Pat Kelsey

[TheOFFSeason]

I love most posts by the OFFseason, but have to say this cryptic stuff bugs me a little bit. While not looking for details, did Kelsey hear stuff about the fact that several players would not qualify for this season? Or, did he hear that a number of players were out of here with Kellogg being fired? Or, did he hear about the Lou Roe situation and decided he wanted no part of it? Or, did he hear about discipline issues? Or, did he hear about the fact that it actually gets cold and snows in Amherst during a good part of the basketball season?

It was none of what you said above. He wouldn’t have worried about players leaving just like MM didn’t...lots of times that is a plus because they all have ways of getting players if there are scholarships available and it’s guys they want. There was never anything to the Lou Roe thing.
LS asked why he accepted and bailed at the last minute...the situation occurred just a short time before the press conference.
Either way I think it is working out better w MM and the staff he brought in.
The comments from the players have been great and the things MM has said after games has been very impressive in my opinion. Both of those things together make me believe there is a good foundation being built.

When Cal first got here I don’t think anyone could dream of what he would accomplish and the first couple of years there were plenty of losses but to me it was fun because you could see he was changing the culture and they played hard. There definitely were fans that didn’t think he was the right guy when they were losing(especially when they opened year 2 with a loss at Home to Lowell).
In no way am I saying MM is going to get UMass to #1 in the country but I think he can get them back to an A10 title. I will enjoy the growth...there will be steps forward and steps back too but they should play hard consistently. Against Lowell I didn’t think they played hard, I was disappointed the whole game but then he came on the radio and went in the press conference and talked about that very thing...it got better against Harvard. They are going to need to step it up a lot more to not get blown out by Minnesota...we’ll see what happens, maybe they aren’t ready for that big a jump yet this soon. Maybe that jump will come in a few weeks or during the A10, but I’m willing to bet we see a point this year when their focus and intensity make a noticeable leap.

[LS71]

^ I agree with everything in your post about MM and Cal. I love MM’s frankness. There doesn’t seem to be an ounce of BS in him.

I can’t even imagine the bombshell nature of whatever Kelsey heard at the last minute that lead him to humiliate himself publicly like that, especially if it was none of the things in 78’s post.

That said...things have a funny way of working out. I’m extrenely happy with MM as coach. The team/program is in good hands!

Fixed my typos...

[uz2b-len]

I'm extending happy with MM, too

[capezona]

Are we not happy with the way things turned out? Why does anything else matter?

[DearOleUMass]

I won't say who the quote was from on DJ.. but it was " the most arrogant college player I've ever met"....

Exactly why he won't make it to the NBA. Book it.

That, plus the fact that he will never be anywhere close to good enough to play in the NBA.

I mean I'd argue he has the talent to get there but you're right, right now he is not good enough to play in the NBA. If he had the work ethic of a Rayshawn Miller I would bet on him getting there. Then again, I'd guess if he had the work ethic of Rayshawn he would still be at UMass.

[DearOleUMass]

^ Interesting...

That begs the question...what did you hear?

And, looking back at how things have evolved, MM’s hire and what he’s done and how he’s done it, what are your thoughts?

While I am not going to post what I heard I will say that I have not seen anything that hasn’t been a positive. The staff is trying to build a foundation of the way they want things done and that takes time.
I consider the last coaching staff friends and, like many jobs, sometimes you just need to move on and start fresh somewhere else...glad they got a chance to do that so quickly.

Honestly, I have not the slightest clue as to what DK could have done that would prompt Kelsey to leave at the last minute. Obviously not something good considering you seem happily surprised that they were granted the opportunity to coach somewhere else so quickly.

This is all conjecture, but I really hope DK isn't mixed up in some of these recruiting issues.

[Floyd]

I don't think that's what he meant about DK. I believe he was saying that he knows them all and was glad they were able to land new jobs so quickly. I didn't read it to say DK (or what he might have done) had anything to do with Pat Kelsey.

[TheOFFSeason]

^ Interesting...

That begs the question...what did you hear?

