University of Louisville Men's Basketball Head Coach Pat Kelsey announced Wednesday that it has added assistant coaches Brian Kroman, Ronnie Hamilton and Thomas Carr to its staff, as well as head strength and conditioning coach and chief of staff Eli Foy.
Kroman, Kerr and Foy join Kelce from the College of Charleston, while Hamilton joins the Cardinals after two seasons at LSU.
Louisville plans to announce additional coaching and support staff positions in the coming weeks.
brian kroman
Kroman spent the past 10 seasons with Kelce, the last three at College of Charleston and the previous seven at Winthrop.
“Brian Kroman is one of the most well-connected and highly regarded coaches in college basketball,” Kelce said. “In his 12th year with me and his ninth year as defensive coordinator, he has an elite skill set that allows him to be effective in all facets of the business. Brian is one of the top recruiters in the country. He is loved for his ability to engage, connect and build trust. This, combined with his deep understanding of our basketball system and culture, makes him invaluable to me as a head coach. We have been one of the winningest programs in college basketball for many years, and Brian has been a huge part of that.”
“I am very happy to have been given this great opportunity and responsibility,” Croman said. “I've been with the Pats for over 10 years and I'm really happy to be with a coach who is such a great Hall of Fame guy. I look forward to working with him as we strive to regain dominance at Louisville.” There's no question: Proud of this city and our fan base drives me every day.”
CofC posted an overall record of 75-27 (.735) in Kroman and Kelsey's three seasons, winning back-to-back Coastal Athletic Association regular-season and tournament championships in 2023 and 2024.
During his time with Winthrop, the Eagles compiled a 152-65 (.700) record, appeared in the Big South Conference championship game four times, and qualified for the NCAA Tournament three times in 2017, 2020, and 2021. did.
Kroman and Kelce's combined minutes produced a combined record of 227-92 over 10 seasons for the two programs.
Prior to joining Winthrop, Kroman served as an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech and North Carolina Central. He contributed to NCCU's 28-6 record and his NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014.
His coaching career also includes stints at Pikeville University, Daniel Webster University and Pfeiffer University. In 2008, Mr. Croman founded his RecruitingRumors.com. This made him one of the most popular recruiting sources among college coaches.
Kroman, a native of Asheville, North Carolina, graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2002. His father, Chris Ferguson, has been a college coach for more than 30 years.
Croman and his wife Beth Pora have two daughters, Anna and Delaney.
ronnie hamilton
Hamilton comes to UofL after spending the past two seasons as an assistant at LSU.
“Ronnie Hamilton is the total package,” Kelsey said. “I always say that I think there are two of him because he is everywhere. I thought he was there…and sure enough, Ronnie was there. His work ethic is legendary. He is smart and relentless. He has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the best assistant coaches in the country and is a solid choice as a future head coach. He has great talent as a teacher of the game and in skill development. There is no question that his hiring is a coup for our program. ”
“I am honored to have the opportunity to represent the University of Louisville and work for one of the oldest basketball programs in the nation,” Hamilton said. “I can’t wait to be a part of the coaching team.” Pat KelseyWork with the staff and help bring a championship to the UofL and Cardinals faithful. Thank you to Coach Kelsey and Director of Athletics Josh Haird for this amazing opportunity and I'm ready to get started! ”
Hamilton came to LSU after spending four seasons at Ole Miss, working as a primary alongside guard and helping the Rebels earn All-SEC honors four times.
Ole Miss advanced to the 2019 NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years, and in his first season with the program, Hamilton helped coach the SEC's top scoring duo in all-conference guards Tyree and Terrence Davis.
Hamilton also helped lead Ole Miss to a top-20 recruiting class in 2019, one of the highest-rated classes in school history. The 2020 and 2021 classes also included some of the highest-rated recruits the program has signed.
Before coming to Ole Miss, Hamilton was the highest-graded player in school history at Middle Tennessee University. The Blue Raiders have won three consecutive Conference USA Championships, recorded two upsets in the NCAA Tournament against No. 2 seed Michigan State (2016) and No. 5 seed Minnesota (2017), and won three straight Conference USA Championships in 2016. They won 31 games, a school record.
Hamilton also served as an assistant coach at Houston, Tulane, The Citadel and Division II Tarleton State University.
A native of Oxford, North Carolina, he earned a master's degree in physical education with a concentration in sports management from UNC Pembroke and served as a graduate assistant coach for the basketball team from 2003 to 2005.
Hamilton earned a bachelor's degree in political science and history from Duke University in 2002. Hamilton was a letterman on his Blue Devil football team where he served as a defensive back for four years. He signed a free agent contract with the New York Giants. After being fired during the preseason, Hamilton decided to go into coaching, but he chose to follow his passion for basketball.
