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Pat Kelsey - Unexpected Bonus!!
By
Andy Mac Williams,
4/28/2009
Life is full of suprises! Some are unpleasant - like the switcheroo Sean Miller pulled on us Opening Day when he reversed course and exited for Arizona. I've learned not to overreact in these situations. Xavier basketball has a way of landing on its feet and actually growing through the change. Chris Mack's appointment as head coach made perfect sense to me. He's well qualified and ensures continuity. His hiring of Brian Thornton, I think, will reap great dividends. Chris's other staff decisions were solid.
But what about that second chair? Matta had his Sean Miller. Skip Prosser had Dino Gaudio and Mark Schmidt. Pete Gillen had Skip. Some Xavier zealots I talked to wanted an older experienced voice to help Chris with tactical game decisions -substitutions, time-outs, ob plays, working the officials whatever. Sure, it's a big move from top assistant to head coach, but Chris is ready. He doesn't need a set of training wheels. He needs the best available hardest working most loyal guy out there.
Sure, I thought of Pat Kelsey. I never thought he'd take the job, but I'm thrilled he did. First-he had been in the mix for some mid-major head coaching positions. He had passed on a Florida assistant spot under Billy Donovan plus he felt a ton of loyalty to Dino Gaudio at Wake Forest.
Give Chris Mack a lot of credit for pursuing Pat aggressively, offering the Associate Head Coach title and ramping up the compensation. Chris wanted the best staff possible. Next year's roster is loaded, but this is about perpetuating the Xavier tradition beyond next season. Recruiting is like breathing. You have to do it everyday. Now the Muskies have two of the most tenacious and ethical recruiters around. They are successful products of the school and system they are selling.
The lure of coming home had to be powerful for Pat. His family is large and rock-ribbed Westside. Sundays mean a crowded driveway at the Kelsey homestead on Devil's Backbone Road. Pat's younger brother Mike was an Elder and NKU star. His sisters played basketball with distinction. Pat's brother-in-law Paul Kluxton hardly ever missed a free throw while playing at NKU. Maybe he can function as an unofficial foul shooting consultant for XU??
When I was removed from the radio broadcasts in 1997 and really depressed, Pat thought of me and wrote "Andy Mac" on his game gym shoes. It let me know that somebody cared about my work - that I'd made an impact. Pat's dad Mike helped me immensely in finding a new career after radio ended.
Two summers ago, Pat delivered an eloquent and heartfelt eulogy to Skip Prosser at Cintas Center. He included a quote of mine in his remarks and it made me feel like a part of the Xavier family again. Family - it can sound a little hokey and a bit cliche but it's a major factor in what makes Xavier basketball so special.
Pat's back because of his family and the Xavier family. It's special and it's worth the effort!!
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