Biography & Early Wealth Journey

That triggered an automatic extension in Kelsey's contract. He'll receive another year on his deal (which now runs through 2030) and a bonus worth at least $50,000. Kelsey also received a $25,000 bonus for winning ACC Coach of the Year. Yet, in terms of salary, he's still being paid less than Payne, the man he replaced—who is currently an associate coach at Arkansas under John Calipari.

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Kelsey won more games as a first-year coach than anyone else in Louisville's history. He built the team from the ground up, as Payne's entire roster entered the transfer portal before this season started. Kelsey's staff will get a nice bonus, too; he'll get $125,000 to share among them.

Primary Income Streams & Multi-Million Contracts

This season, Kelsey is getting paid $2,367,418 in salary. By comparison, Payne made a base salary of $3.35 million. As part of his buyout, he's receiving monthly payments of $201,388.88 through March 31, 2027.

That means Payne is making $2,416,666.56 this season from Louisville. His "salary" is higher than what Kelsey received. Luckily, Kelsey has a chance to earn some more money in bonuses.

If Louisville wins its first-round game, Kelsey will earn $100,000. Each subsequent victory will add $50,000 to the bonus, while winning the national championship will be a $500,000 bonus. If the Cards go all the way, Kelsey will get an extra $1.2 million. That would put some distance between him and Payne.

The Cardinals take on the Creighton Bluejays in the 8-9 matchup. The game is the very first one of March Madness. It's a tough contest for Louisville, but this surely won't be the last time we see the Cardinals in the big dance. What an impressive turnaround.

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