NCAAM teams
Myron Medcalf, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

David Padgett understands the challenge ahead at Louisville

Men's College Basketball, Louisville Cardinals

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- As he approached the dais on Friday, Louisville acting head coach David Padgett stared at the microphone below and lowered his head.

"I knew this would be a problem," he said about the height of the podium.

A joke in the middle of a blizzard.

But Padgett understands the task ahead.

He's charged with leading Louisville through the immediate, uncertain future after the removal of Rick Pitino, the central figure in the program's alleged involvement in a corruption scandal that has rocked college basketball.

Four assistant coaches at four separate Division I programs and an Adidas official were arrested on Tuesday in a recruiting scandal. Pitino, ABC News confirmed, is the "Coach-2" who, according to court records, requested $100,000 be funneled to the family of recruit Brian Bowen before his commitment to the Cardinals. Bowen has been suspended from all team activities.

It's a daunting feat for a 32-year-old head coach who will lead a top-10 team in 2017-18.

"It's gonna be a challenge," Padgett said on Friday. "No question about it."

He's faced scrutiny throughout his career.

Padgett, a Reno, Nevada, native, played with future pros Kris Humphries and Shannon Brown on the west roster for the 2003 McDonald's All-American game before signing with Kansas.

During the 2003-04 season with the Jayhawks, he averaged 6.5 points per game, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. Kansas reached the Elite Eight that year, but Padgett transferred to Louisville after the season.

He missed Louisville's run to the Final Four in 2005, while sitting out a year because of NCAA transfer roles, but he contributed during a three-year stretch with the Cardinals from 2005-08. He averaged 11.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game during his senior season.

After two years overseas, Padgett returned to the United States and served a three-year stint as an assistant with IUPUI before joining Pitino's squad as a director of basketball operations in 2014 and eventually becoming an assistant.

The married father of two has risen quickly but even steeped in scandal, Louisville is still a powerhouse program that could have chased other coaches with more experience.

Padgett, however, had the support of the team.

"We thought Coach Padgett would be a good fit for us for multiple reasons," Anas Mahmoud said Friday. "He always talked to me about how to get better as a center. He played for [Pitino], and he knew the system. ... I wouldn't be where I am right now without him."

Added Quentin Snider: "Basically, everybody is just comfortable with him."

During the news conference on Friday, Padgett did not run from questions about his ties to Pitino or Andy Miller, the prominent NBA agent tied to the FBI's investigation that preceded this corruption scandal.

He demonstrated great poise and patience, which are qualities he will need to navigate the 2017-18 season.

Based on his limited experience, however, it's not possible to assume anything about Padgett's performance. This would be a grand task for anyone in the business.

And this is his first job as a head coach.

Still, he understands the game and the stage. And he's committed to helping Louisville survive a troubling period in the program's history.

"David is known by all as a hard worker," Louisville interim President Greg Postel said. "These are the kinds of things that will allow him to be extraordinary in this role."

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