Xavier to name Mack as coach

By SHANNON RUSSELL

CINCINNATI — Former Xavier University assistant Chris Mack has been tapped as the men’s basketball program’s new head coach, the university confirmed Tuesday afternoon.

Mack, 39, will be formally introduced at a 1 p.m. press conference today at Schmidt Hall on campus.

Although this will be Mack’s first collegiate head coaching job, he has an extensive history with the Musketeers’ program — as a five-year XU assistant,a former director of basketball operations, a Xavier graduate, and an XU player.

Mack was unavailable for comment but said in a release that he was “honored to be named the new head coach.”

“I have enjoyed being a part of our recent success and I am even more excited about Xavier’s potential for the future as we continue to solidify ourselves as one of the elite programs in all of college basketball,” Mack said.

Byron Larkin, Xavier radio broadcaster and former Musketeer player, called Mack a “great hire.”

Mack assisted late former Xavier coach Skip Prosser at Wake Forest for three seasons before returning to Xavier in 2004 to assist Sean Miller, and has paid his dues, Larkin said.

“He served under two very, ver successful head coaches. He was their right-hand man, their No. 1 guy, and he’s done everything from Xs and Os to recruiting and scout work,” Larkin said. “I’m especially excited because he’s a former player, he’s from here, and he has roots here.”

Mack replaces Miller, who accepted the Arizona head coaching job April 6.

Mack inherits a Xavier program that last season advanced to the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 and clinched a third straight Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season title.

Mack played for Xavier and was a two-time captain before graduating in 1992.

He was director of basketball operations at the school from 1999-2001, and spent three seasons at Wake Forest before returning to Xavier.

Xavier finished 27-8 last season before losing to Pittsburgh in the NCAA tournament. The Musketeers will lose only two players from that team to graduation.

The Musketeers have advanced to the round of eight twice in the past six years. They have won three straight Atlantic-10 regular season titles.