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Four of the first Louisville staff members are formally announced by Pat Kelsey.
Things are starting to come together.
This is the U of L’s official release:
Head strength and conditioning coach and chief of staff Eli Foy, along with assistant coaches Brian Kloman, Ronnie Hamilton, and Thomas Carr, were all added to the University of Louisville men’s basketball team on Wednesday, according to head coach Pat Kelsey.
From the College of Charleston, Kloman, Carr, and Foy join Kelsey, and Hamilton joins the Cardinals after spending two seasons at LSU.
In the upcoming weeks, Louisville will make announcements regarding more coaching and support staff vacancies.
Brian Kloman
Working with Kelsey for the past ten seasons, Kloman first spent seven at Winthrop and the last three at College of Charleston.
According to Kelsey, “Brian Kloman is one of the most respected and well-connected coaches in all of college basketball.” Commencing his twelfth year alongside me and his ninth as our defense coordinator, he possesses an exceptional skill set that renders him efficacious across all company domains. Among the top recruiters in the nation is Brian. He is adored due to his capacity for interaction, connection, and trust-building. When I combine this with his excellent knowledge of our basketball system and culture, he becomes an indispensable part of my staff as head coach. Brian has played a major role in our program’s success throughout the years, which has placed us among the best in college basketball.
Kloman remarked, “I feel so incredibly fortunate to have this incredible opportunity and responsibility.” “I’ve been with Pat for more than ten years, and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have a hall of fame coach who is also a wonderful person. Without a doubt, we’ll put forth the effort to regain supremacy at Louisville. Bringing pride to my city and my fan base will be my daily motivation.
During Kloman and Kelsey’s three seasons, CofC went 75-27 overall (.735) and won the Coastal Athletic Association regular season and tournament in 2023 and 2024 consecutively.
The Eagles had a 152-65 (.700) record while they were together at Winthrop, appeared in four Big South Conference title games, and were invited to three NCAA Tournaments: in 2017, 2020, and 2021.
Kloman and Over the course of ten seasons at the two programs, Kelsey’s overall record throughout their time together is 227-92.
Kloman was an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech and North Carolina Central before coming to Winthrop. In 2014, he assisted NCCU in earning a 28-6 record and an NCAA Tournament berth.
He has also had coaching positions at Daniel Webster, Pfeiffer University, and Pikeville College. When Kloman launched RecruitingRumors.com in 2008, it quickly rose to prominence as one of the go-to resources for college coaches seeking recruiting news.
Kloman, an Asheville, North Carolina native, graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2002. Chris Ferguson, his father, has coached at the collegiate level for almost 30 years.
Anna and Delaney are Kloman’s two kids with Beth Pora.
Ronnie Hamilton
Hamilton spent the previous two seasons as an assistant at LSU before coming to UofL.
According to Kelsey, “Ronnie Hamilton is the whole package.” Since he’s everywhere, I often claim that I believe there are two of him. We would travel to FIBA games that were “off the beaten track” in order to search in places where no one else was present. To our surprise, Ronnie was there. His diligence is renowned. He is industrious and intelligent. He has rightfully prospered.
the standing as one of the top assistant coaches in the nation and is a lock to become head coach in the future. When it comes to teaching the game and developing skills, he is excellent on the floor. Without a doubt, his hiring is a huge success for our program.
“It’s a privilege to work for one of the most illustrious basketball programs in the country and to represent the University of Louisville,” Hamilton remarked. “I’m excited to join Coach Pat Kelsey’s team and support him in winning titles for the University of Louisville and the Cardinal supporters.” I’m excited to get going and would like to thank Josh Heird, the director of athletics, and Coach Kelsey for this wonderful opportunity.
After spending four seasons mostly working with the guards at Ole Miss, where he helped the Rebels win four SEC championships, Hamilton transferred to LSU.
For the first time in four years, Ole Miss made it to the NCAA Tournament in 2019. In his first year on the team, Hamilton assisted in coaching Tyree and Terence Davis, the all-conference guards who score the most points in the SEC.
Hamilton also assisted Ole Miss in bringing in one of the best-rated classes in school history in 2019āa top-20 class. The program signed the highest-rated recruits for the 2020 and 2021 classes.
Hamilton played a part in one of Middle Tennessee’s greatest runs in school history prior to attending Ole Miss. In a row, the Blue Raiders won three Conference titles.
USA Championships, defeated No. 2 seed Michigan State (2016) and No. 5 seed Minnesota (2017) in two upset victories in the NCAA Tournament, and won a school-record 31 games in 2016.
Hamilton also served as an assistant coach at Division II Tarleton State, The Citadel, Tulane, and Houston.
The Oxford, North Carolina, native attended UNC Pembroke, where he served as the basketball team’s graduate assistant coach from 2003 to 2005, before earning his master’s degree in physical education with a focus in sports administration.
In 2002, he graduated from Duke University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and history. Hamilton played defensive back for the Blue Devil football team for four years, earning letter after letter. The New York Giants signed him as a free agent. Following his release from the preseason, Hamilton made the decision to into coaching, but decided to pursue his love of basketball instead.
Jalyn, Ryan, Annalisa, and Bryson are Hamilton’s four children from his marriage to Christabell Mariner.
