Sports

Pat Kelsey backs out as UMass basketball coach

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Amherst — In a strange turn of events, Pat Kelsey has backed out of the UMass men's coaching position mere days after taking the job citing "personal reasons", and will return to Winthrop to coach again.

"For personal reasons, I have asked the University of Massachusetts to allow me to be released from the offer I accepted to be the head men's basketball coach. To be clear, this decision is entirely personal and in no way an assessment of the commitment UMass made to me personally or to the resources available at UMass to have a nationally-recognized program," Kelsey said in a statement.

"I apologize to Chancellor [Kumble] Subbaswamy, Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford, members of the basketball program and the UMass community who embraced my appointment this week and made me feel welcome since arriving on campus yesterday."

UMass will obviously need to move on but before they do, Athletic Director Ryan Bamford commented on the situation saying, "In my conversation with Pat, he made it clear that his reasons were very personal and upon his request, I will honor our confidential conversation. Pat stressed that his decision was not based on the University of Massachusetts or our basketball program. Again, his reasons were personal in nature. I know that the unforeseen circumstances surrounding his decision were not in our control."

"At this time, we will resume our search for the next leader of our program. I am confident that we will hire a remarkable coach who will return our program to national prominence."