And, looking back at how things have evolved, MM’s hire and what he’s done and how he’s done it, what are your thoughts?

While I am not going to post what I heard I will say that I have not seen anything that hasn’t been a positive. The staff is trying to build a foundation of the way they want things done and that takes time.
I consider the last coaching staff friends and, like many jobs, sometimes you just need to move on and start fresh somewhere else...glad they got a chance to do that so quickly.

Honestly, I have not the slightest clue as to what DK could have done that would prompt Kelsey to leave at the last minute. Obviously not something good considering you seem happily surprised that they were granted the opportunity to coach somewhere else so quickly.

This is all conjecture, but I really hope DK isn't mixed up in some of these recruiting issues.

I’m not following what you are saying...DK had nothing to do with Kelsey leaving.

The only surprise I had about him getting a job so quickly is there are only so many openings and lots of candidates. I was hoping he would’ve cut himself a deal before he was fired so he didn’t have his long tenure as a player and coach end that way.

[LS71]

^ I can't speak for DearOleUMass but my guess is that "these recruiting issues" refers to the FBI recruiting thing and that maybe that's what Kelsey "heard" thus prompting him to do what he did, thinking if true, UMass could face penalties.

[DearOleUMass]

While I am not going to post what I heard I will say that I have not seen anything that hasn’t been a positive. The staff is trying to build a foundation of the way they want things done and that takes time.
I consider the last coaching staff friends and, like many jobs, sometimes you just need to move on and start fresh somewhere else...glad they got a chance to do that so quickly.

Honestly, I have not the slightest clue as to what DK could have done that would prompt Kelsey to leave at the last minute. Obviously not something good considering you seem happily surprised that they were granted the opportunity to coach somewhere else so quickly.

This is all conjecture, but I really hope DK isn't mixed up in some of these recruiting issues.

I’m not following what you are saying...DK had nothing to do with Kelsey leaving.

The only surprise I had about him getting a job so quickly is there are only so many openings and lots of candidates. I was hoping he would’ve cut himself a deal before he was fired so he didn’t have his long tenure as a player and coach end that way.

Obviously misinterpreted what you were saying. The comment about DK was in response to a question regarding why PK left, seems random to throw in the comment about DK if it had nothing to do with Pat Kelsey.

[TheOFFSeason]

Honestly, I have not the slightest clue as to what DK could have done that would prompt Kelsey to leave at the last minute. Obviously not something good considering you seem happily surprised that they were granted the opportunity to coach somewhere else so quickly.

This is all conjecture, but I really hope DK isn't mixed up in some of these recruiting issues.

I’m not following what you are saying...DK had nothing to do with Kelsey leaving.

The only surprise I had about him getting a job so quickly is there are only so many openings and lots of candidates. I was hoping he would’ve cut himself a deal before he was fired so he didn’t have his long tenure as a player and coach end that way.

Obviously misinterpreted what you were saying. The comment about DK was in response to a question regarding why PK left, seems random to throw in the comment about DK if it had nothing to do with Pat Kelsey.

He asked if I would say what I knew...then he asked my thoughts on MM and things so far

[Roadtrip]

I think UMass now has the right guy for the job, and that would not have happened without the Kelsey turnabout. It does not matter to me if his reasons were valid or chickenshit; he is elsewhere, and that is good.

[Crank]

My only question would be are the issues that led to Kelsey bailing still here (at UMass). If not, who cares-looks like we ended up with an excellent coach.

[DEM]

Don't know what happened with Pat Kelsey but I had assumed it was related to personal matters (can't think of any other reasons he'd shoot himself in the foot, career-wise, like he apparently did). Either way, with Bamford in charge of the hiring process I wasn't worried, and in retrospect, it appears that PK weeding himself out might have even worked out for the better anyway.

[MJatUM]

His wife threw a fit. She (and the kids) did NOT want to move up here.

I am glad at the way things turned out. I think Kelsey would have been good here but after seeing his true colors, I am glad he is not. At least pull a Belichick and show up to the conference to tell people you aren't taking the job. Total bitch move to bail and not even show your face.