Chris Mack Appointed Head Basketball Coach at South Florida

University of South Florida athletics chief Rob Higgins has hired Chris Mack as the 13th head coach of the men’s basketball program. The move was announced on March 25, 2026.

Coaching résumé and achievements

Mack arrives in Tampa with a 323-153 (.679) record across 15 seasons as a head coach. His stops include Xavier (2009–18), Louisville (2018–22) and College of Charleston (2024–26).

He has produced 12 seasons of 20 or more wins. His teams have reached the NCAA Tournament nine times, compiling an 11-9 tournament record. Mack also led squads to four Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight run.

Awards and milestones

• 2016 Henry Iba Award as national coach of the year.
• 2018 Big East Coach of the Year.
• 2011 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year.
• 2011 Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award recipient.
• Named Basketball Times Rookie Coach of the Year in 2009–10.
• One of 19 coaches to reach a No. 1 ranking within their first two years at a school.

Recent seasons and signature campaigns

Mack spent the last two seasons at the College of Charleston. His first season there finished 24-9 with a 13-5 record in the Coastal Athletic Association.

The following year the Cougars went 21-11 and 14-4 in conference play, finishing second in 2025–26.

At Louisville, Mack guided the Cardinals to a 24-7 overall mark and a 15-5 ACC record in 2019–20. Louisville reached Top 15 status and held the No. 1 ranking for two weeks that season. The team could not play a postseason due to the COVID-19 shutdown.

During his nine seasons at Xavier, Mack compiled a 215-97 record. Xavier made eight NCAA Tournament appearances under his leadership. The 2016–17 Musketeers reached the Elite Eight, and the 2017–18 team earned Xavier’s first No. 1 NCAA seed.

Notable NCAA Tournament run

In 2017, Xavier beat Maryland, Florida State and Arizona to reach the Elite Eight. The run ended with a loss to No. 1 Gonzaga. That season helped cement Mack’s reputation for postseason performance.

Background and coaching development

Before becoming a head coach, Mack spent a decade as an assistant and operations director. He worked under Skip Prosser at Xavier, served on Wake Forest’s staff, and was an assistant for Sean Miller at Xavier.

Teams he served produced a combined 229-96 record during that span. Those squads won multiple regular-season titles and made several NCAA appearances.

Playing career and personal life

Mack graduated from Xavier in 1992 with a degree in Communication Arts. He was a two-time team captain and played under coach Pete Gillen.

He also played two seasons at Evansville, where he helped win a 1989 conference title and an NCAA Tournament berth. He and his wife, Christi, have three children: Lainee, Hailee and Brayden.

The university emphasized Mack’s roster-building experience through the transfer portal. Higgins said Mack’s background fits South Florida’s trajectory and ambitions.

The announcement, framed in some outlets as Chris Mack Appointed Head Basketball Coach at South Florida, signals a new era for Bulls basketball. Filmogaz.com reported the hiring on March 25, 2026.