< PreviousUniversity of Louisville n gocards.com 18 77 Draft Picks | 21 All-Americans | 86 Winning Seasons Bass-Rudd Tennis Center Jim Patterson Stadium L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium KFC Yum! Center Thorntons Academic Center of Excellence Trager Stadium Cardinal Park Ulmer Stadium Swain Student Activities Center G. Garvin Brown III Rowing Center Marshall Centergocards.com n University of Louisville 19 77 Draft Picks | 21 All-Americans | 86 Winning Seasons Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium Trager Center Fieldhouse L&N Federal Credit Union Arena T he University of Louisville features impressive facilities that have enriched the campus and entire Louisville community. Every Cardinal sports team has a new facility since 1994, with most being built within the last 25 years. The state-of-the-art, 22,090-seat KFC Yum! Cen- ter has been the home of Cardinal Basketball since opening in 2010 (more info on preceding pages). The Cardinals kicked off their 1998 football season in L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, a 60,800-seat on-campus facility that was expanded in 2010. Another expansion that enclosed the end zone was completed in 2018. L&N Federal Credit Union Arena was expanded in 2017 as the home for UofL volleyball, and is the home of many athletic offices in the Swain Student Activities Center on the northeast corner of campus. Built in 1994, the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center was honored as the 1995 USTA College Facility of the Year. It was the first component of Cardinal Park, an area which features multiple playing facilities for the Cardinals: Ulmer Stadium (softball), Cardinal Track Stadium and Trager Stadium (field hockey). The University of Louisville Golf Club, located just east of Louisville in Simpsonville, Ky., is the home to the UofL men’s and women’s golf teams. Patterson Stadium, the home of the Cards’ base- ball team, opened in 2005, as did the Ralph Wright Natatorium and Trager Center fieldhouse. Planet Fitness Kueber Center provides a stellar basketball practice facility and offices as well as a practice home for women’s basketball and women’s lacrosse. UofL opened in 2008 the Marshall Center, a multi-sport weight training facility, and Trager Sta- dium, to house offices and locker rooms for field hockey. The G. Garvin Brown II Rowing Center riverside boat house for the Cardinals’ rowing team opened in 2011. A state-of-the-art soccer stadium, Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium, opened in 2014. The spar- kling Thorntons Academic Center of Excellence opened in 2016 at the south end of the football stadium structure. Ralph Wright Natatorium University of Louisville Golf Club Lacrosse Stadium UofL Athletics Broadcast CenterT he Atlantic Coast Conference and ESPN partnered to launch the comprehensive lin- ear and digital ACC Network on Aug. 22, 2019. To support production for the network, the Uni- versity of Louisville built a television production facility on the northeast corner of its campus to house all the equipment and personnel that is necessary to originate live programming. UofL’s 2018 production of “Louisville Live,” a preseason basketball event, won a national 2019 SVG College Sports Media Award as the best col- legiate Outstanding Live Non-Game Production. The 7,850 square foot production facility was completed in September 2018 and is connected by fiber to UofL athletic venues and to ESPN. Instead of mobile trucks covering sporting events, live programming will be originated from the new centralized production facility. The $8 million project included construction, equipment and integration, and fiber connection to UofL venues. The broadcast center includes two full video control rooms for linear telecasts which will air on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or the ACC Network. Those two control rooms and three additional scaled back control rooms allow for live telecasts of mul- tiple events that may either overlap, or are concur- rently played to air on multiple television platforms. With fiber connections to each venue, the broadcast center also produces live, in-game content for UofL venue video walls such as those in L&N Stadium, Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Sta- dium, KFC Yum! Center, Jim Patterson Stadium and Ulmer Field. The UofL Athletics Broadcast Center is connected by fiber to ESPN. The production facility includes a bureau stu- dio, which allows coaches and players to do live interviews on any ESPN platform or broadcast channels. Also included in the center is a versatile studio with variable sets and a full green screen wall, personnel work space and editing rooms. The Cardinals also maintain a mobile television production unit for venues that are not connected by fiber to the broadcast center. The center is used for the creation of not only ACC Network and ESPN content, but for other video projects in support of the athletics depart- ment as well. The broadcast center also