Peyton Siva Elevated to Assistant Coach at Louisville

The Louisville men's basketball program didn't have to go far to fill Brian Kloman's old role.

Head coach Pat Kelsey announced Tuesday that Peyton Siva has been elevated to assistant coach. Kelsey brought in the former Cardinals great last offseason as their Director of Player Development and Basketball Alumni Relations.

He takes over the bench role previously occupied by Kloman, who on Monday was promoted to Executive Director of Player Personnel and Strategic Initiatives. Per the release, Siva will still maintain his responsibilities with basketball alumni relations, while also taking on "an expanded role with recruiting and player development as an on-court assistant coach."

"Peyton is a living legend at Louisville," Kelsey said in a statement. "His promotion to assistant coach reflects his proven impact, from player development to bridging our storied past with our bright future. His relationships with our alumni, donors and community will be critical as we continue to elevate this program."

Last season, Siva played a massive behind-the-scenes player development role, which in turn helped the Cardinals go 27-8 in their first year under Kelsey. Additionally, he was crucial in helping develop Chucky Hepburn, who went on to earn First-Team All-ACC honors and be named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

"I'm honored to take on this new role with the University of Louisville," Siva said in a statement. "This program and this city mean everything to me. I'm excited to continue mentoring our players, recruiting the next generation of Cardinals and building on the incredible momentum from last season. Working with Chucky and seeing his growth was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career, and I look forward to helping our team achieve even greater success. Go Cards!"

A four-year player from 2009 to 2013, Siva is one of the top point guards in program history. He has the second-most assists and steals with 677 and 254, respectively, and is a 1000-point scorer with 1,215 career points. He's a two-time Big East Tournament MVP, and as a senior, his collegiate career culminated with a Third-Team All-Big East nod and the Cardinals' third national championship.

After graduating, the Seattle native was selected by the Pistons with No. 56 overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft, but spent just one season with Detroit. He also had some overseas stops in Italy, Germany, New Zealand, Greece and Australia.

More recently, Siva opened the basketball training facility "Shoot 360," and has also played for the Louisville alumni team "The Ville" as part of The Basketball Tournament.