The Louisville Cardinals and Kentucky Wildcats have one of the fiercest rivalries in college basketball, and that will continue no matter who the coaches are.

However, recently, the Cardinals hired former Xavier coach Chris Mack to become their new full-time head coach, and he’s ready to dive headfirst into his new rivalry.

He said the Cardinals will focus on the big picture, but added that he knows the importance of the Kentucky game, promising Louisville will be ready for that rivalry matchup in Louisville:

Since 2009, Kentucky is 9-2 against the Cardinals, so Mack needs to change that if he wants to win fan favor.

However, with the way the Wildcats have been recruiting lately, Mack has his work cut out for him if he wants to take command of the rivalry.