provides educational opportunities for UofL students. University of Louisville n gocards.com 20 77 Draft Picks | 21 All-Americans | 86 Winning SeasonsA ll University of Louisville basketball games will be broadcast live through the Louis- ville Basketball Network developed by Learfield Sports. UofL and Louisville First Radio Group announced a landmark agreement in February 2022 to carry all Cardinal programming as the designated flagship. All Louisville games will air on ESPN 93.9 FM “The Ville” and WGTK 970 AM. UofL’s football, men’s and women’s basketball and baseball games, as well as the seasonal football and basketball coaches’ shows, will be broadcast by the same radio partner. All Louisville Cardi- nals games and coaches’ shows will have priority clearance and will be simulcast on both 93.9 FM and 970 AM. If two Louisville programs are play- ing at the same time, the signals will be split to accommodate both broadcasts. Paul Rogers is in his 31st season as the play- by-play voice of the Cardinals (since 1995-96) while Bob Valvano is in his 25th year providing analysis (since 2001-02). A native of Louisville, Rogers covered UofL sports for WHAS radio and television from 1973-2020. In addition to serving as the morn- ing sports anchor for WHAS radio until his retirement from that role in 2020, he has called Cardinal Football games since 1992 and thoroughbred racing from Churchill Downs -- including several local radio broadcasts of the Kentucky Derby and Breeders Cup -- and has broadcast NCAA Tournament basketball for CBS Radio. He was named the 1995, 1998, 2002, and 2013 Kentucky Sportscaster of the Year. He was inducted into the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014. Valvano is in his 25th year as a radio analyst for the Cardinals, as well as the ESPN Televi- sion family of networks and ESPN Radio. He recently retired from a weekday radio show on the local ESPN radio affiliate in Louisville (WHBE/680 AM). He served as a collegiate basketball coach for 19 years, setting single season records for wins at three different schools (Kutztown University, Catholic University and St. Mary’s College). He also served as head coach in the professional league in Sweden, where his team won two cup championships in interna- tional tournaments. When Valvano’s schedule brings him to other events, Jody Demling serves as an analyst with Rogers. A Louisville native, Demling was a sports writer for the Courier-Journal for 12 years before becoming publisher in 2012 for Cardinal Author- ity, a 247Sports.com site. Demling also is the host for Cardinal Insider, a weekday radio program on UofL Athletics that airs on 93.9 “The Ville,” and previously hosted a morning radio show for two years. He also provides play-by-play and analysis for ACC Network Extra tele- casts of UofL Ath- letics. UofL head coach Pat Kelsey is fea- tured on a one hour show on 93.9 FM, 970 AM and on net- work affiliates once a week during the season. UofL fans beyond the station’s wide-ranging signal can listen to live play-by-play broad- casts of UofL games through SIRIUS/XM satellite radio. The radio broadcasts of Cardinal games are also available over the internet with Sidearm online through UofL’s web site at www.GoCards.com, or free through UofL’s CardsMobile app for iPhone or Android. The broadcasts are also available live on The Varsity Network app. Television When Louisville is featured on ACC Net- work Extra, the digital television platform for the league and ESPN, Kent Taylor will serve as the play-by-play and will be joined by Cardinal Forever Larry O’Bannon as an analyst. O’Bannon is in his second year as a television analyst for the Cards. He is a Louisville native and was a staple on UofL’s 2005 Final Four Team. He was named the Regional MVP following a 24-point perfor- mance against West Virginia in overtime that sent the Cardinals to the Final Four. All 31 University of Louisville basketball games will be featured on television by some means this season. Over the last 42 years, all but 12 UofL basketball games have been televised on either a live or delayed basis. Jody Demling Radio Play-by Play/ Analyst Bob Valvano Radio Analyst Paul Rogers Radio Play-by-Play Kent Taylor ACC Play-by-Play Larry O’Bannon ACC Analyst Paul Rogers and Bob Valvano Radio gocards.com n University of Louisville 21 77 Draft Picks | 21 All-Americans | 86 Winning Seasons1 Louisville has been the highest-rated televi- sion market for college basketball for the last 20-plus years, averaging a 4.2 rating during the 2018-19 season, well ahead of the No. 2 market (2.9, Knoxville). Louisville’s 2013 final game against Michigan is the top-rated television event all-time in the Louisville market. 5 Number of NCAA Tournament bids UofL head coach Pat Kelsey has earned in his 12 years as a head coach. He’s led three separate teams to the Big Dance: (Winthrop 2017, 2021; College of Charleston 2023, 2024; Louisville 2025). Kelsey led the Cardinals through a historic season in 2024-25, returning Louisville to the Big Dance for the first time in six seasons. 