Years In Coaching: 16th season
Years at USF: 1st
Alma Mater: Bachelor’s degree – Xavier, 1992
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Family: Wife: Christi; Children: Lainee, Hailee & Brayden
NOTABLE:
• 2016 Henry Iba Award (USBWA National Coach of the Year)
• 12 20-win seasons in 15 years as a head coach
• Owns a nearly 68% winning percentage
• Nine NCAA Tournament appearances, including four Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight. Owns an 11-9 record in NCAA Tournament games.
• Led Louisville to No. 1 AP Poll ranking and Xavier to No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• Coach 10 players that went on to play in the NBA.
• His 259 victories in his first 11 seasons are the 12th most of any college coach in that time span.
• Part of 19 NCAA Tournament appearances as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
• One of just 19 coaches in college basketball history to lead their team to a No. 1 ranking within the first two years leading a program.
• All-time men’s basketball coaching wins leader at Xavier
COACHING HONORS
2016 Henry Iba Award (USBWA National Coach of the Year)
2018 Big East Coach of the Year (Xavier)
2018 NABC District 5 Coach of the Year (Xavier)
2011 Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award
2011 Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the year
2009-10 Basketball Times Rookie Coach of the Year
NCAA Tournament Experience as a Coach (9)
2019 NCAA Tournament – Round of 64 (Louisville)
2018 NCAA Tournament – Round of 32 (Xavier)
2017 NCAA Tournament – Elite Eight (Xavier)
2016 NCAA Tournament – Round of 32 (Xavier)
2015 NCAA Tournament – Sweet 16 (Xavier)
2014 NCAA Tournament – First Four (Xavier)
2012 NCAA Tournament – Sweet 16 (Xavier)
2011 NCAA Tournament – Round of 64 (Xavier)
2010 NCAA Tournament – Sweet 16 (Xavier)
Conference Championships as a Coach (3)
2018 Big East Regular Season Champions (Xavier)
2011 A-10 Regular Season Champions (Xavier)
2010 A-10 Regular Season Champions (Xavier)
Chris Mack was named the 13th head coach of University of South Florida men’s basketball by CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins on March 25, 2026. The 2016 national coach of the year, Mack brought more than 300 wins and a nearly 68 percent career winning percentage to Tampa.
In front of an overflow crowd at his South Florida introduction, Mack outlined four foundational principles his program will teach: 1) physical and mental toughness, 2) resiliency, 3) unity, and 4) bringing energy and passion every day.
"If you can't be an every day guy, you can't be a Bull," Mack said. "Some of the best players I've ever coached are also the best people. I thrive on every day guys. That means they bring the same effort, the same attitude, the same energy every single day. They may not ring the same result every day, but they're going to bring the same effort, attitude and energy. You win with those types of guys all day, every day."
Mack, who led Xavier and Louisville to the NCAA Tournament, came to South Florida after posting a pair of 20-win seasons at the College of Charleston. He owns a career record of 323-153 (.679) across 15 seasons as a head coach with stops at Xavier (2009-18), Louisville (2018-22), and College of Charleston (2024-26).
Mack has posted 12 20-win seasons and led teams to nine NCAA Tournament appearances (posting an 11-9 record), including four Sweet 16 and one Elite Eight appearance with Xavier. He posted 259 victories in his first 11 seasons as a head coach, marking the 12th most amassed by a coach in that time frame. As a player, assistant coach, and head coach, Mack has been a part of 19 NCAA Tournament appearances. Teams Mack has led have achieved both a No. 1 Associated Press Poll ranking (Louisville) and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament (Xavier).
One of just 19 coaches in college basketball history to lead their team to a No. 1 ranking within the first two years at their school, Mack was named the 2016 Henry Iba Award winner as the national coach of the year selected by the United States Basketball Writers Association. He has twice been named a conference coach of the year, earning 2018 Big East Coach the Year and 2011 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honors, and has led teams to three conference regular-season championships. Mack was also named the winner of the 2011 Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award, given annually to an NCAA Division I men’s basketball head coach who not only achieves success on the basketball court, but displays moral integrity off the court as well.
Mack came to South Florida after two seasons leading the College of Charleston program. In his first season, he guided the Cougars to a 24-9 record and a 13-5 mark in the Coastal Athletic Association. He followed that with a 21-11 mark (14-4 CAA) and a second-place conference finish in 2025-26.
Mack guided Louisville to a 24-7 record and a 15-5 ACC mark in 2019-2020. It was the best overall record through 31 games for a Louisville team in six years and marked the most conference victories for the Cardinals in their first six years in the ACC. The Cards achieved a Top 15 ranking throughout the season, including two weeks as the nation's No. 1-ranked team in the AP and USA Today polls. No postseason was held that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his first season at Louisville (2018-19), Mack guided the Cardinals to a 20-14 record while facing the nation's fourth-toughest schedule and earned a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Picked to finish 11th in the ACC, Louisville achieved a 10-8 conference record and earned a tie for sixth in the final regular season standings. The Cardinals beat four Associated Press Top 25-ranked teams and reached No. 22 in the nation in the NCAA's NET rankings. Louisville ranked among the nation's top 30 teams in both offensive (27th) and defensive efficiency (24th).
