Who Will Be Louisville’s Next Head Coach?

For the first time since 2001, a coach not named Rick Pitino will be guiding the Louisville men’s basketball team. After the recent bribery scandal hit the headlines, Pitino was put on unpaid leave and has been effectively fired.

Interim university president Gregory Postel said in a news conference Wednesday that the program would name a new head coach within the following 48 hours.

Of course, this has generated plenty of speculation as to who this will be. As much as Louisville’s program will be under a microscope for the foreseeable future, it is still an attractive job to many coaches.

The top name being batted around by pundits is Tom Crean. The former Indiana head coach was let go this past offseason following a disappointing 18-16 record. Crean is known for being a great recruiter and has proven to excel taking over programs in a difficult state, which could be a major plus considering the potential lion’s den he could be entering. On top of that, Louisville would not have to deal with Crean being under contract, which means they could sign him quickly.

Oddly enough, though, online books don’t have Crean listed specifically to land the job. However, Sportsbook has the field as a major +175 favorite.

The top coach being listed by name at the book is Mick Cronin. Cronin worked under Pitino as an assistant with Louisville from 2001 to 2003. The head coach has thrived during his tenure with Cincinnati, with the program making the NCAA Tournament in each of the past seven seasons. Though Cronin has a connection to the school and is a fantastic coach, I’m personally unsure if Louisville would want any connection whatsoever to Pitino.

Who Will Be Louisville’s Next Head Coach?
  • Field +175
  • Mick Cronin +600
  • Buzz Williams +800
  • Chris Mack +800
  • Andy Enfield +1000
  • Kermit Davis +1000
  • Shaka Smart +1000
  • Fred Hoiberg +1200
  • Gregg Marshall +1200
  • Steve Wojciechowski +1400
Odds as of September 27 at Sportsbook
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