Chris Mack Arrived to ZERO PLAYERS at USF, And His 323 Wins Say He's Already Got a Plan

Okay, so picture this: You get a new job, right? You walk in, ready to conquer, and then BAM! Your office is empty. Like, totally, absolutely empty. That’s what happened to Chris Mack when he rolled into the University of South Florida as the new men’s basketball coach on March 25. He got handed a team, sure, but the roster? Zero players. Zip. Nada. Not one dude from the American Conference championship squad that went 25-9 last season stuck around. They were either out of eligibility or hit the Transfer Portal. Wild, right?

The Empty Court Stare Down

Mack, coming over from the College of Charleston, wasn't fazed, though. He told "Green, Gold and Bold" that he had a team meeting on his first day with maybe five or six guys, but he wasn't expecting anyone to come back. He knows the drill: players often choose the coach now. He worked with those guys for a week or so, saying they were all great kids. You gotta respect that calm, knowing perspective. When the reporter showed up at the Muma Center, Mack was already at the door, cool as you like, even sharing Cincinnati stories. No panic, just a guy ready to work.

Building a Roster in Warp Speed

And work he did, my friend. Mack and his staff didn't just sit around. The Transfer Portal takes, but it also gives. In what sounds like record time, they brought in 12 new players from the portal and snagged three high school freshmen. Talk about a rapid rebuild! This isn't just random pickups, either. They've got serious size with 6-foot-10 Zayden High from North Carolina and 7-foot Tiefing Diawara from Syracuse. The guard play looks set with senior Sonny Wilson from Toledo, Chris Davis Jr., who played for Mack at Charleston last year, and grad student Mike James, from Louisville, NC State, and Vanderbilt. Mack wants to build a program that keeps players, not one with wholesale changes every year. His crew went hard, identifying the types of players they wanted, building a roster with a good mix: three seniors, one grad student, three juniors, four sophomores, and four freshmen, including redshirt freshman Diawara. Smart move for long-term retention.

A Home Run Hire With a Star on the Mend

But wait, there's more! USF fans definitely know the name Joshua Lewis. He’s the son of USF Hall of Famer Fred Lewis. Joshua, a four-star recruit, was having a solid freshman year at Louisiana before a torn patella tendon sidelined him in January. Mack is confident Lewis will be cleared full go by September or October, just in time for the season. This guy is a proven winner, plain and simple. Mack’s resume is stacked: a career record of 323-153 across 15 seasons coaching at Xavier, Louisville, and the College of Charleston. That includes nine NCAA Tournament appearances, four Sweet 16s, and one Elite Eight. USF has a history of making great hires, and Mack's arrival follows Amir Abdur-Rahim and Bryan Hodgson, who made big impacts. This isn’t just a coach, this is a teacher and communicator who knows how to win. Get ready, Bulls fans, this dude means business!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.