Pat Kelsey, head coach of the University of Louisville men’s basketball team, announced Wednesday the addition of assistant coaches Brian Kloman, Ronnie Hamilton, and Thomas Carr to his staff, as well as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach/Chief of Staff Eli Foy.
Kloman, Carr, and Foy transfer from the College of Charleston, while Hamilton joins the Cardinals after two seasons at LSU.
Louisville will announce more coaching and support staff appointments in the coming weeks.
Brian Kloman
Kloman has worked with Kelsey for the past ten seasons, the latest three at College of Charleston and the previous seven at Winthrop.
“Brian Kloman is one of the most connected and well-regarded coaches in all of college basketball,” she remarked. “Beginning his 12th year with me and ninth as our defensive coordinator, he possesses an extraordinary skill set that allows him to be effective in all aspects of the business. Brian is one of the most effective recruiters in the country. Beloved for his ability to engage, connect, and foster trust. Combine this with a thorough understanding of our basketball system and culture, and he becomes an incredible asset to me as head coach. We’ve been one of the most successful college basketball programs in recent years, and Brian has played a significant role in that.
“I am so blessed to have this incredible opportunity and responsibility,” he remarked. “I’ve known Pat for almost a decade and consider myself extremely fortunate to be working with a Hall of Fame coach who is also a wonderful person. There is little doubt that we will seek to reestablish dominance at Louisville. Making this city and its fans proud will motivate me every day.”
CofC went 75-27 overall (.735) during Kloman and Kelsey’s three seasons, winning back-to-back Coastal Athletic Association regular season and tournament championships in 2023 and 2024.
During their time at Winthrop, the Eagles went 152-65 (.700), won four Big South Conference championships, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2017, 2020, and 2021.
Kloman and Kelsey have a combined record of 227-92 over ten seasons at both programs.
Kloman served as an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech and North Carolina Central before joining Winthrop. He helped NCCU to a 28-6 record and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2014.
His coaching career has also included stops at Pikeville College, Daniel Webster, and Pfeiffer University. Kloman launched RecruitingRumors.com in 2008, and it quickly became one of college coaches’ favorite sources for recruiting information.
Kloman, a native of Asheville, North Carolina, attended the University of Tennessee and graduated in 2002. His father, Chris Ferguson, has been a college coach for over 30 years.
Kloman and his wife, Beth Pora, have two daughters named Anna and Delaney.
Ronnie Hamilton
Hamilton joins UofL after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant at LSU.
“Ronnie Hamilton is the total package,” Kelsey added. “I constantly say that I believe there are two of him since he appears everywhere. We would go to ‘off the beaten track’ FIBA games in remote parts of the world, believing that we were hunting where no one else was…and sure enough, Ronnie was present. His work ethic is famous. He is smart and uncompromising. He has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the top assistant coaches in the country, and he is a lock for the future head coaching position. He is an excellent coach and skill developer on the court. I have no doubt that his hiring represents a triumph for our program.
“It’s an honor to have the opportunity to represent the University of Louisville and to work for one of the most storied basketball programs in the nation,” Hamilton said in a statement. “I’m excited to be a member of Coach Pat Kelsey’s team and assist him deliver titles to UofL and the Cardinals fans. I’d want to thank Coach Kelsey and Director of Athletics Josh Heird for this fantastic opportunity, and I am eager to get started!”
Hamilton joined LSU following four seasons at Ole Miss, where he mostly worked with the guards and helped the Rebels earn All-SEC accolades four times.
Ole Miss made it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years in 2019, and in his first season, Hamilton helped teach the SEC’s top scoring pair, Tyree and Terence Davis.
Hamilton also helped Ole Miss recruit a top-20 class in 2019, one of the highest-rated in school history. The 2020 and 2021 classes likewise included the most highly regarded recruits the program had signed.
Before going to Ole Miss, Hamilton was a member of one of Middle Tennessee’s most successful seasons. The Blue Raiders won three consecutive Conference USA championships, two NCAA Tournament upsets of No. 2 seed Michigan State (2016) and No. 5 seed Minnesota (2017), and a school-record 31 games in 2016.
Hamilton also served as an assistant coach at Houston, Tulane, The Citadel, and Tarleton State (Division II).
The Oxford, North Carolina native earned a master’s degree in physical education with a specialty in sports administration from UNC Pembroke, where he also served as the basketball team’s graduate assistant coach from 2003 to 2005.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Duke in 2002. Hamilton was a four-year letterman for the Blue Devil football team, playing defensive back. He signed a free-agent deal with the New York Giants. After being cut during the preseason, Hamilton considered coaching but ultimately chose to pursue his passion for basketball.
Hamilton is married to Christabell Mariner and has four children: Jalyn, Ryan, Annalisa, and Bryson.
Thomas Carr
Carr and Kelsey worked together on the College of Charleston’s staff for the last two seasons.
