He is replacing longtime coach Rick Pitino amid a national federal investigation into the corruption of college basketball. The probe has cast a shadow over the Cardinals program. Then there's the scrutiny the former Pitino assistant faces as a first-time coach of one of the sport's marquee programs heading into the No. 16 Cardinals' season opener Sunday against George Mason.
A loss, though, could raise more questions as to whether the 32-year-old is the right man to guide Louisville — even on an interim basis — as the university navigates its way through another scandal.