LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Open the basement door to Chris Mack's home and you'll glimpse a large framed picture covering one of the walls along the stairs. The photograph depicts the locker room celebration following the Louisville Cardinals' late November win over Michigan State.
Further into the basement, between the pool table and a Ms. Pac-Man arcade game, you'll find another wall-sized photo -- this one of a sold-out KFC Yum! Center. Sitting in the shadow of the image are six Louisville Cardinals bar stools. Mack has been the head coach at Louisville for just nine months but has made the job his own very quickly -- and Louisville's victory over Michigan State cemented it.