In March 2024, Louisville basketball's program changed forever after Josh Heird and the Cardinals hired head coach Pat Kelsey. The hiring of Kelsey sparked this program that it desperately needed, and it was the culture that changed the historic program required.
Kelsey is known for his high energy and being a players' coach who the team loves to play for. After just one season with Louisville, the program, fans, and the nation saw the type of impact Kelsey can have on this program and the importance of the culture he brought to Louisville.
In a recent interview with CBS Sports, Jon Rothstein, Kelsey finally revealed where he got his inspiration from when it comes to his culture, and how he was able to bring it from Charleston to Louisville.
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Pat Kelsey reveals the importance of his culture
Kelsey explained that culture is a thing that has stuck with him since he was a kid. He stated he remembers what he was taught from playing sports growing up, from inspirational figures in his life, camps, and more.
However, the biggest inspiration for the culture he runs at Louisville, he revealed, he stole from Hall of Fame coach and college basketball legend, Jay Wright.
"In terms of that motto of having the No. 1 culture in the country, I stole that from Coach Wright, Jay Wright," Kelsey stated to Rothstein. "Somebody asked him after winning multiple National Championships if the goal was to win a National Championship again, and he said, 'Our goal is simply to fight every single day to try to have the best culture in the country, ' and all that is a consistent approach to excellence in the process. You hear the word process so much, but when that happens, the good results, the results that you want, usually take care of themselves."
Kelsey made it clear in year one and this offseason that his motto is one day at a time. He preaches not to get too far ahead or listen to the media. Players are being asked about the schedule right now, and every single player has the same answer: their No. 1 focus is the next practice, and that is the culture Kelsey is bringing to Louisville.
The Cardinals made their first NCAA Tournament in over five years and are now hoping to earn their first NCAA Tournament win since Donovan Mitchell was here back in 2017.
In Wright's 18 years as head coach, he made four Final Four appearances, won two National Championships, won the Naismith Coach of the Year twice, and earned 642 wins as a college basketball head coach. So, Kelsey "stealing" the culture from the Hall of Famer is quite alright with Louisville fans, as now they hope he can go on to have a similar run at Louisville like Wright had at Villanova.
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For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.