College of Charleston men’s basketball head coach Pat Kelsey has been named to the Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year late season watch list. Kelsey is one of 15 coaches recognized.
Candidates not included can still make their way on to the 10 semifinalists list, which will be announced on Thursday, March 9, 2023. The Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year award will be narrowed to four finalists on Monday, March 20, 2023. The final round includes an opportunity for fans to participate through the Naismith Awards Fan Vote presented by Jersey Mike’s, which accounts for 5% of the total vote and runs from March 21-28. The winner will be announced on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the Naismith Awards Brunch presented by Frost Bank at the Final Four in Houston.
Kelsey has led the Cougars to the most wins in the country thus far with a 26-3 record. Charleston won the 2022 Charleston Classic and spent four week’s ranked in the AP Top 25 poll, peaking at No. 18. Boasting a solidified ten-man rotation, the Cougars are also the only team in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) to have had three players recognized as the CAA Player of the Week (Ryan Larson, Dalton Bolon and Pat Robinson III).
“Each year we are amazed by the remarkable coaching performances that elevate these contenders as candidates for the Werner Ladder Naismith College Men’s Coach of the Year,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “The end of the regular season, with tremendous pressure on each game, usually separates those seeking to advance in the next step in our voting.”