5 Numbers retired by UofL including No. 2 Russ Smith (2010-14), No. 8 Charlie Tyra (1953-57), No. 31 Wes Unseld (1965-68), No. 35 Darrell Griffith (1976-80) and No. 42 Pervis Elli- son (1985-89). All were consensus All-Americans. 7 The eventual national champion has played in Louisville’s home arena, the KFC Yum! Cen- ter, in seven of the arena’s 14 seasons in existence. Louisville faced eventual champions Connecticut (2011, 2014), Duke (2015) and Virginia (2019) in home games, Kentucky (2012) won a pair of games in the 2012 NCAA second and third rounds in the KFC Yum! Center, 2016 Champion Villa- nova won the NCAA South Regional in Louisville, and UofL won the 2013 itself (later vacated). 8 Louisville’s seed in the 2025 NCAA Tour- nament. The Cardinals faced nine-seed Creighton in Lexington in the first round of the tournament. 9 NCAA Public Recognition Awards over the last 10 years awarded to UofL for ranking among the nation’s top 10 percent in the Aca- demic Progress Rate. Louisville and Stanford are the only two schools from Power Four confer- ences that have earned the APR recognition at least eight of the last nine times. 10 Louisville’s best AP Poll ranking during the 2024-25 season. The Cardinals were ranked No. 10 in the country headed into the NCAA Tournament. 11 Years Louisville has been in the Atlan- tic Coast Conference. Since being in the ACC, UofL has racked up 179 wins with 95 in the conference column. The figure does not include 27 wins that were vacated from the Cardinals’ first year in the ACC, 2014-15. 11 Number of conference championships Pat Kelsey has won across his 13-year head coaching career. 15 Number of NIT appearances all-time for UofL, including winning the 1956 title when that national championship was considered above the NCAA title. 17 Times Louisville has ranked among the top 50 nationally in field goal percentage defense over the last 23 years, including 13th in 2019-20 (.389). 21 Louisville’s final ranking in the 2024-25 AP Poll. 21 Number of Louisville players who have earned All-America status, the latest being consensus All-America third team pick Jordan Nwora in 2020. Six individuals have been consensus first team selections (Charlie Tyra, Wes Unseld, Darrell Griffith, Pervis Ellison, Clifford Rozier and Russ Smith). 27 Number of wins the Cardinals notched in Pat Kelsey’s first year at the helm. It was the most wins for the program in a single season since 2014-15 (which were later vacated by the NCAA). 29 Number of times Louisville has either won or finished second in its conference championship over the last 46 years. 40 Seasons over the last 44 years that Louisville has ranked among the top seven nationally in average home attendance (since 1982). The Cardinals averaged a school record 21,832 fans in 2010-11, UofL’s first season in the KFC Yum! Center. 60 League-high total individuals that the Cardinals have placed on the All-ACC Academic Team over the last 10 years, including six selections in 2024-25. The Cardinals have posted a collective 3.0 or better grade point aver- age as a team in 27 of the last 32 semesters. 50 Times in the last 60 years that the Car- dinals have participated in post-season competition. 69 Number of UofL players to score 1,000 or more career points, a figure that is tied for second in the nation with Duke, behind only North Carolina. Jordan Nwora was the latest to reach the milestone in the 2019- 20 season, finishing his three years with 1,294 points. 77 UofL players drafted by the NBA (25 first-round picks), including eight in the last 10 years. All-America Pervis Ellison was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft and five other former Cardinals have been taken in the top three. David Johnson became Louisville’s latest when he was selected by the Toronto Rap- tors in 2021. Former UofL and current Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell was the 2018 NBA Dunk Contest winner, was runner-up for the NBA Rookie of the Year and is a six-time NBA All-Star. He was First Team All-NBA in 2025. 112 This season is Louisville’s 112th in intercollegiate basketball. The Cardi- nals played their first official men’s basketball game on Jan. 28, 1912 when it lost 35-3 to Louisville YMCA, but UofL did not field teams in 1916-17, 1922-23 or 1942-43. Louisville has produced win- ning seasons in 73 of the last 79 seasons. 204 Victories for Louisville in the KFC Yum! Center, where the Cardinals enter 2025-26 with a 204-63 record in their first 15 seasons in the spectacular facility. UofL enters the season with a 112-18 record against non- conference opponents in the KFC Yum! Center. 288 Wins Pat Kelsey has claimed in his 13 years as a head coach. He boasts a 288-130 record (167-63 conference), a 68.9% winning percentage, entering the 2025- 26 season. 663 Times the Cardinals have been ranked in the weekly Associated Press poll, ranking UofL sixth most all-time. Louisville has finished among the nation’s Top 25 teams in nine of the last 15 years. 