David Padgett will replace Rick Pitino as the Louisville Cardinals head coach, at least for the upcoming season. The 32-year old Cards assistant is stepping into his first head coaching job after spending the last three years on Pitino’s staff.
The news comes just days after Pitino and athletic director Tom Jurich were placed on indefinite leave, though all indications are that neither will be returning to the program.
Padgett, a native of Reno, Nevada, is a former Cardinals’ player and also spent time as an assistant coach at IUPUI after a short professional career in Spain.
The situation within the program is very much up in the air, as prized recruits have distanced themselves and a criminal investigation looms overhead. Pagdett’s job will be to right the ship and navigate through what will surely be an interesting and trying 2017-18 season for the Cardinals.
