UNC Wilmington announced this morning that it has hired Louisville assistant coach Kevin Keatts as the school’s new head basketball coach. Keatts will coach the Seahawks after spending the last three years as an assistant on Rick Pitino’s staff.

Originally hired by Louisville in April 2011, Keatts was promoted to associate head coach in January 2014.

Before coming to Louisville, Keatts was the head coach of Hargrave Military Academy for 10 seasons (1999-2001, 2003-2011). While there, Keatts compiled a record of 263-17 and won two national prep titles in 2004 and 2008.

Since joining Louisville, Keatts had become one of the nation’s most well-regarded assistant coaches, especially when it came to recruiting. Last summer, ESPN.com named him the third most-respected assistant coach in that regard. On his Louisville bio page, Pitino calls Keatts, “one of the best assistants I have had in a long career.”

Keatts will be replacing Buzz Peterson, whose contract was terminated shortly after the Seahawk’s opening round loss in the CAA tournament. The team finished 9-23 on the season, which was their fifth 20-loss season in six years.

Because Louisville is still playing in the NCAA Tournament, no press conference has been announced.