fans, but it is probably more a credit to just how great, and likeable of a guy Ganong is. “I thought he was crazy, but when I got a chance to meet him, I just understood he was like that,” said former Card Trey Lewis. “He brings something to this team that everybody feeds off of.”

Ganong’s “crazy” antics involved him doing things like holding on to the team’s chairs that they use during time outs… for the entire game. And I don’t mean holding on to them like a normal person holds onto a chair, I mean holding onto them like Liam Neeson holds onto a bad guy who kidnapped his daughter in Taken. He would scream the entire game. The same things over and over… and over. He is the most passionate man in the building wherever he goes, and at times he could be the emotional backbone of the team.

Ganong was a part of some incredible times at Louisville. Whoever has to fill his shoes under Chris Mack is going to have an impossible task ahead of them.

Coach Ganong, you will be missed!

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