The Pat Kelsey File: Playing Career: Coaching History: Kelsey Bio: Kelsey, who spent five seasons as a Demon Deacon assistant coach, saw the program reach new heights. During his time in Winston-Salem, Wake Forest averaged more than 20 wins per season, earned four postseason berths, produced the No. 1 national ranking in two different seasons and won an ACC regular season championship. "Pat is a tremendous asset to our program. He performs every aspect of his job exceptionally well--recruiting, player development and game preparation," said head coach Dino Gaudio. "There is not a more conscientious, harder-working coach in America than Pat. Our program has grown immensely because of his contributions." In his role, Kelsey was involved in several facets of the Demon Deacon basketball program. He was a tireless recruiter, instrumental in helping Wake Forest sign several recruiting classes that have been ranked among the best in the nation. The Deacons' 2008 class was ranked No. 3 in the country by Rivals.com, while the class of 2006 was ranked No. 10 in the nation by Rivals. Kelsey played an integral role in garnering the national recruiting accolades, luring in a number of talented players to Winston-Salem. Guard Ishmael Smith was a Freshman All-American in 2007, while forward James Johnson was named All-ACC and finished as runner-up in ACC Rookie of the Year voting in 2008. Most recently, Kelsey recruited five-star prospects Al-Farouq Aminu and Tony Woods into the program. Ranked as the No. 7 recruit nationally in 2008, Aminu went on to earn Freshman All-American honors in 2008-09. Woods, who was ranked No. 20 according to Rivals.com, had a solid season and was in the starting lineup for the Deacons' 2009 NCAA Tournament game. In addition to his recruiting prowess, Kelsey was also recognized as an excellent teacher and tactician in terms of player development, scouting and game preparation. He worked primarily with the Deacon big men and played a key role in the development of center Chas McFarland. Under Kelsey's tutelage, McFarland had a breakout season as a sophomore in 2007-08. The 7-0 center led the ACC in per-game scoring improvement, going from 0.7 points per game as a freshman to 8.4 as a sophomore. McFarland continued to develop into one of the best post players in the ACC in 2008-09 and enters his senior season as a two-year starter for the Deacs. Kelsey, a former Division I point guard, was also an innovative marketer. He played a major role in helping create the lively pre-game festivities at all home games, working with former assistant coach Chris Mack and the Wake Forest marketing office to produce the "Tie-Dye Nation" campaign that is now a staple in Wake Forest's marketing efforts. Kelsey first came to Wake Forest in the spring of 2001, joining Skip Prosser's first Deacon staff as Director of Basketball Operations. He was then promoted to Assistant Coach prior to the 2004-05 season. He was first associated with Prosser as a standout performer in the Xavier backcourt for three seasons (1996 to 1998), leading the Musketeers to two NCAA Tournament appearances. The former guard served as team co-captain during the 1997-98 season and was voted the team's Most Inspirational Player in 1996 and 1998. Kelsey began his playing career at Wyoming in 1993-94 before transferring to Xavier. In between his playing days and arriving at Wake Forest, Kelsey spent three years as an assistant coach under coaching great Joe Schoenfeld at powerhouse Elder High School in Cincinnati. Kelsey, a native of Cincinnati and a huge fan of the Reds and Bengals, is a 1998 graduate of Xavier with a degree in business administration - marketing. Kelsey and wife, Lisa, are the parents of two young daughters, Ruthie and Caroline. |
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