Louisville men’s basketball head coach Pat Kelsey went out of his way to give a bizarre shout-out to his “hot wife” when he talked about how he and his team emotionally prepare for games.
Kelsey is in his first season as coach of the Cardinals after 12 years as a head coach at the secondary level.
In its first round in Kentucky’s most populous city, Louisville is at the end of a three-game stretch against Duke and then UTEP, with a final against in-state rivals the Kentucky Wildcats.
Kelsey was asked about the emotional challenges of preparing for a mid-major like UTEP, compared to blue-blood programs like Duke and Kentucky.
Not to mention, Duke is arguably the best team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the Wildcats are the Cardinals’ biggest rivals.
“We get some free sneakers and we wear tracksuits to work,” Kelsey said. ‘My children are healthy, my wife is beautiful, I have a pretty good life. We get to play college basketball. We get to play in the Yum! Center. We’re going to get ready for UTEP,” Kelsey said. “My father always said, ‘Daddy, do you have to go to work today?’ and he said, “Son, I have to go to work today.”
Louisville coach Pat Kelsey shouted out his “hot wife” during a press conference this week
Kelsey is in his first season as coach of the Cardinals after 12 years coaching mid-majors
Kelsey’s wife, Lisa, was by his side throughout his coaching career and the couple have three children: Ruthie, Caroline and Johnny.
Kelsey has not shied away from bringing up Lisa in the media in the past, including during his introductory press conference in March.
“You’re going to ask some questions about recruiting and stuff. Do you want to know if I can recruit? Meet my wife Lisa!’ Kelsey said. ‘The good news: I was her third choice and that turned out very well.’
Kelsey’s third-choice comment refers to Louisville looking to hire Scott Drew or Dusty May before settling on him.
Drew decided to stay at Baylor, while May opted to coach at Michigan instead after leading Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023.
Louisville is 6-4 after a loss to Duke and a 3-point win over UTEP.