1,811 Number of all-time victories for Louisville with a .640 winning percentage entering the 2025-26 season. The figure does not include 123 wins vacated by the NCAA. 4M Attendance milestone the Cardinals passed for games in the KFC Yum! Center in 2023. A total of 4,546,145 fans have flocked to the arena to watch UofL play in the first 15 seasons entering 2025-26. Pervis Ellison was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft, one of six former Cardinals taken in the top three. University of Louisville n gocards.com 22 77 Draft Picks | 21 All-Americans | 86 Winning Seasons2025-26 LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL Louisville Coaching StaffHead Coach: 13 seasons One season at Louisville: 27-8 (18-2 ACC) 13 seasons overall: 288-130, 167-63 conference NCAA Tournament appearances: Five P at Kelsey, a proven program builder who’s won nearly 70% of his career games, was named the new men’s basketball head coach at the University of Louisville on March 28, 2024. The Cincinnati native Kelsey is the 24th head coach in Louisville’s 111-year history, and the 10th in the past 80 years. Kelsey has been a dominant winner across his 13 seasons as a head coach, including the his first year at Louisville, three at the College of Charleston and the previous nine at Winthrop. He boasts an impressive 288-129 record (69.1%) across his head coaching career with 11 total conference champion- ships and five NCAA Tournament bids. In his first year at the helm in Louisville, Kelsey led the Cardinals to a 27-8 overall record, tying for second in the ACC with an 18-2 conference record. Louisville made its first appearance in an ACC Tournament semifinal and championship game as the Cards finished runner-up to No. 1 Duke in the title game. Kelsey, tabbed as ACC Coach of the Year, led Louisville to an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals competed in the Big Dance for the first time since 2019, as an eight-seed, and fell to Creighton in the Round of 64. Kelsey recruited an entirely new team in 2024-25, returning no scholarship players from the previous season. Chucky Hepburn earned All-ACC First Team honors while also being named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and an AP Honorable Mention All-American. Terrence Edwards Jr. picked up Third Team All-ACC honors. The Cardinals were one of the most improved teams in the country both in total wins from the previous season and in NET ranking from the end of 2023-24 to the end of 2024-25. Kelsey restored Louisville’s standing amongst the elite basketball programs in the country, returning the Cardinals to the AP Top 25, ranking as high as No. 10 on the season in the March 17 rankings. In 2023-24, College of Charleston finished 27-8, claimed the Colonial Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles, and earned a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament before falling to fourth-seeded Alabama. Head Coach PAT KELSEY University of Louisville n gocards.com 24 77 Draft Picks | 21 All-Americans | 86 Winning SeasonsThe Cougars became the first team in seven years to win back-to-back Colonial titles. Kelsey was named the league’s Coach of the Year, in addi- tion to three All-CAA player honors and a Sixth Man of the Year award for Bryce Butler. College of Charleston ranks in the top 25 nationally this season in 3-point attempts per game (3rd, 30.6), made 3-pointers per game (8th, 10.5), bench points per game (11th, 30.1), winning percentage (18th, 77.1), rebounds per game (20th, 39.8), assist-to-turnover ratio (22nd, 1.5) and offensive rebounds per game (23rd, 13.1). During his second season at the helm in Charleston, the Cougars set numerous records with a 31-4 mark and the program’s first CAA title since 2008. They won 20 straight games, claimed the 2022 Charleston Classic and spent four weeks in the AP Top 25, peaking at No. 18. Kelsey was named the USBWA and NABC District Coach of the Year, and was on the Naismith Coach of the Year Watch List. Kelsey arrived in Charleston from Winthrop, where he became the fifth all-time winningest coach in the history of the Big South Conference. He averaged 20.7 wins per game in nine seasons in Rock Hill, S.C., compiling more overall wins and conference wins than any other team in the league. In his final season at Winthrop, Kelsey guided the Eagles to a 23-2 cam- paign, a school-record 21-game win streak, a Big South tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament where they fell to Villanova. Kelsey was named 2021 Big South Coach of the Year. Kelsey also led Winthrop to NCAA Tournament berths in 2020 (can- celed due to the COVID-19 pandemic) and 2017. A two-time finalist for the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award and final- ist for the 2021 Jim Phelan Coach of the Year Award, Kelsey compiled a 186- 95 (.662) overall record and an impressive 110-46 (.705) mark in conference play at Winthrop. The Eagles also won the Big South regular-season title four times in 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2021. In