Mar 18, 2014 06:11 AM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Carlow University will be introducing the school's first intercollegiate men's basketball program, adding to its existing athletic schedule, beginning fall.

The basketball team will only be the second men's squad at Carlow, besides men's cross country. These teams will join women's basketball, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.

The men's basketball team, called 'Celtics' will participate in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which is part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, NAIA. The team will play its home games at Oakland Catholic High School, where the women's team also plays. The players will receive partial athletic scholarships.

Carlow was initially established as a women's institution 1929 but is now a co-ed. Male students account for 9 percent of its undergraduates and 14 percent of its graduates.

University President Suzanne Mellon hopes that this addition will help the school increase its male enrolment. ".....we, overall, are at about 11 percent male enrollment and we anticipate that growing over the next several years," Mellon said," WESA reports.

Mellon also said that the decision to add men's basketball program to the roster was not influenced by Chatham University's proposal to create men's athletics if they decide to go co-ed in 2015. Mellon also rubbished claims of any financial factors.

"It was focused on student need and diversifying our student offerings," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Tim Keefer was named the coach of the inaugural basketball team. Keefer comes with more than 30 years of coaching experience in and around the Pittsburgh area including stints at Hempfield Area High School, Allegheny Middle School, and two decades coaching at Oliver High School. He also served as Oliver High School athletic director from 2009 to 2012.

Keefer is credited to have helped transition the men's basketball team at the Pennsylvania State University Greater Allegheny Campus from a two-year to a four-year program. Under his leadership the Greater Allegheny Nittany Lions secured the PSUAC basketball championship 2006.

Keefer said that there will be challenges in starting a new program, but the team is geared up for the challenge. Norwin senior Zach Bryan and Thomas Jefferson senior Zach Talley have already signed their letters of intent to play with the team. The university wishes to recruit a total 10 students for the team.

 "It's not often you have an opportunity to start a men's team at what has traditionally been a women's school," Keefer said, TribLive reports.

"No one will work harder than this team,..... I'm excited that we're giving them a chance to make history and play a sport that they love. I expect them to be great ambassadors of Carlow both on and off the court."

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