The NCAA Tournament field is set, and fewer schools have had a better turnaround than the Louisville Cardinals. A year ago, the Cardinals were a mess. They had finished last in the ACC for the second season in a row and were 12-52 during that timeframe. Louisville knew a change needed to happen, so they dropped head coach Kenny Payne in favor of Pat Kelsey.
Almost immediately, the Cardinals' fortunes reversed. The team finished 27-7 and won 18 conference games, good enough for second in the ACC. Louisville also reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
That triggered an automatic extension in Kelsey's contract. He'll receive another year on his deal (which now runs through 2030) and a bonus worth at least $50,000. Kelsey also received a $25,000 bonus for winning ACC Coach of the Year. Yet, in terms of salary, he's still being paid less than Payne, the man he replaced—who is currently an associate coach at Arkansas under John Calipari.
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Kelsey won more games as a first-year coach than anyone else in Louisville's history. He built the team from the ground up, as Payne's entire roster entered the transfer portal before this season started. Kelsey's staff will get a nice bonus, too; he'll get $125,000 to share among them.
This season, Kelsey is getting paid $2,367,418 in salary. By comparison, Payne made a base salary of $3.35 million. As part of his buyout, he's receiving monthly payments of $201,388.88 through March 31, 2027.
That means Payne is making $2,416,666.56 this season from Louisville. His "salary" is higher than what Kelsey received. Luckily, Kelsey has a chance to earn some more money in bonuses.
If Louisville wins its first-round game, Kelsey will earn $100,000. Each subsequent victory will add $50,000 to the bonus, while winning the national championship will be a $500,000 bonus. If the Cards go all the way, Kelsey will get an extra $1.2 million. That would put some distance between him and Payne.
The Cardinals take on the Creighton Bluejays in the 8-9 matchup. The game is the very first one of March Madness. It's a tough contest for Louisville, but this surely won't be the last time we see the Cardinals in the big dance. What an impressive turnaround.
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