all, 16 Winthrop players were selected all-conference, while three were tabbed Big South Player of the Year, one Big South Freshman of the Year and two Big South Tournament Most Valuable Player honors. Prior to Winthrop, Kelsey served as associate head coach at his alma mater Xavier from 2009-11. Before that, he worked at Wake Forest as assis- tant coach (2004-09) and director of basketball operations (2001-04). He began his coaching career at Elder High School in Cincinnati as an assistant from 1998-2001. Kelsey graduated cum laude in 1998 from Xavier University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing. He began his collegiate playing career at the University of Wyoming, before transferring and playing three seasons at point guard for the Musketeers from 1995-98. Kelsey and his wife, Lisa, have three children: Ruthie, Caroline and Johnny. What They’re Saying About PAT KELSEY Chris Paul NBA Star & Former Wake Forest Guard “Coach Kelsey is one of the most passionate coaches I’ve ever been around! From trying to guard me in practice and pushing me and my teammates to be the best version of ourselves, he will be a great addition and advocate for Louisville! Congrats Coach Kels!!” Jay Bilas ESPN “I have known Pat Kelsey since he was a player for Skip Prosser at Xavier. Pat is the most passionate and energetic coach I’ve ever known, and his passion is contagious. He is a relentless worker and competitor, and a servant leader. Pat Kelsey knows how to win, and win the right way. He loves his players unconditionally, yet still holds them to the highest standards of excellence. They respond positively because they see championship behavior modeled every day by Pat, on and off the floor. Louisville has a proud tradition, and I am confident that Pat Kelsey will re-establish Louisville among the nation’s elite.” Matt Roberts College of Charleston AD “Louisville Basketball and the city of Lou- isville got an absolute gem today in Pat Kelsey. He will win and win big for the Cardinals. Not only is he a tremendous teacher, he is an even better person. In short order, your community will come to see what we all experienced in Charleston … Pat is an elite basketball coach, amazing husband, father, and friend.” Nick Nurse Philadelphia 76ers Head Coach “Pat Kelsey stepping up as the new head coach for Louisville is a testament to his dedi- cation, innovative mind, and the respect he commands on and off the court. As someone I’ve shared countless strategy sessions with, I’ve witnessed firsthand his exceptional ability to understand the game and inspire those around him. Pat’s approach to basketball is not just about plays; it’s about building a culture of excellence and resilience. Louisville has gained not just a coach, but a visionary leader who will no doubt propel the program to new heights. I couldn’t be prouder to see him take on this role, and I’m excited for the journey ahead.” Jeff Goodman Basketball Analyst “I know it’s not the biggest name, but I truly believe Pat Kelsey is perfect for this job - espe- cially at this time. This program needs an ener- getic, organized, relentless guy who is a proven X’s and O’s guy. I would be beyond shocked if Kelsey doesn’t get this program back to its win- ning ways sooner rather than later.” 2024-current Head Coach, University of Louisville 2021-24 Head Coach, College of Charleston 2012-21 Head Coach, Winthrop University 2009-11 Associate Head Coach, Xavier University 2004-09 Assistant Coach, Wake Forest University 2001-04 Director of Basketball Operations, Wake Forest University 1998-2001 Assistant Coach, Elder (Ohio) High School Pat Kelsey Coaching Career gocards.com n University of Louisville 25 77 Draft Picks | 21 All-Americans | 86 Winning SeasonsBrian Kloman Executive Director of Player Personnel & Strategic Initiatives B rian Kloman enters his second season at the Univer- sity of Louisville under Pat Kelsey in 2025-26. Kloman was promoted to Executive Director of Player Personnel and Strategic Initiatives in August of 2025. Kloman has spent 11 seasons working with Kelsey: one at Louisville, three at the College of Charleston and seven at Winthrop. In his new role at UofL, Kloman will take on a pivotal role in recruiting, roster construction and cap management, leveraging his extensive network and proven track record as one of the nation’s most connected and effective recruiters, both domestically and internationally. His ability to identify and secure top talent has been instru- mental in the construction of Louisville’s rosters for the last two seasons. Kloman’s forward-thinking approach and abil- ity to stay ahead of trends in college basketball will be a cornerstone of his new role. His exper- tise in strategic initiatives will focus on positioning Louisville at the forefront of the sport’s rapidly changing dynamics and navigating the complexities of modern college athletics. In Kloman’s first year in Louisville, the Cardinals produced a 27-8 record fin- ishing second in the ACC with an 