The Louisville men’s basketball team beat in-state rival Kentucky on Tuesday night for the first time in more than four years, and Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey celebrated so hard he was left with a nasty injury.
Louisville, the No. 12 team in the country, snapped their losing streak against No. 9 Kentucky with a 96-88 win at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. The win was the first for the Cardinals over Kentucky since Dec. 26, 2020. It was also the first time Louisville has beaten Kentucky when the Wildcats were nationally ranked since Dec. 21, 2016.
Following the game, Kelsey arrived at his press conference with two fingers on his right hand heavily bandaged. He sheepishly explained what happened.
“I don’t know if it’s broken, but I dislocated my finger,” Kelsey said. “It was (facing) 90 degrees. Doc was right there and he came over and yanked that sucker back into place. I tell our guys all the time, rub a little dirt on it.”
Kelsey said the injury occurred during a postgame celebration in Louisville’s practice gym. He said players began chasing him when he walked into the room, so he was trying to outrun them. Kelsey explained that he was trying to run through a curtain that separates two of the courts when his finger got caught.
Pat Kelsey dislocated his finger celebrating the Kentucky win 😳
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) November 12, 2025
“I tell my guys all the time, just rub a little dirt on it” 😂pic.twitter.com/VbDDVk8aBi
Kelsey added that he had “so much adrenaline going on in my body” that he barely felt anything when the team doctor popped his finger back into place. The coach was fully amped up at that point after celebrating with players and Louisville students.
Pat Kelsey is currently in the student section, high-fiving every student he can reach. First Louisville win in the series in five years, huge moment for the fan base.
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) November 12, 2025
Louisville improved to 3-0 with the win. Kelsey went 27-8 in his first season as head coach of the Cardinals last year, which ended with an early NCAA Tournament exit. Louisville looks like a vastly improved team in their second year under Kelsey.
We have seen far worse celebration injuries over the years, and fortunately Kelsey’s will not impact his ability to coach.