Hamilton is married to Christabel Marriner and they have four children, Jalyn, Ryan, Annalisa, and Bryson.
thomas carr
Carr spent the past two seasons on the College of Charleston staff with Kelce.
“Thomas Kerr embodies all of the necessary talents to be a highly effective assistant coach in this new era of college basketball,” Kelsey said. “His recruiting network is vast and he is wired like few others I have ever been around at the grassroots, high school and junior college levels. His ability to connect with players and build trust is top-notch. His body of work includes more than a decade at the collegiate level, but he also has experience at the highest levels of high school and AAU basketball. He has played for national power Word of God Academy and for Adidas. I was the head coach at Team Road NC on the 3SSB AAU circuit.”
“It is difficult to express in words the respect, admiration and joy I have for having the opportunity to join the University of Louisville and its men's basketball program,” Kerr said. “Being able to join such a history-rich school and program with a staff full of people I consider brothers and sisters makes this moment even more enjoyable. Our love for each other is expressed on a daily basis as coaches on the court and off the court as we coach, mentor, and help the everyday student-athletes we are blessed to develop into successful adults. You'll see… As I said when I was fortunate enough to be hired on the College of Charleston staff, it's an honor to work for Coach Kelce. His presence is contagious and a perfect fit for everything at the University of Louisville. I would also like to thank Dr. Schatzel, Athletics Director Josh Haird, and the Board of Directors for giving us the opportunity and Louisville Basketball. I look forward to playing a small part in restoring its reputation to the ACC and nationally.”
Kerr came to Charleston after two years as director of athletics at Word of God Christian Academy, a national high school powerhouse in Raleigh, North Carolina. During that time, he connected with many coaching staffs across the country as the fourth assistant scouting director. He works as the director of Team Loaded NC, one of the nation's leading AAU programs.
Previously, Carr spent a combined five seasons as an assistant coach under current NC State head coach Kevin Keatts at the Wolf Pack and UNC-Wilmington. During his 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, North Carolina State went 45-24, earning him a berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2018.
Kerr's time at UNC Wilmington was transformative for the program, producing three consecutive regular season CAA championships, two CAA Tournament championships and back-to-back NCAA trips in 2016 and 2017. Kerr specifically coached the Seahawks' backcourt, helping develop six players who went on to excel. He earned all-conference honors in three years.
Carr entered the Division I coaching ranks in 2013-14 as an assistant coach at East Tennessee State University, where the Bucs improved to nine wins from the previous season.
He began his coaching career at Chipola College in 2009 and joined the Keats in his final season at Hargrave Military Academy in 2010-2011. Oh yeah, Hargrave finished the season as the No. 1 prep school in the country, with eight players signing DI scholarships. Carr also spent one season as the varsity head coach leading George Washington High School to a 25-3 record before taking an assistant coaching position at East Tennessee State University.
Carr was a two-year captain at Pfeiffer University from 2006 to 2008, ranking second in the nation in 3-point shooting.
Eli Foy
Foy spent the past three seasons as the College of Charleston's sports performance director, overseeing all 19 sports, primarily working on men's basketball and beach volleyball. During that time, men's basketball won back-to-back conference championships.
“Eli Foy is a unicorn,” Kelsey said. “Short and simple. I always say that in his role, he's not just an important component of our program…he's our program. He's one of the best strength and There is no question that he is a conditioning/sports performance coach. But his effectiveness begins there. The fundamental principle of our program is toughness. That identity is formed and trained in his community. His accomplishments in transforming the bodies and minds of athletes over the years are incredible. He is more than just a weight room mechanic, he is an elite teacher, mentor, motivator, and confidante. His importance to our business cannot be overstated.His additional title of Chief of Staff attests to the level of confidence I have in his advisors. It's hard to think of a better head coach-strength coach relationship in the country than the one I have with him.”
“Louisville's resources, support and fan engagement are unparalleled,” Foy said. “I look forward to working with Coach Kelsey to instill a strong culture of winning and toughness.”
Foy also worked with Kelce for three seasons as the head sports performance coach for men's basketball at Winthrop, where they won back-to-back conference championships. He was responsible for all aspects of strength, conditioning and nutrition. Foy also served as a strength and conditioning coach for softball and track and field, coaching sprinters and jumpers.
Prior to joining Winthrop, Foy spent three years on the University of Arizona men's basketball strength and conditioning staff. The Wildcats won back-to-back Pac-12 Conference regular season and tournament championship titles and qualified for the NCAA Sweet 16.
He worked closely with Arizona center Deandre Ayton, who was selected No. 1 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. Foy also worked with top-10 draft pick and NBA All-Star Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz, as well as multiple other NBA players. overseas professional.
The former track and field student-athlete (jumper) from the U.S. Virgin Islands earned a bachelor's degree in nutrition and biochemistry from the University of Arizona in 2014. After graduating, he spent four years as a SWAT head strength coach. Performance Training in Tucson, Arizona.
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