Luke Carns

Biography

A three-year coaching veteran with previous stops at two other collegiate institutions, Luke Carns begins his first year at Mercer in 2025-26 as an assistant coach for the Bears. Carns joined the coaching staff in Macon in April 25 after spending the previous seasons in a similar role at Texas State. As the director of player personnel at Texas State for the 2024-25 campaign, Carns played an integral role in a 13-win season for the Bobcats that culminated in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament. TSU boasted one of the nation's top bench-scoring teams (22.5 points/game), while also tacking up nearly 20.4 free throws an outing as well (25th NCAA). The Bobcats also forced an impressive 17.4 turnovers per game, including seven 20-plus turnover outings by their opponents. Carns was on the sidelines as a graduate assistant for two seasons (2022-24) at Mississippi State as the Bulldogs churned out a cumulative 45-23 (.662) record and two postseason berths. The Bulldogs carried NCAA Division I's 14th-best field goal percentage defense amid a run to an appearance in the NCAA Sweet 16 that capped the 2022-23 campaign. MSU ranked among the nation's top 30 teams in seven statistical categories on the way to a deep run in the 2024 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT). A native of Louisville, Ky., Carns earned his bachelor's degree in sport administration from Louisville in 2022, and completed his graduate work in sport administration at Mississippi State in 2024. THE CARNS FILE C

Career Path