“Thomas Carr truly embodies all of the essential talents to be a highly effective assistant coach in this new era of college basketball,” Kelly stated. “His recruitment network is extensive, and he is connected like few I’ve encountered at the grassroots, high school, and junior college levels. His ability to connect and establish trust with players is exceptional. His resume includes almost a decade of college experience as well as top-tier high school and AAU basketball expertise. He was the head coach at national power Word of God Academy and Team Loaded NC on the Adidas 3SSB AAU circuit.
“It is hard to put into words the respect, admiration and joy I have in getting the opportunity to join the University of Louisville and its Men’s Basketball program,” said Carr. “Being a member of such a historically significant school and program, with a staff full of men I consider brothers, makes this moment even sweeter. Our dedication, competitive greatness, and love for one another will be evident on a daily basis, both on the court as coaches and off, as we guide, teach, and help shape the student-athletes we are fortunate to be around into successful individuals. I said it when I was lucky enough to be put on staff at the College of Charleston, but working for Coach Kelsey is an honor. Who he is and what he represents on a daily basis is contagious and completely aligns with everything the University of Louisville stands for. I’d also like to thank Dr. Schatzel, Athletics Director Josh Heird, and the Board of Trustees for giving us this chance, and I look forward to playing a tiny role in returning Louisville Basketball to prominence in the ACC and nationally.”
Carr joined Charleston after two years as Athletic Director at Word of God Christian Academy, a national high school powerhouse in Raleigh, North Carolina. During that period, he also engaged with multiple coaching staffs across the country as Scouting Director of Your Fourth Assistant, in addition to serving as Director of Team Loaded NC, one of the country’s finest AAU teams.
Carr previously worked as an assistant coach under current NC State head coach Kevin Keatts at both the Wolfpack and UNC Wilmington for five seasons. NC State went 45-24 in 2017-18 and 2018-19, including a spot in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
Carr’s stay at UNC Wilmington was revolutionary for the team, resulting in three consecutive CAA regular season championships, two CAA Tournament titles, and back-to-back NCAA appearances in 2016 and 2017. Carr coached the Seahawks’ backcourt specifically, and he assisted in the development of six all-conference players over three years.
Carr made his Division I coaching debut in 2013-14 as an assistant coach at East Tennessee State, helping the Bucs improve by nine wins over the previous season.
He began his coaching career at Chipola College in 2009 before joining Keatts for his final season at Hargrave Military Academy in 2010-11. That year, Hargrave concluded the season as the top prep school in the country, with eight players signing D-I scholarships. Carr also served one season as head varsity coach at George Washington High School, where he led the team to a 25-3 record, before joining East Tennessee State as an assistant coach.
Carr was a two-year captain at Pfeiffer University from 2006 to 2008, finishing second in the country in 3-pointers made.
Eli Foy
Foy spent the last three seasons as Director of Sports Performance at College of Charleston, where he handled all 19 sports, focusing especially on men’s basketball and beach volleyball. During that time, men’s basketball won consecutive conference championships.
“Eli Foy is a unicorn,” Kelsey explained. “Plain and simple.” I frequently say that given his function, he is more than just an integral part of our program; he is the program. He is unquestionably the top strength and conditioning/sports performance coach in the country. However, his usefulness just begins there. Toughness is a key feature of our curriculum. That identity is developed and shaped in his community. Over the years, he has had remarkable success in altering our players’ bodies and minds. He is more than simply a weight room mechanic; he is also an excellent teacher, mentor, motivator, and confidant. I cannot overstate his importance to our business. His second position, Chief of Staff, demonstrates how much I rely on his counsel. I doubt there is a finer head coach/strength coach relationship in the country than the one I have with him.”
“The resources, support, and fan engagement at Louisville are unmatched,” he stated. “I look forward to instilling a strong culture of winning and toughness alongside Coach Kelsey.”
Foy also served as head sports performance coach for men’s basketball at Winthrop for three seasons, helping the team win back-to-back conference championships. He oversaw all aspects of strength, conditioning, and nutrition. Foy also worked as a strength and conditioning coach for softball and track and field, primarily with sprinters and jumpers.
Foy worked as a strength and conditioning coach for the University of Arizona men’s basketball team for three years before joining Winthrop. The Wildcats won the Pac-12 Conference regular season and tournament championships in consecutive years, and they advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16.
He collaborated closely with Arizona center Deandre Ayton, whom the Phoenix Suns selected first overall in the 2018 NBA draft. Foy also worked with top-10 draft pick and Utah Jazz All-Star Lauri Markkanen, as well as a number of other NBA and international players.
The former track and field student-athlete (jumps) from the US Virgin Islands graduated from the University of Arizona in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition sciences and biochemistry. After graduating, he worked as a head strength coach at SWAT Performance Training in Tucson, Arizona, for four years.