Mack spent nine seasons as the head coach at Xavier, guiding the Musketeers to a 215-97 record and eight NCAA Tournament appearances, including reaching the Sweet 16 on four occasions (2010, 2012, 2015, 2017) and the Elite Eight in 2017. His teams won or shared three conference regular season championships while compiling a 105-49 (68.1%) league record over five seasons in the Big East and four in the Atlantic 10.
His 2017-18 squad achieved a 29-6 record, won Xavier's first-ever Big East Conference regular season championship, and earned the school's first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Mack was honored as the 2018 Big East Coach of the Year and NABC District 5 Coach of the Year as he became the all-time coaching wins leader in Xavier men’s basketball history.
His 2016-17 Xavier team made an NCAA Tournament run to the Elite Eight after earning a No. 11 seed. The Musketeers defeated No. 6 seed Maryland, No. 3 Florida State and No. 2 Arizona before falling to No. 1 seed Gonzaga in the Elite Eight.
Mack was named the 2010-11 Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year in his second year as a head coach, as he led the Musketeers to a 15-1 conference record and top-20 national ranking. He also earned the Skip Prosser Man of the Year award that season.
He was named the 2009-10 Basketball Times Rookie Coach of the Year as he guided Xavier to a 26-9 record, a share of the Atlantic 10 regular-season championship and advancement to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
Before becoming a head coach, Mack was a part of successful staffs throughout his career. He spent five seasons as an assistant on Sean Miller's Xavier staff (2004-09) after serving on the staffs of the late Skip Prosser at Xavier, as director of basketball operations (1999-01), and at Wake Forest (2001-04), as an assistant coach.
In 10 seasons as an assistant or operations director, he helped his teams produce a 229-96 record (.705), win four regular-season conference titles and one conference tournament championship, secure eight NCAA Tournament appearances and make three Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight.
A 1992 Xavier graduate with a degree in Communication Arts, Mack was a two-time team captain as a player at Xavier under then-head coach Pete Gillen. His Xavier teams won an MCC regular season title and made an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1993. He also played two seasons at Evansville, helping the Purple Aces to a 1989 conference title and the NCAA Tournament.
Mack and his wife, Christi, have three children: Lainee, Hailee and Brayden.
Chris Mack Coaching Career
2026- Head Coach, South Florida
2024-2026 Head Coach, College of Charleston
2018-2022 Head Coach, University of Louisville
2009-2018 Head Coach, Xavier University
2004-2009 Assistant Coach, Xavier University
2001-2004 Assistant Coach, Wake Forest University
1999-2001 Assistant Coach, Xavier University
QUOTABLE
"Chris Mack is a winner, plain and simple. He is among the best teachers and communicators in the game, and his teams always fight together to win. Mack's teams are always tough, disciplined and gritty. USF hired an outstanding coach in Chris Mack."
- Jay Bilas, ESPN college basketball analyst
"Coach Mack brought a winning culture from day one. He pushed me every single day to grow as a player and a competitor. He played a major role in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a pro, and I'm a better player and person because of every moment I was coached by him. He's a perfect fit to lead USF, and I have no doubt he'll elevate the program and help them win at a high level both on and off the court."
- Jordan Nwora, played for Mack at Louisville
"There is a reason why Chris Mack has obtained conference championships, 1-seeds in the NCAA Tournament, an Elite Eight trip, four Sweet 16 trips and much more, and it starts with work ethic. He will bring a Tampa toughness to the area, an unrelenting will to win and an identity that will make the area proud of their Bulls. But what I love about Chris is that he relates to people. He can sit back and have a beverage to watch a game and talk to anybody. He treats everybody the same way and expects his young men to be the same way. Chris is a great father, husband and leader. USF delivered a slam dunk!"
- John Fanta, NBC Sports
"Chris Mack is the perfect leader for our next chapter. He has not only been where we are going, but he has also won where we are going. He's ready to lead us there. Coach Mack has an incredible resume, but you can't teach his relationships, his resilience, his desire, his work ethic, his collaborative spirit. His preparation and execution around the transfer portal stands out. His deep relationships with his players stand out. His ability to bring an elite staff and build a roster really quickly stands out. In short, Chris Mack stands out.''
- South Florida CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins
“I am truly excited for the opportunity to lead a South Florida basketball program that’s on an exceptional trajectory and to join a university and athletic department defined by strong leadership, shared aspirations, and tremendous alignment. The exceptional vision and commitment Rob outlined are inspiring, and I am grateful for his trust and belief in my leadership of Bulls basketball. I’m eager to connect with Bulls Nation, the students in the SoFlo Rodeo, and the passionate fans who make the Yuengling Center such a special home court.”
- South Florida Head Coach Chris Mack
