(WXIX)LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Chris Mack says he understands he has big shoes to fill as Louisville's new men's basketball coach.
Mack praised former Cardinals coaches Denny Crum and Rick Pitino during a news conference Wednesday in Louisville's KFC Yum! Center home arena. His hiring was unanimously approved by the University of Louisville Athletic Association and the Board of Trustees after reports Tuesday Louisville had settled on Mack to lead the program .
The move officially marks the beginning of a new chapter after several scandal-marred seasons featuring a federal investigation , sex scandal and two absences from the NCAA Tournament
The 48-year-old Ohio native takes over a team that went 22-14 under interim coach David Padgett during a turbulent season in which Louisville became part of a federal corruption probe and missed the NCAA Tournament. Padgett had replaced Pitino, who was fired for cause by the ULAA in October in the investigation's aftermath.
By GARY B. GRAVES
AP Sports Writer
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