Mar 5, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey reacts during the second half against the California Golden Bears at KFC Yum! Center. Louisville defeated California 85-68. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Louisville's Pat Kelsey Earns Automatic One-Year Extension

Originally posted on Louisville Cardinals on SI
By Matthew McGavic | Last updated Mar 16, 2025 6:15 PM ET

It's a big day for the Louisville men's basketball program.

The field for the 2025 NCAA Tournament is now set, and the Cardinals (27-7, 18-2 ACC) have officially punched their ticket back to the Big Dance. It's Louisville's first appearance in the NCAAs since 2019, snapping a five-year skid of missing the postseason.

It's also a big day for their first-year head coach, Pat Kelsey.

For guiding the Cardinals to the NCAA Tournament within the first three years of his tenure at UofL, Kelsey has earned an automatic one-year extension to his current deal with Louisville. Initially signing a five-year deal last March, he's now under contract through the end of the 2029-30 season, earning a base salary of $2.3 million per year.

Kelsey also has the potential to earn a lot of money in performance-based incentives. He's already earned a $25,000 bonus for earning ACC Coach of the Year, and should he be named the National Coach of the Year (AP, NABC or Naismith), that's another $50,000.

He's also earned - at minimum - another $50,000 for making the tournament, but this particular bonus has the chance to increase up to ten-fold. He's get $100,000 for reaching the Round of 32, $150,000 for making the Sweet Sixteen, $200,000 for cracking the Elite Eight, $250,000 for getting to the Final Four and $500,00 for winning the national championship. The increases are non-cumulative and are based on highest threshold met.

Kelsey's first year at the helm has been nothing short of a spectacular success, and has been one of the great storylines in college basketball this season. The 19-win turnaround from last season's 8-24 team is not only the best in program history, it's second only to 2021-22 Iowa State's 20-game turnaround for the best in the history of men's college basketball.

Eighth-seeded Louisville is set to begin their NCAA Tournament run against No. 9 Creighton on Thursday, Mar. 20 from Rupp Arena.

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