The basketball offseason is off to a rough start for Louisville coach Chris Mack.

Before he can hit the recruiting trail, he'll be on bedrest for a while after undergoing knee replacement surgery.

On Monday, Mack posted a photo of himself in a hospital bed on Twitter along with the caption, "In 1991 my physical therapist, Andy Lair, told me I’d eventually get a knee replacement from all my ACLs. I laughed, said that ain’t happening Andy. In 2019 Andy wins..."

Mack, 49, has torn his ACL three times (ouch) — twice in college at Xavier and once in a men's league game. He also tore his patellar tendon in 2012 as coach of the Musketeers while dunking at a practice.

It's been a painful road, but Mack used his injuries to motivate Louisville players after this season's heartbreaking loss to Duke.

“In life I think sometimes people only want to talk about who wins championships and all that stuff, but I think a lot of times those people are made through setbacks," he said, "and that’s what I tried to explain after the (Duke) game just because of what I went through as a college player."

Here's hoping hospital staff play "Return of the Mack" whenever the coach is fully recovered.

Danielle Lerner: 502-582-4042; dlerner@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @Danielle_Lerner. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/daniellel.