Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

Pat Kelsey reportedly backs down from UMass men’s basketball coaching position

(Jacob Hallex/The Johnsonian)

The Massachusetts men’s basketball team was supposed to announce Pat Kelsey as its next head coach on Thursday.

Instead, roughly 15 minutes before the start of the press conference, UMass announced it had cancelled the press conference for “unforeseen reasons.”

It was then reported by ESPN’s Jeff Goodman that Kelsey no longer wanted the job with the Minutemen. A source close to Goodman told him that Kelsey “just didn’t feel like it was the right place for him.”

Kelsey had been on campus the past couple days meeting the players, other UMass coaches and partaking in photo shoots with the program.

According to Goodman, Florida Gulf Coast coach Joe Dooley, Boston Celtics assistant coach Micah Shrewsberry, Vermont coach John Becker and Miami assistant coach Chris Caputo were all on UMass Athletic Director Ryan Bamford’s list of possible candidates.

Sports Illustrated’s Pete Thamel has reported that Kelsey will return to Winthrop.

Andrew Cyr can be reached at [email protected], and followed on Twitter @Andrew_Cyr.

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  • D

    David FitzgeraldMar 23, 2017 at 6:48 pm

    if he didn’t want it 100% then it’s better that he quit

    second chances often turn out better

    ie Bill Belichick agreed to be head coach of Jets but changed his mind and signed with…

    oh, what’s that team again?

    Reply
  • D

    David FitzgeraldMar 23, 2017 at 6:44 pm

    oops

    Reply