UNC-Wilmington hires Louisville assistant Keatts

Mar 27, 2014 - 8:14 PM Wilmington, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - UNC-Wilmington announced Thursday the hiring of Louisville assistant Kevin Keatts to be its new head men's basketball coach.

The school said that Keatts will take over the program after the Cardinals' season ends. The defending national champions play rival Kentucky in a Midwest Regional semifinal on Friday.

"Kevin Keatts is one of the top young basketball coaches in the country and we welcome him to the Seahawk family," athletic director Jimmy Bass said in a statement. "We're very excited about what lies ahead for our program. Kevin is a bright star in the profession and he's had the opportunity to work with one of the most successful coaches ever in Rick Pitino. We're looking forward to having him on campus and working hard to bring our program back to the forefront of college basketball."

Keatts is in his third year on Rick Pitino's staff after serving as head coach at Hargrave Military Academy in two stints comprising 10 years.

The 41-year-old replaces Buzz Peterson, who was fired on March 11.

The Seahawks were 9-23 this season and finished last in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 3-13 record.