Courtesy of GoXavier.com
CINCINNATI – Xavier University Director of Athletics Greg Christopher announced today that the contract of Sedler Family Men’s Head Basketball Coach Chris Mack has been extended by a year through the 2021-22 season. Mack, Xavier’s first-ever National Coach of the Year, was selected as the 2015-16 USBWA Henry Iba National Coach of the Year as well as the CBS Sports and Basketball Times magazine National Coach of the Year. In addition, Mack earned BIG EAST Conference Coach of the Year by CBS Sports and Bleacher Report.
“With a 28-win season, there is plenty to celebrate and the future looks even brighter,” said Christopher. “A big reason for our optimism is that we have the right leadership. Chris is the right leader for Xavier. Chris and his staff had this team in the top 10 in the country and competed to the end for the BIG EAST Championship. This season proved what we all knew, that if you can compete for a BIG EAST Championship, you can win a National Championship. That is our goal. Chris, our staff and I have talked extensively about what our needs are to achieve those lofty goals. We are constantly evaluating every aspect of the department and program. We all want to enhance our student-athlete experience and give ourselves the best opportunity to earn a championship.”
Xavier, 28-6 overall this past season, finished 14-4 and in second place behind eventual National Champion Villanova in the BIG EAST Conference. Xavier’s 28 wins tied for the second-most wins in school history and the 14 BIG EAST wins are a school record as is the final Associated Press Poll ranking of No. 9.
“We are proud of what this team achieved this season but are not satisfied,” said Mack. “We have lofty goals for our basketball program. Xavier is a special place and the support from the entire Xavier Community and my hometown of Cincinnati is overwhelming. I am excited about the future of our program.”
Mack, who recently completed his seventh season at the helm, has led Xavier to six NCAA Tournaments, including three Sweet 16 appearances. Mack, who led Xavier to a school-record final Associated Press ranking of No. 9 this past season, led Xavier to its highest-ever in-season national rankings at No. 5 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 4 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
Mack, 46, has recorded a 162-77 (.678) mark over seven years and stands second on Xavier’s all-time wins list. He has led Xavier to the NCAA Tournament in six of his seven seasons at the helm, including the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2010, 2012 and 2015. He is the only Xavier head coach that has led XU to three Sweet 16s and he has more NCAA Tournament wins (7) than any XU head coach.
At his current pace of 23.1 wins per season, Mack will shatter his alma mater’s all-time wins record long before the end of this new agreement.
Mack, a 1992 Xavier graduate and former two-time XU team captain, began his collegiate coaching career as the Xavier Director of Basketball operations for two seasons, 1999-2001, under the late Skip Prosser. Mack spent five seasons, 2004-09, as the top assistant under Sean Miller, the man he eventually replaced to become head coach in 2009.
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