Debbie Yow has been clear about her approach to hiring coaches: she looks for coaches who have done more with less, and for coaches who have a reputation for recruiting well. In general, this has paid off well for the athletics department.
Kevin Keatts checks both those boxes, and his time at Louisville as an assistant was probably the reason he landed the NC State job ahead of VCU’s Will Wade. Wade has a solid resume, but has never worked as an assistant at the high-major level, which adds another layer of uncertainty to his prospects.
Keatts, meanwhile, has had demonstrable influence in recruiting for Louisville thanks to, among other things, his connection to Hargrave Military Academy.