Interim Head Coach, Matt Karn, has officially been named as the Head Coach of the Men’s Basketball program at Brescia University. After the Bearcats nearly 40-point win against IU Columbus, Athletic Director, Mark Perdue, broke the news to Karn and the players in the locker room of his new appointment. After accepting the job less than a month before the Bearcat’s first game, Karn was just gaining his footing within the program. “Matt stepped in as the interim at the beginning of the year and has done a great job moving the program forward. We want to keep that momentum moving forward with him as the head coach”, AD Perdue said following the announcement. “Being from Ohio County, Matt has a lot of local basketball knowledge and we want to recruit Kentucky first and then out of state”, Perdue continued.
Under his leadership, the team has demonstrated a commitment to excellence and discipline both on and off the court, earning him the permanent position as head coach. With his leadership, the Bearcats look forward to continued growth and competitiveness at the NAIA level. His impact on the program, both on and off the court, solidified the decision to appoint him as the full-time head coach. He has displayed a deep understanding of the game, a passion for mentoring and educating student-athletes, and has a vision for sustained success at Brescia.
An Ohio County native, Matt helped lead the Ohio County Eagles to the 3rd region title in 2005. He went on to become a junior college All-American and from there went on to play at the University of Nebraska for 3 years. He also went on to play basketball professionally including a stint on the beloved Kentucky Mavericks in Owensboro for 2 years before transitioning into coaching.
A former player with deep roots in the game. Coach Karn has quickly risen through the ranks with his keen understanding of the game and leadership abilities. Before stepping into the interim role, Matt was an integral part of the coaching staff, serving as head assistant coach for 2 seasons at Brescia. During this time, he played a crucial role in player development, game strategy, and recruitment. Matt has been a coach or scout at every level after his playing career. He has been an assistant coach at the semi-pro basketball level. Head coach at the high school AAU, and middle school levels. Matt has also been doing scouting work, analytics, and player development at the NBA level for the past few years, working with esteemed NBA front offices, coaches and player development personnel.
As interim head coach, Coach Karn guided the team through a challenging transition, instilling a strong culture of accountability and teamwork. Battling through adversity of a new coach, and injuries. Under his leadership, the Bearcats are looking at a playoff berth which would only be the 2nd time in the last 7 seasons with 3 games to go in the regular season. Brescia beat a top 25 team in the country in Rio Grande under his tenure and has developed several players including the 2nd leading scorer in the country, and two of the top 3pt shooters in the conference by percentage and made 3’s, and the 2nd leading rebounder in the conference.
Beyond the X’s and O’s, Coach Karn is committed to player development on and off the court, emphasizing academics, leadership, character building, and developing and educating student athletes into young men as they take the next steps in their lives. He is driven to create a strong culture of players who love the game, and are willing to sacrifice both on and off the court. With his strong Kentucky ties, Matt wants to keep the top talent in the state and local. That includes his staff. Matt has placed his trust in Trace Young as head assistant coach. Trace is also a former local legend with stops at Apollo, and Ohio County before playing at the D1 level. Trace also went to play in the Pacers organization and for the Memphis Hustle in the G-League. Trace adds a host of basketball knowledge and experience at the highest levels at both X’s and O’s and player development, as does his JV coaches. Coach Karn looks to move towards a high octane fast paced offense, and a defense that creates chaos by pressing and trapping.
Coach Karn will take the helm of the BU men’s basketball program as they look to return to the River States Conference Tournament this season.
https://bresciabearcats.com/sports/mbkb/2024-25/releases/20250214j3yf88
