LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Pat Kelsey’s vision for Louisville men’s basketball is entering a new phase, and it extends beyond the roster. The second-year head coach will need to fill a key role on his coaching staff after assistant Thomas Carr accepted a position at Indiana, according to reports from Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 and Louisville Cardinals On SI. The move comes as Kelsey continues to shape the program following a 24-11 season that ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Carr’s departure marks a significant shift for Kelsey, who has leaned heavily on his longtime assistant since taking the Louisville job in March 2023. The two have a professional relationship spanning four years, beginning at Charleston, where Kelsey orchestrated a remarkable turnaround. Finding a replacement who can contribute immediately to recruiting and player development will be a priority.
A Four-Year Partnership
Carr and Kelsey first joined forces at Charleston, where they built the Cougars into a consistent winner. During their two seasons together, Charleston posted a 58-11 record, capturing back-to-back Coastal Athletic Association regular season and tournament championships, earning NCAA Tournament bids in both years. That success followed Kelsey’s arrival in 2021, and Carr played a vital role in establishing the program’s winning culture.
The partnership continued when Kelsey was hired at Louisville. Over the past two seasons, the Cardinals have gone 51-19 overall. Carr was instrumental in navigating the program through a complete roster overhaul, recruiting an entirely new team upon Kelsey’s arrival and then assembling the No. 3 ranked transfer portal class last offseason, according to 247Sports. His efforts were recognized this past January when he was named to Silver Waves Media’s 2026 100 Most Impactful: Men’s High Major Assistants list.
From High School Athletics to College Coaching
Carr’s path to college basketball is somewhat unconventional. Before joining Kelsey’s staff, he spent two years as the athletic director at Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina, a nationally recognized high school program. Prior to that, he spent five years as an assistant coach under Kevin Keatts, first at UNC Wilmington for three seasons and then at NC State for two. He also had a two-year stint as an assistant at East Tennessee State, providing a diverse background in player development and recruiting.
His experience with Keatts, a well-respected recruiter in the ACC, likely honed Carr’s skills in identifying and attracting talent. That expertise proved valuable at both Charleston and Louisville, where he was a key component of building competitive rosters.
Looking Ahead for Louisville
The 2023-24 season at Louisville was marked by high expectations. After a successful first year under Kelsey, the Cardinals entered the season ranked as high as No. 6 in the nation and with legitimate Final Four aspirations. While they ultimately finished with a 24-11 record and secured a first-round NCAA Tournament victory over USF – their first tournament win since 2017 – the season fell short of preseason projections, ending with a loss to Michigan State in the second round.
Kelsey now faces the task of replacing a valuable member of his coaching staff while continuing to build a program capable of consistently competing at a high level. The search for Carr’s replacement will likely focus on candidates with strong recruiting ties and a proven track record of player development. The timing of the move, as the spring transfer window approaches, adds another layer of urgency to the search.
Indiana officially announced the hiring of Carr on Friday, April 19th. Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 first reported the news.
The next step for Louisville will be identifying and vetting potential candidates to fill the assistant coaching vacancy. Kelsey is expected to begin the search immediately, aiming to have a replacement in place before the start of the spring recruiting period.
What do you think of this coaching change? Share your thoughts in the comments below and be sure to follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram for the latest updates.
