Elite College Basketball Coach Has Strong Words About NIL Landscape

College athletics has always been moneymaker for institutions, coaches, and the local businesses that operate in these different cities and towns across the country.

For decades upon decades, those were the only parties who were able to profit from what took place on the field, court, pool, gym, or any other venue where sports are played.

Then, the NCAA allowed student-athletes to make money on their own Name, Image and Likeness, completely changing the landscape and future of amateur athletics going forward.

Because of that, coaches across every sports program has had to adjust to this new aspect of their profession.

Whether NIL money is used in recruiting pitches, roster retention, funding for the program as a whole, or anything else that can come from businesses and school collectives spending money on athletes, it’s clear there is another element that has been added to how college programs have to operate.

Newly appointed Louisville men’s basketball coach Pat Kelsey knows that.

“You better, or it’s time to find a new line of work. I call it the advantage of new choice. In every single industry — and I’ve said this many times — but there are major shifts that happen in industries and people that resist, companies that resist, organizations that resist the adaptability and the change, you’re going to get run over, you’re going to get run out of business. So the advantage of new choice is you’ve gotta be willing to be adaptable. Adjust and run toward it,” he told Kent Spencer of WHAS11 in a sit down interview when discussing NIL and the transfer portal.

That certainly has to be music to the ears of Louisville fans who have seen their program fall from being considered a top program in the country to where they are now as a doormat of the ACC.

What he’s saying is right.

NIL is not going anywhere, and those who try to ignore it or look down upon it are going to be overmatched by those who do embrace it.

Kelsey is not going to let that happen to him.

This is the first big job in his career.

He got his initial head coaching job with Winthrop after being the associate head coach with Xavier from 2009-11. He stayed with Winthrop from 2012-21, turning that program into the winningest team in the Big South conference during his tenure and leaving with one of the most wins of all time.

Kelsey decided to leave and coach at the College of Charleston where he had similar success, going 75-27 in his three seasons there.

Louisville will be a much different job.

Not only does it come with internal pressure and expectations, but they also play within an elite conference facing many of the game’s best players on a weekly basis.

Embracing NIL will certainly help Kelsey rebuild the program quickly, landing some of the top talent across the country and being able to keep them there instead of seeing them hit the transfer portal for more lucrative opportunities.