LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Thomas Carr said he and Pat Kelsey were going to win a national championship together. On Wednesday he left to join another staff.
Carr is departing Louisville to take an assistant coaching position at Indiana under new Hoosiers coach Darian DeVries, according to multiple reports Wednesday. A source close to the Louisville program also confirmed the move.
Louisville | Kentucky | Indiana | Eric Crawford
Carr had been an assistant to Kelsey for four seasons overall, including the last two at Louisville and two before that at College of Charleston. He was part of the group Kelsey brought with him in the spring of 2024 to help rebuild the Cardinals from the ground up.
In two seasons at Louisville, Carr helped the Cardinals re-establish momentum under Kelsey. U of L ended a five-year NCAA Tournament drought in Kelsey's first season, then followed with a 24-11 finish in 2025-26, back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in more than a decade, and its first NCAA Tournament win since 2017.
Carr also played a role in Louisville's roster construction during Kelsey's first two offseasons, helping assemble a group that helped speed the program's turnaround. In January, he was named to Silver Waves Media's 2026 list of the 100 Most Impactful High Major Assistants.
When Louisville hired Carr in 2024, Kelsey praised his recruiting reach and his ability to connect with players.
"Thomas Carr truly embodies all of the essential talents to be a highly effective assistant coach in this new era of college basketball," Kelsey said at the time. "His ability to connect and build trust with players is elite."
Louisville coach Pat Kelsey and Thomas Carr at the ACC Tournament in 2026.
In the Sports Illustrated documentary series Marching Into Madness, which followed the Louisville and Charleston programs during the past three seasons, Carr spoke passionately about his belief in Kelsey and their shared ambitions.
"I said, 'We're gonna do this.' And was dead serious. Still believe it to this day," Carr said. "So when he called me (to coach at Louisville), I said the same thing to him, 'Like P, we're going to win a national championship together.' So for this to happen, I wasn't surprised, because, again, I know who my boss is. I know who my guy is, like he is the best man. This is destiny. This is how it's supposed to be."
Before joining Kelsey at Charleston, Carr built a long coaching résumé that included stops at East Tennessee State, UNC Wilmington and NC State. He also worked at the high school and grassroots levels, including positions at Hargrave Military Academy, Word of God Christian Academy and with Team Loaded NC on the adidas 3SSB circuit.
Indiana had an opening for a fifth assistant coach. Carr now joins a Hoosiers staff that includes Kenny Johnson, Rod Clark, Drew Adams and Nick Norton.
With Carr's departure, Louisville's assistant coaching staff now includes Mike Cassidy, Ronnie Hamilton, Peyton Siva and Jermaine Ukaegbu. Eli Foy remains in charge of strength and conditioning, while Brian Kloman serves as executive director of player personnel and strategic initiatives.
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