18-2 league record. UofL also finished runner- up in the league at the ACC Tournament, making the program’s first-ever appear- ance in an ACC Cham- pionship game. The Cards earned an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament as an eight-seed, returning to the Big Dance for the first time since 2019. Kloman was instru- mental in helping Kelsey recruit an entirely new team in 2024-25, return- ing no scholarship players from the previous season. Chucky Hepburn earned All-ACC First Team hon- ors while also being named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and an AP Honorable Mention All-American. Terrence Edwards Jr. picked up Third Team All-ACC honors. The Cardinals were one of the most improved teams in the country both in total wins from the previous season and in NET ranking from the end of 2023-24 to the end of 2024-25. CofC went 75-27 overall (.735) in Kloman and Kelsey’s three seasons, claiming back-to-back Coastal Athletic Association regular season and tournament championships in 2023 and 2024. During their time together at Winthrop, the Eagles compiled a 152-65 (.700) record, made four Big South Conference championship game appearances and earned three NCAA Tournament berths in 2017, 2020 and 2021. Kloman and Kelsey’s total time together has produced an overall record of 254-100 (.718) over 11 seasons at the three programs. Prior to Winthrop, Kloman worked as an assistant coach at Tennessee Tech and North Carolina Central. He helped NCCU to a 28-6 record and NCAA Tournament bid in 2014. His coaching career also includes stints at Pikeville College, Daniel Webster and Pfeiffer University. In 2008, Kloman founded Recruit- ingRumors.com, which became one of the most popular sources for recruiting information amongst college coaches. A native of Asheville, N.C., Kloman is a 2002 graduate of the University of Tennessee. His father, Chris Ferguson, has been in college coach- ing for more than 30 years. University of Louisville n gocards.com 26 77 Draft Picks | 21 All-Americans | 86 Winning SeasonsRonnie Hamilton Assistant Coach R onnie Hamilton enters his second season at the University of Louisville as an assis- tant coach under Pat Kelsey in 2025-26. In Hamilton’s first year at Louisville, the Car- dinals produced a 27-8 record finishing second in the ACC with an 18-2 league record. UofL also finished runner-up in the league at the ACC Tournament, making the program’s first-ever appearance in an ACC Championship game. The Cards earned an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament as an eight-seed, returning to the Big Dance for the first time since 2019. Hamilton helped Kelsey recruit an entirely new team in 2024-25, returning no scholarship players from the previous season. Chucky Hep- burn earned All-ACC First Team honors while also being named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and an AP Honorable Mention All- American. Terrence Edwards Jr. picked up Third Team All-ACC honors. The Cardinals were one of the most improved teams in the country both in total wins from the previous season and in NET ranking from the end of 2023-24 to the end of 2024-25. Hamilton spent the previous two seasons as an assistant at LSU under Matt McMahon. Prior to that, he spent four seasons at Ole Miss where he worked primarily with the guards and helped the Rebels earn All-SEC honors four times. Ole Miss reached the 2019 NCAA Tourna- ment for the first time in four years, and in his first season with the program, Hamilton helped mentor the highest scoring duo in the SEC in all- conference guards Breein Tyree and Terence Davis. Hamilton also helped recruit a top-20 class for Ole Miss in 2019, one of the highest-rated classes in school history. The 2020 and 2021 classes also featured the highest-rated recruits the program had signed. Before arriving at Ole Miss, Hamilton was part of one of the best runs in school his- tory at Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders won three straight Conference USA Championships, recorded two NCAA Tournament upsets over No. 2 seed Michigan State (2016) and No. 5 seed Minnesota (2017), and won a school-record 31 games in 2016 Hamilton also had assistant coaching stints at Houston, Tulane, The Citadel and Division II Tarleton State. The Oxford, N.C., native graduated with his master’s in physical education with a concentra- tion in sports administration from UNC Pem- broke, where he was graduate assistant coach for the basketball team from 2003-05. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Duke in 2002. Hamil- ton was a four-year letterman for the Blue Devil football team as a defensive back. He signed a free-agent contract with the New York Giants. After being cut during the preseason, Hamilton decided to get into coaching, but opted to follow his passion of basketball. Hamilton is married to Christabell Mariner with four children — Jalyn, Ryan, Annalisa and Bryson. gocards.com n University of Louisville 27 77 Draft Picks | 21 All-Americans | 86 Winning SeasonsNext >