The Louisville Cardinals have given us all so much to be thankful for

Vince Tyra

To  pile on, hall of fame men’s basketball coach had been fired and the basketball program was left with a skeleton coaching staff as many of the people involved in the FBI probe had been let go. However, there was one man who would reassure the fan base that UofL athletics would be in good hands.

That man was the son of former Louisville great Charlie Tyra. Vince Tyra was the new captain of the ship and it would not be long until UofL athletics would start to get back on track. Vince would first make his mark by hiring a new basketball coach that would navigate the program out of the dark cloud that had covered it for the past three years.

He had his eye on Chris Mack while he was at Xavier and nailed it by announcing him as the new basketball coach in the spring. This was a monumental win for Tyra, as it felt like the basketball program now had a sense of direction.

Recently, Tyra had turned his attention to the football program. The team was 2-8 heading into the game with NC State and it was not even a week leading up to the game that Vince took action. Bobby Petrino was fired on that Sunday leading up to NC State.

This sent a clear message to the fans that it was time for Louisville football to return to its national prominence it had achieved two years ago. Tyra has shown confidence in his ability to lead and take the program to new heights even after all had seemed lost, and for that I am thankful.

Presley Meyer (@meyer_Presley): 

This thanksgiving, I’m thankful for losses. It has been a challenging year, and often times in the past, Louisville sports were the only place I could go to seek refuge from the brutal blows life dished out. This year was different. We lost Tom, we lost Rick, we lost Bobby, and so many others- and we lost a LOT of games.

In all sports. For the first time in my life, I’ve embraced the culture and what it truly means to be a Cardinal. Now, the wins, on and off the court, will be that much sweeter in the future. I’m thankful that loss has taught me to not take anything in life for granted- friendships, family, relationships, health, hobbies, and material objects are not meant to last forever. But the wins in life, they are that much better.

Ross Prophater (@rosspro):

I’m thankful for all the great facilities that our Cardinal student athletes and fans alike have to enjoy and take advantage of. They’re some of the very best in the country. Previous AD Tom Jurich and his vision of committing to excellence across the board in all sports is truly something that sets the UofL athletic department apart from it’s peers.

New AD Vince Tyra seems like-minded in continuing that commitment. That means great coaches will continue to lead our Cardinal sports; the best student athletes donning the Cardinal name; more wins and great seasons to cheer for; countless Cardinal memories yet to be had! I’m thankful it’s always a great day to be a Cardinal! – GO CARDS!