Pat Kelsey Announces Three New Hires

Mark BlankenbakerJune 11, 2024

UofL men’s basketball head coach PatKelsey announced Tuesday the additional staff hirings of assistant coach Mike Cassidy, Creative Director Tom Pupavac and Associate Athletic Trainer Katie Creznic.

All three of the new staff additions reunite with current Louisville staff members and former College of Charleston staffers Pat Kelsey, Brian Kloman, Thomas Carr, Jermaine Ukaegbu, Eli Foy, Mitch Johnson and Braden Smith.

Michael Cassidy – Assistant Coach

Cassidy will enter his fourth year on a college basketball staff in 2024-25 with the Louisville Cardinals after spending the previous three seasons at CofC.

“’Cass’ is one of the brightest basketball minds I’ve ever worked with,” said Kelsey. “As our offensive coordinator, he helps me to design, implement and adjust our offensive schemes. He is a very skilled on court teacher of the game. Players gravitate to him because of his positive disposition, his sense of humor and his obvious knowledge of the game.”

“I am incredibly humbled and excited to be joining the Men’s Basketball staff at such a prestigious institution like the University of Louisville,” said Cassidy. “I would also like the thank Coach Kelsey for such a great opportunity. Louisville has such a rich basketball history and the city, and its fans, are like no other. We as a staff look forward to bringing an exciting and electric brand of basketball that the city can rally behind. A huge thank you goes out to everyone in Louisville Athletics for making this transition seamless & smooth. I can’t wait to get on floor with our guys in the summer and build the team for an exciting first year of the Pat Kelsey era at Louisville. Go Cards!”

Charleston went 75-27 overall (.735) in the three seasons Cassidy and Kelsey were there, claiming back-to-back Coastal Athletic Association regular season and tournament championships in 2023 and 2024.

Cassidy was an assistant coach for the U19 Australian National Team at the U19 FIBA World Cup in July 2021 just before joining the Charleston staff as an assistant coach. Prior to that, he spent five years playing an integral role on staff with the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence, a world-class institution dedicated to junior basketball development in Austral and the future Boomers and Opals, who compete for the Australian Men’s and Women’s National Teams.

With the Centre of Excellence, Cassidy was as an assistant coach competing in the NBL1 (Division II Pro League) in Australia. Additionally, he worked in-step with the NBA Global Academy, which is housed in Canberra, Australia. The Centre of Excellence has produced several NBA stars, including Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Dante Exum, Joe Ingles, Luc Longley, Patty Mills and more.

Cassidy was responsible for nationally identifying future talent for the Australian National teams and individually tailoring athlete development programs while teaching with a focus on shooting and international offensive and defensive trends. He helped lead multiple U19 National Teams and helped steer the U18 National Team to a silver medal at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament, an international competition held in Germany every two years.

A 2018 graduate of the Australian College of Physical Education, Cassidy also has experience as a head coach during the National Basketball League Combine and the Australian Basketball Development Camp. During the latter, he led and managed a staff of 10 coaches and a team of 20 athletes, bringing an impressive resume of recruiting, talent identification and development, and on-court coaching expertise to Louisville.

Tom Pupavac – Creative Director for Men’s Basketball

Pupavac will be spending his fourth season in creative content in the 2024-25 year after spending the previous three seasons under Kelsey at Charleston. He previously played four seasons of basketball under Kelsey at Winthrop.

“Tom played for us and was part of championship teams at Winthrop,” said Kelsey. “It is unique and, I believe, an advantage to have a former player work with you in the creative space. He understands and believes in our culture so much which allows him to tell a special story about who we are through his work. He is extremely gifted and brings our program to life through the content he creates.”

“It is an honor to be welcomed into the Louisville Basketball family and a privilege to be a part of the rich history this program has been founded on,” said Pupavac. “I’d like to thank Coach Kelsey for the opportunity here and the trust he has in my vision over the years! I am looking forward to sharing this journey with the incredible Card Nation! The unwavering support of Louisville Basketball fans is like no other and it fuels the success of this team. Go Cards!”

In his role, Pupavac is responsible for producing digital creative projects involving the men’s basketball program including photography, videography and graphic design. He collaborates with the coaching staff to produce all creative recruiting content for targeted prospects and leads creative projects with prospects during their official visits.

He helped double the Cougars social media metrics during his three years in Charleston. In 2022, the Cougars ranked 98th in total social interactions, 74th in interaction rate, 87th in total views and experienced the third-best growth rate in DI men’s basketball.

An Australian native, Pupavac graduated in 2021 from Winthrop with a degree in business administration. In his four seasons on the court with Kelsey, the won two conference championships.

Katie Creznic – Associate Athletic Trainer

Creznic comes to the University of Louisville after spending two years working with men’s basketball and women’s golf at the College of Charleston. In her time with the Cougars basketball program, Charleston won back-to-back conference championships, making trips to the NCAA Tournament.

“In college basketball, I believe your athletic trainer is one of the most important positions in your program,” said Kelsey. “Katie was a huge part of our last two championships at Charleston. Her expertise in her craft is exceptional but her true gift is the rapport she has with players. She is a huge part of our 25 Strong culture.”

“I am so blessed and excited to continue working with Coach Kelsey and his amazing staff here in Louisville,” said Creznic. “The resources and support that are poured into this program medically and beyond are second to none. I can’t wait to serve our student-athletes and help them achieve incredible success on and off the court. Together we will build something truly special. Go Cards!”

Prior to her work with Kelsey at Charleston, Creznic was at Morgan State University working with men’s basketball first as an assistant athletic trainer (2017-18) before being promoted to Director of Sports Medicine from 2018 onward.

She interned at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., from 2013-2015 and was a graduate assistant at the University of South Carolina. While in the Palmetto State for graduate school, she worked at Dreher High School and South Carolina State University.

Outside of college athletics, Creznic was an athletic trainer at the 2022 NBA Combine and G League Elite Camp as well as the NBA x HBCU Summer League Combine that same summer.

Creznic holds certifications in Graston Level 1, Myofascial Cupping, Intricate Art Dry Needling Level 1, PES and FMC-C.

Creznic graduated from Messiah College (now University) with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training in 2013. She added on a master’s in advanced athletic training in 2017 from the University of South Carolina. Creznic is originally from Hershey, Pennsylvania.