‘Greatest coach in history of conference’: Pat Kelsey leaves Winthrop for new SC job
After a successful run with the Winthrop basketball program, Pat Kelsey is leaving for another job in the Palmetto State.
Kelsey will be the new men’s basketball coach at College of Charleston, The Herald confirmed with a source who has direct knowledge of the move Thursday afternoon. There, he will replace Earl Grant, who left to become the new coach at Boston College.
Later, in a news release on Thursday evening, College of Charleston athletic director Matt Roberts announced Kelsey’s hiring. The 45-year-old Cincinnati native, who will be entering his 10th year as a head coach in the 2021-22 season, will be formally introduced as the program’s leader at a press conference held on Friday at 2 p.m.
“He might be the greatest coach in the history of the conference, so it always feels the same: I’m always aware that he’s going to be a target at other schools, and that’s a testament to our success,” Winthrop athletic director Ken Halpin told The Herald on Thursday evening. “That’s the price of success at a school like Winthrop.”
Kelsey told his Winthrop players he was leaving in a meeting Thursday afternoon and posted a heartfelt letter to the city of Rock Hill and Winthrop on Twitter late Thursday night.
“You took in a young coach who had little of experience and lots of dreams and helped them all come true,” Kelsey wrote. “When I asked for support, you responded. You tolerated my goofy antics when promoting games including distracting your lunch at Thompson or DIGS with an impromptu pep rally. I worked hard to do my part and earn my keep. I wasn’t perfect but I gave you every ounce of what I had. You, Winthrop, will always hold a special place in my heart. Until we meet again. ... “
Kelsey was 186-95 in nine seasons at Winthrop and led the Eagles to Big South regular-season and tournament championships this year. The Eagles, who went 23-2 this season, were a No. 12 seed in the NCAA tournament and lost in the first round to Villanova.
Kelsey has won four Big South regular-season titles and three postseason tournaments at Winthrop. The Eagles would have been in the NCAA tournament in 2019-20 if not for the then-emerging COVID-19 pandemic.
Kelsey has been a candidate for other jobs before. He was hired as the UMass coach in 2017 but announced two days later he was returning to Winthrop.
Pat Kelsey’s contract
According to Kelsey’s contract, which was obtained by The Herald days before Winthrop’s NCAA tournament game this season and was updated on Dec. 1, 2020, Kelsey’s base annual salary was $247,150 per year.
The contract states the agreement runs through March 31, 2026.
Kelsey also had a hefty incentive to remain at Winthrop: Per his contract, he was eligible to receive a maximum of two annual retention bonuses of $25,000 each for each contract year of this agreement.
His contract also states that he would receive a $10,000 bonus for the basketball team’s selection and appearance in the NCAA tournament. It would be paid to Kelsey within 30 days “or as soon as reasonably possible” after the team’s last game.
Per Stadium’s Jeff Goodman, Kelsey is “expected to more than double his salary” at College of Charleston.
Winthrop players react on social media
Winthrop players started posting their reactions to the news of Kelsey’s departure on Twitter. Forward DJ Burns posted, “Oh okay” and guard Russell Jones added, “dang.”
Burns later told The Herald in a text message: “Happy for him is all I got to say rn (right now)!”
During an interview with The State and The Herald before the NCAA tournament, Jones was asked about the possibility of Kelsey leaving at some point for another job because of the success he has had at Winthrop.
“When you have a good program like Coach Kelsey’s, there always are going to be rumors. Obviously, when you are 23-1, there always is going to be some schools that are going to want to pick him up,” Jones said. “All we can do as players is control what we can control. He is very deserving of this job, he is very deserving of any job in America right now because we are winning. That is the high level of coach he is.”
This story was originally published March 25, 2021 at 4:24 PM.
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