Thomas Carr
Carr and Kelsey worked together on the College of Charleston staff for the previous two seasons.
In this new era of collegiate basketball, Kelsey stated, “Thomas Carr truly embodies all of the essential talents to be a highly effective assistant coach.” “He is wired like few others I’ve ever met at the grassroots, high school, and junior college levels, so his recruitment network is extensive. He has exceptional capacity to establish rapport and trust with athletes. In addition to more than ten years of college experience, he has also played basketball at the highest levels of high school and AAU. He was head coach of Team Loaded NC on the Adidas 3SSB AAU circuit and Word of God Academy, a nationally renowned school.
“Words cannot express how much I respect, admire, and am thrilled to have been given the chance to join the University of Louisville Men’s Basketball program,” Carr remarked. “This moment is made even sweeter by the fact that I am a part of a program and school with such a rich history, and the staff is made up of guys I consider brothers.” As coaches, our dedication, skill, and affection for one another will be evident every day as we guide, instruct, and assist in shaping the student-athletes we have the good fortune to work with on a daily basis into accomplished adults. I stated it was when I was lucky enough to be employed by the College of Charleston as staff, but working under Coach Kelsey is an honor. His daily persona and identity are contagious and perfectly align with the values of the University of Louisville. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Board of Trustees, Josh Heird, Dr. Schatzel, and the Athletics Department for this opportunity. I am excited to play a tiny part in restoring Louisville Basketball’s standing in the ACC and across the country.
After two years as the director of athletics at Word of God Christian Academy, a nationally renowned high school in Raleigh, North Carolina, Carr moved to Charleston. He also made connections with a number of coaching staffs throughout the nation in the capacity as Director of Team Loaded NC, one of the top AAU programs in the nation, and as Scouting Director of Your Fourth Assistant.
Before that, Carr worked as an assistant coach for the Wolfpack and UNC Wilmington for a total of five seasons under current NC State head coach Kevin Keatts. NC State finished 45-24 in the 2017ā18 and 2018ā19 seasons, with a 2018 NCAA Tournament berth serving as the team’s high point.
With three consecutive regular season CAA championships, two CAA Tournament titles, and back-to-back NCAA visits in 2016 and 2017, Carr’s tenure at UNC Wilmington had a profound impact on the team. Carr coached the Seahawks’ backcourt in particular, developing six players into three-year all-conference selections.
Carr began his career as a Division I coach. serving as East Tennessee State’s assistant coach in 2013ā14, when the Bucs improved their record by nine wins over the previous campaign.
In 2009, he started his coaching career at Chipola College. The next season, 2010ā11, he worked with Keatts at Hargrave Military Academy. That year, Hargrave signed eight athletes to D-I scholarships and concluded the season as the top prep school in the nation. Before accepting a job as East Tennessee State’s assistant coach, Carr previously served as head varsity coach for one season, coaching George Washington High School to a 25-3 record.
From 2006 to 2008, Carr captained Pfeiffer University for two years and was second in the nation in 3-point field goals made.
Eli Foy
For the previous three seasons, Foy served as Director of He was in charge of all 19 sports at College of Charleston’s Sports Performance, mostly working with beach volleyball and men’s basketball. Men’s basketball won consecutive conference titles throughout that period.
Eli Foy is a unicorn, according to Kelsey. “Simple and straightforward. As I often say, he is not only a vital part of our program; in his capacity, he is the program. He is without a doubt the nation’s top strength and conditioning/sports performance coach. But that’s where his efficacy ends. Toughness is a cornerstone of our curriculum. In his community, that identity is developed and forged. He has had amazing effects throughout the years in changing our players’ bodies and attitudes. Beyond simply the workings of the He is a skilled instructor, guide, inspiration, and confidant in the weight room. I can’t emphasize enough how important he is to our business. The fact that he also has the title of Chief of Staff attests to how much I trust his advice. I find it difficult to believe that any head coach/strength coach partnership in the nation is superior to mine.
“Louisville offers unrivaled resources, support, and fan engagement,” stated Foy. “With Coach Kelsey, I’m excited to instill a strong culture of winning and toughness.”
For three seasons at Winthrop, Foy co-managed Kelsey’s sports performance as the men’s basketball team won back-to-back conference crowns. He was in charge of every aspect of strength, fitness, and nourishment. Along with working with sprinters and jumpers, Foy was the softball and track & field teams’ strength and conditioning coach.
Foy worked as the strength and conditioning coach for the University of Arizona men’s basketball team for three years prior to joining Winthrop. The Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 and won consecutive Pac-12 Conference regular season and tournament championships.
He collaborated closely with Arizona center Deandre Ayton, who the Phoenix Suns selected with the first overall choice in the 2018 NBA Draft. Along with numerous other NBA and foreign pros, Foy also worked with Utah Jazz All-Star and top-10 overall pick Lauri Markkanen.
The former track and field student-athlete (jumps), who is originally from the U.S. Virgin Islands, received his bachelor’s degree in nutrition sciences and biochemistry from 2014 saw the University of Arizona. He worked for four years as the chief strength coach at Tucson, Arizona’s SWAT Performance Training after receiving his degree.
Yehovah Kelvin
