Louisville men's basketball head coach Pat Kelsey is adding a Cardinals legend to his staff.

Peyton Siva, who helped lead U of L to back-to-back Final Fours and the 2013 national championship, will be part of Kelsey's new regime as director of player development and alumni relations, the program announced Tuesday.

A 33-year-old Seattle native, Siva is filling the void of another former Louisville great, Milt Wagner, who held the position during former head coach Kenny Payne's two-year tenure.

"Over the last couple of weeks, I have built a relationship with him and have experienced his impeccable character, charismatic disposition and love of all things University of Louisville," Kelsey said in a statement. "He will be an invaluable resource of basketball knowledge and expertise while also being a terrific confidant/mentor to our players on and off the court.

"His relationships with our basketball alumni, donors and administration will be of huge value as we build our organization together with these essential groups. If he decides to pursue the coaching route he is a sure-fire head coach down the road."

When Kelsey was named Payne's successor last month, Siva said the 48-year-old Cincinnati native is a "great fit."

"When they were going through the whole coaching search, my big thing was, 'Whoever they bring in has to have a big personality.' You have to be able to engage the fan base; you have to be able to communicate with everybody," Siva told a gaggle of reporters before Kelsey's introductory news conference.

"He brings that high energy; he brings that infectious personality that all (his) former players seem to love."

Siva joined the Cards in 2009, after earning McDonald's All-American status out of Franklin High School. Across four years of playing for Hall of Famer Rick Pitino, he totaled 1,215 career points and the second-most assists (677) and steals (254) in program history.

As a senior during the 2012-13 campaign, he set U of L single-season records for assists (228) and steals (90); joined Georgetown's Patrick Ewing as the second player to be crowned the Big East Conference Tournament's Most Outstanding twice; and scored 18 points during an 82-76 victory over Michigan in the national championship.

The Detroit Pistons selected Siva with the 56th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. He logged 24 appearances with the team, totaling 54 points, but was waived a year later — and eventually decided to take his talents overseas.

His international career spanned stints in Italy, Germany, New Zealand, Greece and Australia.

Last September, Siva opened a gym called Shoot 360 in Norton Commons. It's billed as an immersive basketball training center that uses data and video-game technology to help players of all ages hone their games.

Prior to that, he was a member of The Ville, a team of mostly ex-Cards such as Russ Smith and Chane Behanan that competed in The Basketball Tournament at Freedom Hall. In February, he announced he is returning to the squad for another go-around alongside former teammate Montrezl Harrell.

Payne spoke highly of the impact Siva made on his players while hanging out around the Planet Fitness Kueber Center.

"He comes to work out with the strength coach, and you see how hard he works," the former coach told reporters. "He's a super positive giver as a human being; I love that about him — love that he's giving that, and I hope (the players) are paying attention to it so they understand that's what you should be as a basketball player."

Smith, meanwhile, took to X — formerly Twitter — on Tuesday to say joining Kelsey's staff is the "perfect role" for his former backcourt running mate.

"He’s been the best and competed at the highest level of his position at every level," Smith wrote. "You will be lucky to be developed and instructed by a winner at the collegiate level (like) Peyton Siva, especially if you’re a point guard."

Other confirmed members of Kelsey's Louisville staff include four assistant — Brian Kloman, Michael Cassidy, Thomas Carr and Ronnie Hamilton — and strength and conditioning coach/chief of staff Eli Foy.

Kloman, Cassidy, Carr and Foy are following Kelsey from Charleston. Hamilton spent the past two seasons working under Matt McMahon at LSU.

Kelsey has been allocated $2.1 million to build his staff, according to a signed copy of his Memorandum of Understanding with the U of L Athletic Association obtained by The Courier Journal via open records request.

Other staff additions announced Tuesday were Jermaine Ukaegbu (director of player personnel/assistant coach), Mitch Johnson (director of basketball operations) and Braden Connor (video coordinator).

Here's what to know about those three:

Jermaine Ukaegbu

Ukaegbu, who hails from Silver Springs, Maryland, played for Kelsey at Winthrop before joining his Eagles staff as a graduate assistant. He spent the past three seasons as Charleston's director of player development.

Kelsey called him "one of the most extraordinary human beings I've ever worked with.

"There is a light in him that is hard to describe, but you feel it when you are with him. He was a captain for us years ago at Winthrop, and I knew immediately that he would be an amazing coach," Kelsey said in a statement. "His understanding of our system and his ability to teach it is excellent. He pours into the lives of players and connects with them on all levels like few I've ever been around."

Ukaegbu's primary role on the court, Kelsey said, will be assistant defensive coordinator under Kloman.

Mitch Johnson

Johnson, a Cincinnati native, linked up with Kelsey at Charleston, where he served as the Cougars' director of basketball operations.

The role calls for managing all aspects of the team's travel, scheduling and meals — in addition to other responsibilities.

Kelsey said Johnson "possesses a tireless work ethic and meticulous organizational skills.

"Throughout my career, I have always hired future coaches in this role. Mitch Johnson is just that," Kelsey said in a statement. "He is an extremely bright basketball mind with a crystal-clear understanding of my vision for the program."

Kelsey also said Johnson will assist him in "special teams strategies;" which includes "baseline out of bounds, sideline out of bounds, after timeout situations, full court, short clock and end game scenarios."

Braden Connor

A Cincinnati native, Connor was promoted to Charleston's video coordinator ahead of the 2023-24 season after spending two years as a graduate assistant with the Cougars.

He will be responsible for all of the program's video efforts, including practice and game film breakdown, scouting and recruiting.

"Braden is so much more than what his title states," Kelsey said in a statement. "He lives and breathes our culture and has a positive impact on everyone he comes in contact with. He is beloved by everyone in our program from players to coaches to staff."

Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball staff under Pat Kelsey to include Peyton Siva