Staff Directory

Luke Carns
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Alma Mater:
- Louisville, 2022
- Office Phone:
- (478) 301-2994
- Email:
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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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THE CARNS FILE | |
Coaching Experience | |
2022-24 | Mississippi State (Graduate Assistant Coach) |
2024-25 | Texas State (Assistant Coach) |
2025-Present | Mercer (Assistant Coach) |
Education | |
Bachelor's degree in sport administration (Louisville, 2022). Master's degree in sport administration (Mississippi State, 2024). |
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