When speculation about who USF's new men's basketball coach would be, Chris Mack didn't show up on many, if any, lists.
But on Wednesday afternoon, he showed up on the most important one -- the list compiled by CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins. USF announced Mack has been hired to replace Brian Hodgson as the Bulls new coach.
Mack comes to South Florida after two seasons leading the College of Charleston. In his first season, he guided the Cougars to a 24-9 record and a 13-5 mark in the Coastal Athletic Association. They were 21-11 this season and finished second in the conference.
One of those losses was to USF 81-75 on December 10 at the Yuengling Center.
USF has hired Chris Mack. https://t.co/jG5cvLzCN0
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 25, 2026
"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."
He was 215-97 at Xavier, with eight berths in the NCAA tournament and an appearance in the Elite Eight in 2017. His final Musketeers squad won the Big East regular season championship with a 29-6 record and was named Big East Coach of the Year.
That attracted the attention of Louisville, who hired him to succeed the scandal-plagued Rick Pitino in 2018. It worked great at first -- he was 53-28 in his first three serasons. The Cardinals rose to No. 1 in the AP poll in 2019-20, but after a 6-8 start, the Athletic (pay site) reported he and Louisville "agreed to an amicable divorce" in 2022.
"Louisville paid Mack $4.8 million — $133,000 per month for the next three years — to, essentially, go away," The Athletic reported.
For the last two seasons, the College of Charleston paid him to coach. His success there put him on USF's radar.
"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."
The good news for USF is that Mack likely doesn't view this job as a stepping stone to a more renowned program.
He has experience successfully coaching at the highest levels of college basketball.
And, in keeping with how Higgins and USF operates in these decisions, the agreement didn't leak until it was sealed. That's the same way Higgins landed Brian Hartline as its football coach and Kristy Curry one day ago as its women's basketball coach.