South Florida has hired Chris Mack as men’s basketball head coach.
Mack has worked the past two seasons at College of Charleston. Prior to that, he was head coach at Louisville and Xavier.
In 15 seasons as head coach, Mack has a career record of 323-153 (.679).
Here is an excerpt from the USF announcement:
TAMPA, MARCH 25, 2026 – University of South Florida CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins has named 2016 national coach of the year Chris Mack as the 13th head coach of the Bulls men’s basketball program.
Mack, who led Xavier and Louisville to the NCAA Tournament, comes to South Florida after posting a pair of 20-win seasons at the College of Charleston. He brings a 323-153 (.679) career record to Tampa 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).
“Bulls basketball has incredible momentum, and we’ve found an outstanding coach and leader to elevate our program to the next level,” Higgins said. “Chris Mack has reached 20 or more wins in 12 of his 15 seasons as a head coach and guided teams to nine NCAA Tournaments, including several Sweet 16s and an Elite Eight. He brings elite experience in roster building through the portal and transforming programs in a short time frame. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Chris and his family to Bulls Nation. With Chris and Kristy (Curry) leading our men’s and women’s programs, Tampa Bay’s Home for Hoops will be rocking and poised for an incredibly bright future.”
Mack, 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, 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.
“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,” Mack said. “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.”
Mack comes 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.
